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One hundred educators were recently awarded a total of $490,000 as part of Great Lakes' third annual College Access Champion Award program. This year's program sought applications from teachers, librarians, counselors, and administrators in schools designated as serving low-income communities throughout Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. As a College Access Champion, each award recipient received up to $5,000 applied as a full or partial payment of their outstanding federal student loans.
The College Access Champion Award recognizes educators who make the biggest impact on student decisions to go to college. College Access Champions are passionate about opening the doors to higher education to more students from all walks of life, but especially those who grow up in less-privileged circumstances or who may be the first in their family to attend college. This award honors those who are building brighter futures for their students and their communities.
Recent studies show that disadvantaged students who are the least likely to attend postsecondary education are the very ones who stand to gain the greatest economic benefit from attending college-up to 30 percent more in lifetime earnings over high school graduates from similar backgrounds. By contrast, students who were considered more likely to attend college earned 10 percent more than similar students who didn't pursue a higher education.
College Access Champions make it a point to intervene in the lives of their students to help make a difference. By going above and beyond their typical call of duty, these award winners not only show their students that college is possible, but help them succeed in the transition to higher education as well.
MinnesotaTwenty-five educators from one of the 414 high schools designated as serving low-income communities in Minnesota received a total of $125,000.
OhioTwenty-five educators from one of the 457 high schools designated as serving low-income communities in Ohio received a total of $118,000.
WisconsinFifty educators from one of the 641 middle and high schools designated as serving low-income communities in Wisconsin received a total of $247,000.
