Modern States Education Alliance Secures Nearly $1M in New Funding to Expand Access to Higher Education

NEW YORK, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Modern States Education Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to making a high-quality college education accessible and affordable to everyone, today announced it has received nearly $1 million in funding from the Axim Collaborative and the Ichigo Foundation. The two grants will help Modern States scale access to its free online courses and credit-bearing exams in New York City and nationally.

“College is out of reach for too many students and families, and even students who attend college often end up with thousands of dollars in debt,” said Steve Klinsky, Modern States founder and chief executive officer. “These grants will help keep higher education accessible to more learners of all ages, advancing our shared mission of ensuring everyone has the opportunity to earn a college degree. I’m proud that Axim Collaborative and Ichigo Foundation recognize the potential of the Modern States model and support our growth.”

Founded in 2017, Modern States aims to lower the barriers to higher education by offering free online courses that prepare learners for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests, which are offered by the College Board. Passing CLEP scores are accepted as credit at nearly 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities.

Each free Modern States course includes instruction, online textbooks, practice questions and a practice CLEP exam directly from the College Board. Modern States also provides a voucher that allows learners who complete its online courses to take the corresponding CLEP exam for free, and covers related testing center fees.

Since its founding, more than 700,000 individuals have created Modern States accounts, completed 250,000 courses, and earned the equivalent of more than 10,000 years of college credit, all at no cost to themselves.

Axim Collaborative’s partnership will help Modern States reach more learners and develop new models for scaling its impact. This includes expanding Modern States’ networks of partners, strengthening data infrastructure, and piloting targeted strategies for high-need learner populations.

“Axim Collaborative works with partners who use existing and emerging technologies to ensure students have pathways to reach their postsecondary goals. Modern States is positioned to use its platform and program to expand access, improve success rates, and lower college costs at the same time. Supporting its growth was a natural fit,” said Stephanie Khurana, chief executive officer of Axim.

Ichigo Foundation’s funding will support the development of a New York City implementation network, inclusive of high schools and higher education institutions in the region. Direct engagement between Modern States and partner institutions will identify, develop, and expand effective approaches for implementing Modern States courses in a variety of learning environments.

“The mission of Ichigo Foundation is to remove barriers and expand pathways to college success for first-generation and low-income students,” said Janel Callon, co-founder and chief executive officer of The Ichigo Foundation. “Modern States’ innovative approach directly lowers the cost of college for diverse learners, and we are pleased to help bring it to even more people.”

About Modern States Education Alliance
Modern States is a nonprofit dedicated to making a high-quality college education accessible and affordable to all. It offers a digital public library of 32 online courses, taught by college professors and designed to prepare learners for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams. Learners can take the classes they want when they want and at their own pace, and use CLEP exams to validate their learning. Modern States, led by its founder Steve Klinsky, has paid for learners to take nearly 200,000 CLEP exams since 2017. Learn more at modernstates.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Jennifer Leckstrom for Modern States
215-681-0770
jleckstrom@rosecomm.com

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