LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A $3 million gift from the James Graham Brown Foundation will help Evolve502 award grants for JCPS students from low-income homes as they pursue postsecondary studies.
Evolve502 Executive Director Marland Cole announced the donation during a news conference Monday at Iroquois High School.
Students in the graduating classes of 2021 and 2022 from households earning up to $40,000 per year will be eligible for the opportunity grants, which total $1,000 per semester and can be spent on expenses like books, housing and transportation. Opportunity grants from Evolve502 cannot be used for tuition.
“This gift to date is our largest gift and will ensure that our students with most need will have equitable access to higher education, receiving the financial support they need to be successful,” Cole said.
The $3 million donation from the James Graham Brown Foundation pushes Evolve502’s total fundraising haul to nearly $15 million, Cole said. The organization has an overall fundraising goal of $50 million, she said.
Evolve502 hopes to use that money to cover scholarships, opportunity grants and services for JCPS students in graduating classes from 2021 through 2034, according to a news release.
As of Monday, Cole said Evolve502 has raised enough money to provide its namesake scholarships for every student enrolled in JCPS high schools. About 850 students from the Class of 2021 have applied so far, she said.
Evolve502 scholarships cover tuition at Kentucky Community and Technical College schools and Simmons College of Kentucky as students earn associate degrees, career credentials or up to 60 credit hours.
The University of Louisville will also cover two years of tuition for opportunity grant recipients who transfer to the school and remain eligible for federal Pell Grants after earning associate degrees or 60 credit hours, according to Cole.
“To hear a young man who’s about to graduate from Marion C. Moore say, ‘I’m going to take advantage of the Evolve502 scholarship,’ made that so real for us and really made me see the impact of what’s going to happen with kids in this community now that they have college guaranteed to them,” JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said. “… I don’t think we quite can magnify enough the impact of this scholarship.”
Evolve502 is accepting scholarship applications through June 30 at this link. Next week is Evolve502 Apply Week, which will encourage students to complete scholarship applications, apply for federal financial aid and apply to eligible schools.
The group will host two events as part of the effort: College Kickstart at Jefferson Community and Technical College’s downtown library on South 1st Street from 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. April 24 and a Facebook Live at 2 p.m. April 28.
Students who have completed scholarship applications by 4 p.m. April 30 may win one of 25 $100 Amazon gift cards, according to Evolve502.
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
