The giving milestone was achieved in $5 increments through the University’s referral program

Rasmussen University is pleased to announce it has raised over $20,000 to date for the “I Have A Dream” Foundation^®, an organization that works to ensure young people have the opportunity to pursue higher education, fulfill their potential and achieve their dreams. Fundraising is still ongoing, and since March 2021, as part of Rasmussen’s referral program, the University has donated $5 to the foundation for each valid student referral received.

Since its founding in 1981, the “I Have A Dream” Foundation has served nearly 18,000 children from under-resourced communities nationwide, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. That connection to first-generation college students is one of the reasons why Rasmussen continues to support the organization. During the Summer 2022 term, 38 percent of Rasmussen University students self-identified as first-generation.

“Rasmussen University is actively involved in the communities we serve. We believe higher education access and opportunity is a critical vehicle for changing lives and communities—and this partnership with the ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation is such a perfect alignment of our respective missions,” says Dr. Savitri V. Dixon-Saxon, senior vice president and provost at Rasmussen University. “The Foundation works to prepare first-generation students for higher education and Rasmussen’s faculty, staff and support services are committed to helping our students be successful as they pursue that dream of a college degree.”

Not only can higher education help improve a person’s lifetime earning potential,¹ it can also show them they are capable of achieving great things.

“Our mission at Rasmussen includes empowering students, faculty and staff to succeed through academic excellence, community enrichment and service to the public good. We encourage our students to dream large, connect the dots from their passion to their purpose, cement their confidence, and go out to make the world a better place,” says Dixon-Saxon.

Funds donated through the partnership provided emergency grants to Foundation Dreamers and families to help address additional financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including laptops and Wi-Fi boosters to support virtual learning, personal protective equipment and grocery store gift cards to combat food insecurity.

“We at the ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Rasmussen University, which could not have come at a better time. Rasmussen’s generosity allowed us to extend the services we provided to our Dreamers and their families, allowing them to continue to attend school, work and—at times—keep food on the table,” says Eugena Oh, president and chief executive officer for the “I Have A Dream” Foundation.

Through its on-going referral program, the University is on pace to reach $25,000 in giving to the “I Have A Dream” Foundation by this fall. Along with supporting this important organization, prospective students referred to Rasmussen may also be eligible for the University’s Change a Life Scholarship, which can save students up to $500 on their tuition. To learn more about Rasmussen University’s referral program, click here.

ABOUT RASMUSSEN UNIVERSITY:

Rasmussen University, a university institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), is dedicated to changing lives and the communities it serves through innovative and flexible educational programs. As a pioneer in career-focused education since 1900, the University is defining a new generation of higher education that focuses on competency-based education, technology and transferrable skills. Rasmussen offers undergraduate and graduate programs online and in person at 22 campuses around the country. The University is designed to lift and support its students every step of the way, from each student’s first credential to their last. Rasmussen is dedicated to global enrichment, serving the underserved and meeting the evolving needs of diverse students, communities and economies. Rasmussen encourages its students, faculty and staff to strive for academic excellence, community enrichment and service to the public good. Rasmussen is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Public Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: APEI). For more information about Rasmussen University, please visit www.rasmussen.edu.

The "I Have A Dream" Foundation^® is a registered trademark of the "I Have A Dream" Foundation Corporation.

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, [salary data accessed April 4, 2022] https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm.

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