MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Middlebury College has joined the American Talent Initiative (ATI) and its partner colleges and universities that share a goal of enrolling a total of 50,000 additional talented, low- and moderate-income students by 2025. There are now 100 participating institutions, all of which have strong graduation rates–a requirement for joining the initiative.
Like the other ATI members, Middlebury will develop additional strategies to attract more of these students. Once the students enroll, there will be increased efforts to support them through graduation and beyond. ATI is a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative led by the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and nonprofit Ithaka S+R.
“We are always working to increase access to a Middlebury education, regardless of a student’s financial situation,” said Kim Downs-Burns, associate vice president for Student Financial Services. “We are pleased to join with the American Talent Initiative and other member colleges and universities who share the same goal.”
Launched in December 2016 with 30 institutions, ATI requires member institutions to meet the standard of graduating at least 70 percent of their students in six years. Membership in ATI now includes the entire Ivy League, 17 state flagship universities, and private colleges.
Joining ATI builds on several of Middlebury’s existing policies and initiatives, including its commitment to meet 100 percent of the demonstrated need of admitted students through financial aid. The College awarded financial aid to 44 percent of the student body for the 2017-2018 academic year, with an average grant of $47,439. Middlebury students who want to pursue unpaid summer internships, including those who have just completed their first year, can apply for grants. In 2015, Middlebury also launched a new intercultural center, the Anderson Freeman Resource Center, especially focused on serving the needs of students from traditionally underrepresented groups. In 2016, the College began offering a pre-orientation program to support students who are the first in their families to attend college.
“Family income shouldn’t determine a child's chances of attending a top college–but too often, it does,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term Mayor of New York City. “That's why we created the American Talent Initiative, and colleges have responded enthusiastically. They recognize that it benefits them as much as it does the students, and the more schools that join, the more it will benefit our country.”
As part of their national effort to increase opportunity for talented, low- and moderate-income students at top-performing colleges and universities, all member institutions are implementing several strategies:
- Identifying talented students through better recruitment of qualified high school graduates and high-achieving transfer students from community colleges and other schools;
- Increasing the number of applications from Pell-eligible students, the number of Pell-eligible students who are enrolled, and the number of first-generation students enrolled;
- Prioritizing need-based aid to make attendance more affordable; and
- Retaining and graduating lower-income students at rates comparable to their higher-income peers.
At this time, approximately 290 colleges and universities nationwide achieve a graduation rate of 70 percent of their students in six years. The initiative aims to increase the total number of low- and moderate-income students enrolled at these institutions by 50,000–from about 480,000 to 530,000 students–by 2025. Member institutions of the American Talent Initiative commit substantial resources to increase opportunity for lower-income students, as well as collect institutional data that will be annually published to assess their aggregate progress toward meeting the 50,000-by-2025 national goal.
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About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2017, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $702 million. For more information, please visit www.bloomberg.org.
About The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program:
The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program (www.aspeninstitute.org/college-excellence) aims to advance higher education practices, policies, and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes. The Program is part of The Aspen Institute www.aspeninstitute.org, which has a mission of fostering leadership based on enduring values and providing a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues.
About Ithaka S+R:
Ithaka S+R (www.sr.ithaka.org) is a not-for-profit service that provides research and strategic guidance to help the academic and cultural communities serve the public good and navigate economic, technological, and demographic change. Ithaka S+R is part of ITHAKA (www.ithaka.org).