Federal student loan guarantor and postsecondary education philanthropy Ascendium Education Group has announced grants totaling $58 million in support of postsecondary education and workforce training for learners from low-income backgrounds.

The funding will support community college workforce initiatives and sectoral training programs, as well as efforts to strengthen institutional capacities, promote evidence-based practices, and expand postsecondary education in prison. Recipients include Michigan Community College Association in support of the organization’s efforts with the Ohio Association of Community Colleges to provide technical assistance to community colleges addressing economic development opportunities in the upper Midwest; the Aspen Institute to bolster board leadership in community colleges; Georgia State University’s National Institute for Student Success to improve student outcomes and close equity gaps at six public institutions in the state; and Merit America in support of new sectoral training pathways in fields such as semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, climate, AI, and cybersecurity.

Additional recipients include the Communities Foundation of Texas to help the Texas Transfer Alliance enhance infrastructure for institutional partnerships, data collection, and leadership accountability; and Healthy Routines in support of historically Black colleges and universities in South Carolina working to establish pathways and expand access to postsecondary education opportunities for incarcerated learners.

“The approval by Ascendium’s board of directors of this docket of grants—one of our largest ever—underscores our commitment, along with that of our grantee partners, to improving the lives of learners from low-income backgrounds,” said president, education grantmaking Keith Witham. “By addressing persistent systemic barriers, strengthening the capacity of critical sectors in postsecondary institutions, and promoting promising workforce training models, these grantees’ efforts will help create a more promising economic future for many.”

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