This is great news as well:

The national network of KIPP charter schools last spring announced plans to more than double the number of its low-income students who graduate from college, by partnering with colleges and universities that encourage KIPP students to apply and support those who enroll.

Officials are set to announce Wednesday that the University of Pennsylvania will become the KIPP Foundation's 10th higher-education partner and its first Ivy League school.

"I have followed and admired KIPP's work from its beginning in 1994," Penn president Amy Gutmann said in an e-mail interview. "It aligns perfectly with my commitment to increase access to higher education at Penn and nationally.

"As we looked at Penn's strategy to increase access and diversity, a relationship that started somewhat informally evolved into a formal partnership, which we're so pleased to make official this week."

The students will have to meet Penn's rigorous admission requirements. But beginning with the 2013-14 academic year, the university projects it could admit as many as 12 to 15 graduates of KIPP's network of 109 charter schools. Students also will have work-study jobs tutoring younger students at KIPP's four charters in the city.

And, because Penn already pledges to meet the full financial need of all qualified undergrads, the partnership could open new opportunities for KIPP alumni who are admitted. For undergraduates who live on campus, the cost of attending Penn will be just shy of $60,000 in the fall.

"We are incredibly excited about this," said Marc Mannella, CEO of KIPP Philadelphia.

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