The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), which represents 47, mostly state-operated, historically Black colleges and universities, is joining force with Baltimore-based Connections Education, an online educational firm, to launch a series of TMCF Collegiate Academies. The tuition-free secondary schools will aim to serve as a pipeline for students to TMCF schools. The academies will utilize both traditional classroom instruction and online educational programs. Students who achieve a 3.0 grade point average at the academies will be eligible for scholarships to TMCF colleges.
The academies will be located on or near the campuses of existing HBCUs. The first ones are scheduled to open in the fall of 2014. One of the first academies will probably be associated with Southern University in New Orleans. The sponsors hope to open 10 collegiate academies in the next five years.
