Cleveland State University has announced gifts totaling $2.3 million to provide students who age out of foster care with scholarships and support.

The gifts from RPM International chair and CEO Frank Sullivan and his wife, Barbara, and Fairmount Santrol CEO Jenniffer Deckard and her husband, Daryl, general manager of Black Lab, will be used to establish the Sullivan/Deckard Opportunity Scholarship program. The program will provide high school seniors who age out of the foster care system with help navigating the college application process and, once they are enrolled at CSU as Sullivan/Deckard Scholars, comprehensive support that includes scholarships covering tuition and living expenses, as well as on-campus employment through a work-study program. The first cohort of Sullivan/Deckard Scholars will be enrolled at CSU next fall.

According to CSU, national studies estimate that fewer than half of the young adults who age out of foster care apply to college, while less than 10 percent of those who apply graduate with a degree.

"Through my work with Fill This House, a nonprofit that provides basic household necessities for independent living, I have met many bright and hardworking young people within the foster care system who dream of earning a college education and building a better future for themselves," said Barbara Sullivan, who serves on the nonprofit's board. "Our intent is to help provide the support students need to begin their adult lives on a pathway to success."

"Having opened our hearts and our home as foster parents, our family recognizes this great need in our community," said Jenniffer Deckard. "We are eager to enhance the opportunities available to children who have been placed in foster care that come as a result of college completion. We feel privileged to partner with the Sullivan family and CSU in this holistic approach."