WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Edolphus “Ed” Towns (NY-10) today announced that the U.S. House of Representatives approved more than half a million dollars to increase college preparation services for underserved Brooklyn students.  Towns worked with his colleague to secure $650,000 for St. Francis College’s Project Access program.  The funding was included as part of the Labor, Health and Education Appropriations Act of 2010, which passed the House earlier this month.  The next step for the bill is approval by the United States Senate.

“A quality education is the key to a bright future for so many young people,” said Rep. Towns.  “Far too many students in Brooklyn do not have access to a college education, but programs like Project Access prove that if you give people the tools to succeed they can make remarkable achievements that are both personally fulfilling and beneficial to the entire community.”

The funding Towns secured will support St. Francis College’s comprehensive tutoring and mentoring services for students who often lack the grades and test scores generally needed for college admission.  The funding compliments more than $2 million authorized by New York State for Project Access.  

Rep. Towns initially secured $770,000 in Fiscal Year 2008 for Project Access at St. Francis College.  The program has already helped hundreds of students boost their GPA and progress toward achieving a college degree.  St. Francis College also plans to use the additional funds to invest in innovative research facilities that will give more minority students the opportunity to pursue careers in science, health care and information technology.

“I will continue to fight for worthy programs like Project Access because they have a tremendous impact on the lives of Brooklyn students and the entire community,” added Rep. Towns.

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