Bayer fund backs college bound

College Bound has received a grant for $50,000 from Bayer Fund to support the Bayer Fund College Bound Summer Institute (CBSI) at the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL).

Bayer Fund CBSI provides students with opportunities to earn college credit while in high school, free of charge. It has partnered with College Bound since 2006, and the support has allowed College Bound to grow to serve more than 400 students annually via its full-service program, To and Through.

In 2021, CB students earned 93 transferrable college credits, resulting in a savings of nearly $30,000 in tuition. 

“Students who enter college with credits earned in high school are more likely to finish college either on-time or early, and with less debt – an increasingly important factor as the cost of college continues to rise,” said College Bound President and CEO Scott Baier. 

There are 28 students are enrolled in CBSI coursework on the campus of UMSL. In addition to offering students the opportunity to earn college credits in high school, Bayer Fund CBSI mitigates summer learning loss, increases reading competency, reinforces positive study habits, increases test-taking confidence, and exposes students to a variety of major and career options. 

“Throughout the years, the grants given through Bayer Fund have helped strengthen our communities across the United States,” said Al Mitchell, Bayer Fund president. 

“We’re proud to be able to provide support to develop programs like College Bound, which has been critical in inspiring future generations for careers in the high-demand STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] field.”

In 2021, Bayer Fund awarded more than $13.1 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in Food and Nutrition, STEM Education and Health & Wellness. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $75 million.