The new grant will expand college access and coaching support for 10,000 students from low-income communities nationwide
ST. PAUL, Minn., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — College Possible, the nonprofit that pioneered the field of near-peer coaching for high school and college students, today announced a new collaboration with the NBA Foundation, which tips off with an initial grant aimed at serving Black youth who aspire to attend college. The new funding will expand College Possible’s impact by providing nearly 10,000 high schoolers from low-income communities in Philadelphia, Chicago, Portland, Minneapolis and Milwaukee with near-peer coaches who can help them navigate the college admissions process.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to unlock their highest potential,” said Greg Taylor, Executive Director of the NBA Foundation. “One of the NBA Foundation’s goals is to assist programs that provide the hands-on support students need to actualize their dreams and ambitions. We’re excited to invest in an organization like College Possible with a national record of accomplishment and proven impact.”
For more than two decades, College Possible has worked to eliminate barriers to college success for aspiring graduates from historically under-resourced schools and communities. College Possible’s pioneering model utilizes Americorps members as near-peer mentors through sites in eight U.S. cities and in collaboration with 169 high schools and 107 colleges.
According to a randomized study done by Harvard University, students who participate in College Possible’s program are three times more likely to complete college. Over a five-year period, graduates have a 98 percent employment rate, 94 percent have health insurance, and 96 percent of survey respondents found it “likely” or “very likely” that their children would be able to attend college.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our most vulnerable students from high poverty and low-income communities,” said Austin Buchan, Senior Vice President of Program and Tech Innovation at College Possible. “This collaboration and investment will accelerate our mission-critical work to ensure that students have access, support, and tools they need to thrive in college.”
This grant builds on the NBA Foundation’s commitment to help create employment opportunities, further career advancement, and drive greater economic empowerment for Black youth. Since December 2020, the foundation has awarded 78 grants to nonprofit organizations totaling more than $22 million in alignment with its mission to provide skills training, mentorship, coaching and pipeline development for high school, college-aged, job-ready and mid-career individuals in communities across the United States and Canada.
About College Possible:
As one of the largest and most successful college access and success programs in the country, since 2000 College Possible has helped put more than 59,000 students from disinvested communities on the path to economic mobility via completion of a college degree. Its proven near-peer coaching model, delivered by recent college graduates serving as AmeriCorps members, provides high-touch interventions proven to help students navigate and overcome the most common barriers to college access, retention and degree completion. Nationwide, College Possible students are three times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years than their peers from similar backgrounds. Headquartered in Saint Paul, MN, College Possible operates: regional sites in Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; and Seattle, WA; College Forward in Austin, TX; and has Catalyze partnerships in California, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee. Learn more at CollegePossible.org.
About the NBA Foundation:
Created in August 2020, the NBA Foundation is the league’s first-ever charitable foundation dedicated to driving economic opportunity for Black youth. The Foundation invests in local and national organizations that promote school-to-career and workforce development opportunities. For more information visit nbafoundation.com.
