USA Funds-Sponsored Research Examines Corporate Support for College Readiness Programs

The report “Corporate Investments in College Readiness and Access” was prepared by the Institute for Higher Education Policy for the Business-Higher Education Forum, an organization of Fortune 500 CEOs, prominent college and university presidents and foundation leaders.

The report discloses that 68 of the Fortune 100 companies provide support to college readiness and access programs. Most of these companies support existing college readiness and access programs rather than developing their own and tend to invest in programs located near their corporate headquarters.

The report also identifies the following four strategic directions for corporate investment in college readiness:

• Investing in college readiness and access to develop a workforce aligned with corporate and industry needs.
• Using data-driven decision-making.
• Building partnerships with college readiness and access organizations.
• Convening stakeholders to identify needs, shape programs and ensure those programs can be sustained once corporate support no longer is available.

The report concludes that this approach to corporate philanthropy has the potential to promote long-term change for students seeking access to postsecondary education.