Latest News from College Access Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2007

COLLEGE ACCESS FOUNDATION OF CALIFORNIA ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $3.2 MILLION IN GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING STUDENTS

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 26, 2007 – College Access Foundation of California is pleased to announce grants to 11 outstanding community-based organizations across the state that are providing support to students with financial need.

College Access Foundation President Caroline O. Boitano announced that these grants, totaling $3,275,999, will fund scholarships and operating expenses for grantees that serve low-income populations in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Alameda, San Francisco and Kern counties.

College Access Foundation welcomes its new grantees: A Place Called Home, Barrio Logan College Institute, Central Coast Cal-SOAP Consortium, Centro Legal de la Raza and San Diego Education Fund. The foundation also welcomes returning grantees California Cash for College, Catch The Dream Program, Glendale Community Foundation, Larkin Street Youth Services, Southern San Joaquin Valley Cal-SOAP and UNITE-LA.

Now two years old and with assets of more than $450 million, the mission of College Access Foundation is to support qualified young people who have the desire to attend college but who lack the means. Its funding allows grantees – community-based organizations that provide academic enrichment and college access information – to give talented students the scholarships they need to achieve their dreams of a college education.

“These organizations are doing critical work for students in their communities and statewide,” said Boitano. “We rely on their expertise and their immediate contact with these students, to inform, inspire and encourage these students to reach for their educational goals.”

Only 19 of 100 students entering the ninth grade currently go on to attain a college degree – and in some regions of the state, the percentage is much lower. While college has become a prerequisite to both personal economic success and the continued growth of the California economy, thousands of young people are still not pursuing higher education.

“The first step is often educating students and their families that college is available to them, especially given the fact that so many are the first in their families to apply to college,” added Jay Sherwin, Vice President for Programs. “Our grantees are in a unique position to identify talented students and help them succeed, and we are proud to support their exciting work.”

About College Access Foundation of California
College Access Foundation of California, the largest grantmaking organization of its kind in the state, helps California students who have financial need attend college. The Foundation provides millions of dollars in grants to community-based organizations that are helping students prepare for and enter institutions of higher learning.

For more information on College Access Foundation and its grantees, visit www.collegeaccessfoundation.org or contact Kristen Stancik at 310.656.1001.

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