The Wal-Mart Foundation, the chain store’s philanthropic arm, announced today a $4.2-million grant to the Institute for Higher Education Policy, which will use the money to support programs that help students who are the first in their families to go to college succeed at minority-serving institutions.

The grant continues the philanthropy’s recent emphasis on helping first-generation students, including millions of dollars in grants, announced in February, to the Council of Independent Colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges, and 20 individual colleges.

Under the grant announced today, 30 colleges will each receive $100,000 awards from the institute as well as other forms of support. —Andrew Mytelka