The Kresge Foundation in Troy, Michigan, has announced adjustments to the grantmaking of its Kresge’s Education Program for 2022.

According to the foundation, the increase in college enrollment that typically happens during economic recessions did not materialize as the coronavirus pandemic changed the higher education environment. At the same time, the murder of George Floyd underscored how systemic racism is often at the heart of why so many people of color don’t have access to society’s resources.

To help address the shifting needs of higher education institutions and increase urban postsecondary access to education and success while reducing inequitable student outcomes, the foundation aims to mitigate COVID-related enrollment declines in colleges and universities; build on opportunities in the wake of the pandemic to leverage government funds and promote evidence-driven, equity-minded higher education reform; promote student voice in higher education reform; and capitalize on the growing higher education reform movement.

“While our overall strategy remains the same, the urgencies of the COVID-19 pandemic and our national racial reckoning require that we adjust our tactics to respond to the call for greater equity and support,” wrote William F.L. Moses, managing director of the foundation’s education program, in a blog post.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images/Joyce Diva)