The College Readiness Fund is a results-driven funding collaborative that seeks to increase the rate of low-income, first-generation students that enroll and succeed in any post-secondary institution of higher learning.  The College Readiness Fund started in 2008 through a partnership with Lumina Foundation for Education and the 21st Century Scholars Program.  

Collectively, the College Readiness Fund partners seek to increase the quality of college preparation services provided by community-based organizations.  Considering that children spend more than 70 percent of their waking hours outside of school, we realize that some attention must be devoted to improving out-of-school student support services.

Nearly 90 percent of youth aspire to go to college; however, many of them do not understand the necessary steps of preparing for college. Significant numbers of youth that graduate from high school do not attend a post-secondary institution because they have failed to complete critical steps required to enroll.

Preparing for college is a continuous process that relies on achieving specific milestones, including: succeeding in the right courses, taking the appropriate entrance exams, and meeting all college application/enrollment requirements. Many students, especially first-generation students, might not understand the appropriate pathway to achieving their dream of post-secondary success. This is an area in which our community can provide support by:

• Connecting youth to a caring adult to help navigate the college preparation process
• Support students to excel to their highest academic standard
• Identify the appropriate post-secondary opportunities that will meet both the student’s and their family’s needs
• Assist with identifying financial aid that will support students’ post-secondary aspirations

LEARN MORE
To find out more about college access in Indiana and what resources can help youth succeed, read the Indiana Youth Institute's latest Issue Brief: Paving the Road to College: Facts and Resources on Post-Secondary Education.

Read a report about the economic benefits from halving Indianapolis's dropout rate, by Alliance for Education.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
To learn more about College Readiness, contact CICF Program Office Roderick Wheeler at 317.634.2423.