Gov. Jim Doyle said two national organizations would give $12 million in financial grants to help students throughout Wisconsin pay for higher education Thursday.
Doyle said $1.6 million would come annually from the U.S. Department of Education's College Access Challenge Grant program over the next five years. The remaining funds would come from the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation, which will provide an additional $819,000 each year.
""In Wisconsin we are making sure that every student who works hard knows that higher education is within reach,"" Doyle said in a statement. ""This grant will help us to provide the tools and information students need to get to college.""
The program targets demographics which are usually underrepresented among college students, including those from low-income and minority families may be the first in their families to attend college.
""Much of the goal of the grant is targeted to helping students, especially first-generation, low-income students understand the steps that they need to take to get into college and succeed once they're in college."" said Amy Kerwin, of the College Access Challenge Grant.
Kerwin said the program is ""really running the gamut for preparing for and understanding the steps that are needed to take to get to college.""
According to a statement, Doyle has taken steps to improve access to higher education, including tripling the amount of financial aid available to students to $243 million.
Doyle also passed legislation to increase the maximum amount of money awarded by the Wisconsin Higher Education Grant for UW schools from $2,500 to $3,000, and created the Wisconsin Covenant to expand opportunities for dedicated Wisconsin students, the statement said.
