(Black PR Wire) WASHINGTON, -- The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) announced The Kresge Foundation awarded a $500.5K planning grant to develop a pilot program plan to facilitate college completion for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The grant will focus on those HBCU students that have stopped out of college with two semesters or less remaining. The term "stopped out" refers to college students who withdraw from school for a variety of personal, familial or financial reasons, but plan to re-enroll at a later date to complete their degree.

"This Kresge Foundation grant is an important first step in building a pathway to completion for students who stopped out of their college education before earning a degree," said Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO. "Planned correctly, our pilot program can be the model for all HBCUs, providing opportunities for these former students to reap the rewards of graduating from college, including increased market value and economically sustainable careers."

TMCF will lead the planning of the new pilot program in conjunction with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), who will serve as the online provider.  SNHU is well equipped for this program with over 90,000 online students and over 200 academic program offerings. Other partners include TMCF member-school, Delaware State University (DSU), and Tyton Partners, an educational consulting firm specializing in education, information, and media markets.

"Kresge is proud to support two innovation leaders, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Southern New Hampshire University, as they work to identify well-tailored strategies that can serve as a blueprint to help more students who attend HBCUs reach the degree-completion finish line," said Bill Moses, managing director of the Kresge Foundation's education program.

To learn more about TMCF visit: www.tmcf.org.

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND (TMCF)

Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.

TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org.

ABOUT THE KRESGE FOUNDATION

The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America's cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org.