February 25, 2008
Wal-Mart Announces Grants to Help First-Generation College Students
Wal-Mart’s philanthropic arm announced today that it made $67-million in grants to educational programs during 2007, with much of it going to higher education.
The Wal-Mart Foundation, one of the nation’s leading corporate givers, announced a $2.27-million grant to the Council of Independent Colleges to help educate first-generation students.
The gift will provide $100,000 awards to 20 small- and mid-sized independent colleges and universities to increase the enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of first-generation students.
Wal-Mart’s foundation also announced a two-year, $2.5-million grant to the American Association of Community Colleges, and a separate $500,000 commitment to help needy community-college students stay in school.
According to the foundation, it provided some $7.2 million last year to help thousands of students continue their post-secondary education.
Brad Wolverton | Posted on Monday February 25, 2008 | PermalinkComments
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Interestingly enough, Wal-Mart didn’t pioneer this.
Avondale Mills heir and former journalist Mignon C. Smith started doing this several years ago for Alabama “first in family” college students through her family foundation, named for her parents Craig and Paige Smith.
Perhaps someone can do a piece about her efforts, continuing a several-generations-long commitment to education by her family.
— Sam Davis Feb 26, 03:58 PM #
I am very excited to see this Wal-Mart grant. I am a doctoral student in an education program and am just beginning to develop my topic for my dissertation. I plan to address first-generation college students in a nursing program. This grant is very timely being that this is an area that is really starting to surface and has little research surrounding it. (Nearly non-existent in nursing education.) I look forward to seeing this transpire.
— Melissa Dannemiller (Ohio) Mar 9, 07:10 AM #