Ascendium updates its philanthropy strategy

Ascendium Education Group (formerly Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates), the nation’s largest federal student loan guarantor, unveiled a new funding strategy that will guide the organization’s grantmaking for the next 3 – 5 years. Its focus will be to remove barriers to student success at the institution and system levels; streamline key learner transitions, such as matriculation, transfer and workforce entry; expand high-quality higher education in prison programs; and develop rural education and workforce training programs.

The organization’s grantmaking will continue to focus on increasing equity for low-income populations, especially those in historically underrepresented groups: first generation students, incarcerated adults, rural community members, students of color and veterans. Ascendium has also expanded its geographic scope from seven states to nationwide and will issue several narrowly focused requests for proposals in the coming months