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$1 Million Given by Entergy to Assist in Launching  MJ Foster Promise Program to Help Residents Attending 2-Year Colleges

On June 2, 2022, Entergy announced that it will contribute $1 million over three years to the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) Foundation to help launch the MJ Foster Promise Program, a state-funded financial aid program that will assist qualifying residents in attending two-year colleges or approved proprietary schools and receiving training for high-demand jobs in growing sectors.

During the announcement, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Louisiana Senate President Page Cortez, Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter-Reed, LCTCS President Monty Sullivan, and LCTCS Director of Advancement Tarie Roberson joined Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May. The group talked about how the MJ Foster Promise Program came to be, what legislation supports it, and what problems it solves.

According to LCTCS, over the next decade, tens of thousands more adults will need to earn credentials beyond high school to fill jobs in Louisiana. The MJ Foster Promise Program, a new $10.5 million state fund, was established to meet that need by providing financial assistance to low-income residents 21 and older who are seeking credentials required for employment in workforce areas such as construction, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics.

“Over the last six years we have made higher education and workforce development a top priority with record investments spanning faculty pay increases to facility improvements to the creation and passage of the MJ Foster Promise Program,” said Louisiana Governor Edwards. “This promise program will help remove the financial barriers for our adult citizens to access the life changing training and career preparation that occurs at our community and technical colleges. Today’s announcement is yet another example of public-private partnerships that work for the people of Louisiana and the state’s economy. Thank you to Entergy for its generous contribution to this vitally important initiative.”Nearly 24% of Louisiana residents, LCTCS says, hold a high school diploma or less, and receiving training opportunities offered at the state’s community and technical colleges could create a better quality of life for them and their families.”

“We have extensively researched the educational attainment of working age adults in Louisiana, and the data is clear that we must invest in, support, and develop the 1.1 million adults who lack the skills to participate in state’s evolving economy, and the Foster Promise Program is the initial long-term strategy to upskill our people,” said Sullivan. “We are grateful to the leadership of the legislature and Governor Edwards for their continued support of workforce development. Coupled with this generous investment from Entergy we will continue working statewide to improve the student experience and growing the pool of qualified and skilled adults.

Entergy’s multi-year contribution will aid LCTCS in the implementation of the MJ Foster Promise Program by funding efforts to:

• Reach qualifying residents and encourage them to take advantage of the program.
• Enhance student support services as well as the onboarding process.
• Improve infrastructure supporting enrollment and connecting students with social services.
• Supplement training equipment.

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