Thanks to a $1 million dollar grant from The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, The Posse Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of its newest site in Washington, D.C.

The Sallie Mae Fund achieves its mission to increase access to a postsecondary education for America’s students by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education. The Sallie Mae Fund’s grant to Posse is part of “Project Access: DC” — The Fund’s initiative to help D.C. area students pursue their dreams of higher education.

“We believe every student deserves access to higher education and through Project Access: DC, The Sallie Mae Fund hopes to ensure that more students have the opportunity to participate in the American dream,” said Al Lord, Chairman and CEO of Sallie Mae. “We are pleased to partner with The Posse Foundation in improving educational achievement and college access in our own community.”

Preparations for the very first D.C. Posse began when Grinnell College signed on as the first partner institution. Grinnell will be taking two Posses per year, one from D.C. and one from Posse Los Angeles. Soon after, Bucknell University committed to a partnership with Posse and will join Grinnell in admitting Washington, D.C. Scholars next fall.

University officials and community leaders are enthusiastic about welcoming Posse Scholars to their campuses, and their support has been tremendous.

The Posse Foundation hopes to add four additional partner institutions over the next two to three years.

The Posse D.C. office is centrally located in the heart of the Washington business district and opened its doors on Tuesday, June 8, 2004.

The Posse Foundation is excited to welcome its fifth site and believes the addition will dramatically increase the educational opportunities available to youth in the nation’s capital.