This grant supports Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University's participation in the Siyaphumelela ("We Succeed") initiative, expanding South Africa's national student success network from seven to 20 of the country's 26 universities. By joining Siyaphumelela, SMU will leverage evidence-based student success strategies to increase postsecondary attainment rates, enhance individual social mobility, and contribute to South Africa's prosperity while addressing the legacy of educational inequity. View Website

Second Nature will expand its long-standing leadership in higher education climate action through a new strategic plan that engages a broader range of campus leaders and institutions. With over 400 college and university members, the organization equips campuses to lead on climate solutions that benefit both their communities and the planet, especially in cities most impacted by climate change, while strengthening partnerships, piloting new initiatives, and scaling its impact to help higher education play a more powerful role in addressing climate and equity challenges. View Website

Public Agenda received support to launch a national mixed-methods research initiative examining how young men, particularly men of color, perceive higher education, economic opportunity, and civic engagement. Addressing stark disparities in college attainment—where only 37% of men aged 25-34 hold bachelor's degrees compared to 47% of women—the research will utilize focus groups, national surveys, and stakeholder engagement to develop actionable strategies for re-engaging young men in educational and democratic systems. View Website

This grant funds the third round of the Thrive Leaders Network, providing coaching stipends and leadership development to 50 diverse executive directors from Kresge's Education grantee portfolio who are proximate to low-income communities and communities of color. Leaders will participate in cohort-based learning and an annual in-person summit designed to build community, strengthen leadership skills, and equip them to navigate the challenges and opportunities of leading college access and success organizations during uncertain times. View Website

This three-year unrestricted capacity-building grant supports The Center for Equitable Higher Education (CEHE), California's only research center exclusively focused on higher education basic needs. CEHE conducts research and evaluation to address food insecurity, housing instability, and inadequate healthcare and childcare access among college students. The center's work aims to drive California's higher education systems to prioritize student basic needs and implement equitable, effective programs that enable students to thrive and graduate, removing structural barriers to educational opportunity. View Website

This grant supports "The Class," a six-part PBS docuseries premiering in 2025 that highlights educational innovation. View Website

This grant supports the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement’s (NCII) second collaboration with the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Ohio Student Success Center, to scale Ohio’s successful Leadership Academy. View Website

The Michigan Center for Student Success will use this funding to strengthen capacity building initiatives for community colleges across the state. View Website

This grant supports the participation of college access and success programs to enhance educational pathways for students. View Website

This grant funds a new partnership between One Million Degrees to enhance educational capacity building and student support services. View Website

This capacity-building grant supports strategic planning to develop a new organizational strategy and sustainable financial model for the National Institute for Native Leadership in Higher Education. The planning process aims to strengthen the organization's ability to improve educational experiences and outcomes for Native and Indigenous college students by equipping higher education professionals with culturally responsive knowledge and tools that foster Native student success and expand pathways to opportunity in higher education. View Website

This grant will develop a case study of how the California College Guidance Initiative supports educational pathways for students. View Website

First Gen Empower will launch Undocu-Ally, a certified training program that equips higher education and nonprofit staff with the knowledge and resources to create more inclusive and supportive environments for undocumented students. This capacity-building initiative strengthens pathways to opportunity by dismantling barriers that undocumented students face in accessing and succeeding in higher education and beyond, directly advancing educational equity for one of America's most vulnerable student populations. View Website

The Washington Student Achievement Council is implementing a groundbreaking tuition-free college, apprenticeships, and job training program for all high school students (grades 10-12) receiving Basic Food or Food Assistance benefits. This two-year investment will launch a streamlined verification portal and outreach system to identify eligible students early and eliminate complex financial aid barriers, aiming to raise college-going rates among low-income students, unlock $60 million in annual aid for 6,000 additional students, and create a scalable model for other states. View Website

This grant will support the Upjohn Institute to enhance and expand resources for place-based college promise programs by updating the Free College Handbook, developing actionable best practices and strategies for cities, and redesigning its national database of local Promise programs. The work responds to the dramatic growth of the College Promise movement—which has expanded by 730% over the past decade to more than 400 localities and community colleges across every state—by providing critical tools and knowledge to help cities effectively implement tuition-free pathways to college that expand educational opportunity and economic mobility. View Website

uAspire works to expand college access and success by advising students on financial aid, providing training and technical assistance for school counselors and college access practitioners, and advancing a student-centered policy agenda. The organization also offers consulting services to institutional partners seeking to simplify and improve their financial aid processes, helping to remove barriers that prevent students from accessing and affording higher education. View Website

The Community College Research Center will create research designed to improve community colleges' policies and student outcomes, producing updated fact sheets, analytical briefs, and interactive tools. The grant also supports an enhanced website to improve outreach to key higher education leaders, ensuring that evidence-based insights reach decision-makers who can implement changes that strengthen pathways to success for community college students. View Website

This three-year unrestricted grant supports the Student Borrower Protection Center's work at the intersection of student debt and legal policy, holding the student loan system accountable through investigations, research, and litigation to protect borrowers. The grant also supports the SBPC Cities Partnership, which provides training, technical assistance, and peer learning for more than 20 cities to build capacity for informing residents, assisting struggling borrowers, and promoting consumer protections and borrower relief. Shared Ascent Fund provides fiscal sponsorship. View Website

Generation Hope will provide comprehensive support to student parents pursuing college degrees and their families in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., while simultaneously working with higher education institutions to identify and remove systemic barriers to graduation. This three-year capacity-building investment strengthens pathways to economic mobility for student parents—a population facing compounded challenges in accessing higher education—by addressing both individual family needs and institutional policies. By centering the success of student parents, this grant advances educational equity and creates intergenerational opportunities for families in urban communities. View Website

This grant supports the 2025 World Access to Higher Education Day's second annual in-person conference at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference aims to convene up to 800 virtual and in-person delegates from around the world to advance pathways to higher education access and equity. View Website