Above: Philanthropist Bob Thompson waves to students during the 2024 opening of the Bob and Ellen Thompson Student Success Center at the Kirkhof Center.
In a commentary published May 21 by public policy institute Brookings, Grand Valley State University President Philomena V. Mantella points toward the innovative philanthropic work of Bob and Ellen Thompson as a potential model solution for addressing success and access to higher education for students from middle-income families
Mantella calls the affordability crisis facing these “missing middle” families a “design failure” that goes beyond simply not having enough funds to help support them.
“Providing families with predictable, multiyear financial aid commitments is one institutional approach that would support better long-term planning and reduce the volatility that can disrupt enrollment decisions,” Mantella wrote. “Guaranteeing a baseline level of aid over multiple years — while preserving flexibility to adjust in cases of significant financial change — can help families make more informed choices about college access, persistence, and completion.”
Mantella cites the shared-investment approach taken by the Thompson Working Families Scholarship program as a path toward providing students from middle income families the financial and social supports they need to succeed in college.
Established with support and design input from the Thompsons, who owned several successful businesses in Michigan, the program is a multi-institution philanthropic initiative designed to address gaps in financial aid for middle-income students.
The program provides $290 million supporting more than 15,000 students at GVSU and other universities before the foundation sunsets in 2033.
A distinguishing feature of the Thompson program is that the philanthropic funds are matched by participating institutions. The program also provides support to scholars intended to strengthen connections to their institution.
Based on initial evaluations, Mantella concludes:
“Across participating institutions, first-year retention rates for scholars average above 89%, significantly higher than national benchmarks. Students work fewer destabilizing hours. Cumulative debt at graduation is lower than for comparable middle-income peers. Time to degree shortens. Civic participation increases.
“From an institutional perspective, these are not merely student-success metrics. They are leading indicators of workforce readiness: persistence, reliability, and leadership engagement.”
Read the entire commentary, “Addressing the ‘missing middle’ in college financial aid,” on the Brookings website.
