Foundation Awards $35,000 to the CollegeBound Foundation

 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
44115 Woodridge Parkway, Suite 200
Lansdowne, VA 20176

News Release

June 15, 2005
Media Contact: Dr. Pete Mackey
Director of Public Affairs
Office: 703-723-8000, ext. 215
pmackey@jkcf.org

College access program will expand its services in Baltimore, Maryland

LANSDOWNE, VA - The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has awarded The CollegeBound Foundation of Baltimore, Maryland, a $35,000 grant to help more disadvantaged Baltimore City public high school students go to college. CollegeBound will use part of the grant to develop the first virtual tour of Maryland's higher education system that will enable anyone with an Internet connection to quickly find out about the location, mission, and programs of every one of Maryland's 58 colleges and universities.

In operation since 1988, The CollegeBound Foundation has long partnered with the Baltimore City Public School System, placing college access program specialists in 17 senior high schools throughout the city. These specialists work one-on-one with students, helping them through the often difficult, complex process of college preparation and financial aid. CollegeBound also awards scholarships to individual students when sufficient funds for college enrollment are not available through loans, scholarships, or work-study programs.

CollegeBound will apply the grant funds to such specific work as

  • expanding its website resources for students, including more information on college access, financial aid counseling, and scholarships;
     
  • redesigning its student service database to more accurately track each student's data, serve students in more tailored ways, and more thoroughly evaluate its progress; and
     
  • creating the virtual tour of Maryland's colleges and universities, which it is planning to launch in fall 2005.

About the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

The Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 2000 by the estate of Jack Kent Cooke to help young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education. It focuses in particular on individuals with financial need. The Foundation provides some of the largest and most competitive scholarships available, as well as grants to programs that serve outstanding students with financial need. www.jackkentcookefoundation.org

About The CollegeBound Foundation

Since 1998, The CollegeBound Foundation has

  • awarded more than $2.8 million dollars in last-dollar grants to 988 students;
     
  • assisted more than 17,000 students one-on-one to complete college and financial aid applications;
     
  • provided an overview of the college access process to more than 137,000 students through group presentations; and
     
  • leveraged an additional $23.6 million of aid for its scholarship recipients.

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