Foothill College Receives TIAA Innovation Award

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The Innovation Award, sponsored by TIAA, rewards emerging innovations and solutions that advance the success of first-generation students

LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA (May 10, 2025) - FirstGen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success, recently announced Foothill College as one of five (5) higher education institutions to receive an inaugural TIAA Innovation Award. The award, provided by FirstGen Forward with support from TIAA, will support new or existing programs, services, or initiatives that implement creative approaches to enhancing campus-wide success for first-generation students.

“We are extremely honored to be selected for a TIAA Innovation Award,” said Science Learning Institute (SLI) director, Sophia Kim. “You need experience to get experience but how do you get that experience? This award will allow us to provide “first-STEM-internships” for our first-generation college STEM students at Foothill College, an important step for them in their STEM academic and career journeys.”

The TIAA Innovation Award provides institutions with $10,000 in unrestricted funds to apply to first-generation student success initiatives in one of two pathways:

• The “Scalable” pathway provides funds to expand and adapt existing programs, services, or initiatives to support a larger number of first-generation students across the campus without compromising quality or effectiveness. This involves designing solutions that can be efficiently scaled up to meet increasing demand, ensuring that the benefits of innovative approaches to enhancing first-generation student success can be extended to a broader audience. Scalability ensures that as the program grows, it continues to provide meaningful support and positive outcomes for all first-generation students.
• The “Creative” pathway provides funds to generate original and innovative ideas that enhance campus-wide success for first-generation students. This involves thinking outside the box to develop unique programs, services, or initiatives that address first-generation students’ specific needs and challenges. Creativity ensures that solutions are not only effective but engaging and inspiring, fostering a dynamic and supportive campus environment that encourages academic and personal growth.

Foothill College award falls in the Creative pathway and will allow the institution to provide internship stipends for students who participate in SLI’s FLI-SLI STEM Internship Program, which connects first-generation college students to their first paid summer STEM internship.

“With 54% of current undergraduate students identifying as first-generation, achieving unprecedented first-gen student success will have a life-changing impact across generations, as college completion is a significant contributor to education, workforce, and life success for the families of graduates,” said Maurice Jones, CEO of FirstGen Forward. “Foothill College has displayed a commitment to creating solutions that advance the success of their first-generation students, and their selection as a recipient of a TIAA Innovation Award is both a recognition of their efforts to date and future success.”

All TIAA Innovation Award recipients will author an award brief detailing their efforts, including the establishment of learning outcomes, success metrics, and initial results of their programs, services, or initiatives. The award briefs will be compiled into a summary and published on the FirstGen Forward website. Additionally, award recipients will be encouraged to present and elevate their work at high-profile conferences supported by FirstGen Forward.

“TIAA proudly supports the outstanding work of FirstGen Forward and higher education professionals who are shaping the futures of millions of first-generation students with their creative support solutions,” said Laura Turner, Head of Community Impact with TIAA. “Many of us at TIAA are first-generation college students ourselves and we know how a bachelor’s degree can lead to a more secure financial future, including a financially secure retirement.”

To learn more about first-generation efforts at Foothill College and the FLI-SLI STEM Internship program, visit Forward and the TIAA Innovation Award, visit firstgenforward.org.

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ABOUT FIRSTGEN FORWARD
FirstGen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success, accelerates success for first-generation students in education, career, and life through collaborations with higher education, philanthropy, business, government, and individuals to eliminate the completion gap and broaden post-college opportunities. Our vision is a future in which first-generation students obtain postsecondary credentials; access opportunities commensurate with their skills, education, and training; and maximize their service to people and communities throughout the world.

ABOUT TIAA
TIAA is a leading provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions. It is the #1 not-for-profit retirement market provider,¹ paid more than $5.7 billion in lifetime income to retired clients in 2023 and has $1.4 trillion in assets under management (as of 12/31/2024).²

1. As of July 21, 2022. Based on data in PLANSPONSOR's 403(b) 2022 DC Recordkeeping Survey, combined 457 and 403(b) data.
2. As of December 31, 2024 assets under management across Nuveen Investments affiliates and TIAA investment management teams are $1,387 billion.