Thanks to the support of the IPC Foundation, thousands of area high school graduates will have the financial resources to continue their education. Alabama Possible’s Blueprints College Success Initiative and Cash for College campaign works with area 11th- and 12th-grade students to make a college plan and apply for college and financial aid. Here are some highlights from this year:

• 361 high school students worked with 133 college-student near-peer mentors to plan for, pursue, and pay for postsecondary education

• 726 Birmingham City Schools students finished their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

• 304 Alabama high schools built a college-going culture by prioritizing their students' FAFSA completion

• 28,000 Alabama students completed their FAFSA and can leverage $63 million in Pell Grants

• 221 volunteers donated 4,223 hours

• Alabama has the 5th highest increase in FAFSA completions in the country according to the National College Access Network