IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) has been awarded $4,000 in grant funding from the Idaho Community Foundation (ICF) to support student success initiatives through CEI’s Center for New Directions.

The funding includes a $1,000 grant from ICF’s Forever Idaho East grant cycle and a $3,000 grant from the Kissler Family Foundation Philanthropic Gift Fund. These funds will help remove financial and personal barriers for students as they pursue education and career training at CEI.

The grants will directly support the Center for New Directions (CND), which serves single parents, displaced homemakers, and students facing significant economic or personal challenges.

Grant Funding to Strengthen Student Support Services

Funding from the Idaho Community Foundation will expand CND’s ability to assist students with essential needs, including:

• Emergency support for educational and living expenses
• Access to required testing, textbooks, and digital course materials
• Transportation assistance, such as fuel cards
• Vision care, supplies, and other essential resources
• Short-term childcare support
• Expanded food pantry and hygiene resources

“The grants from the Idaho Community Foundation allow us to meet students where they are and remove barriers that often stand between them and their educational goals,” said Lori Killian, Senior Coordinator for the Center for New Directions. “This support helps students stay enrolled, succeed academically, and build pathways to long-term economic stability.”

About the College of Eastern Idaho
College of Eastern Idaho (CEI, formerly EITC) offers associate degrees, technical certificates, and workforce training programs to help students achieve their educational and career goals. With a focus on affordability, accessibility, and student success, CEI is dedicated to providing high-quality education and training to the residents of eastern Idaho. Visit www.cei.edu for more information.

About the Center for New Directions

The Center for New Directions (CND), established by the Idaho Division of Career and Technical Education, provides counseling, career assessments, preemployment preparation, and support services to help individuals gain marketable skills and achieve self-sufficiency. At CEI, CND expands these services by operating a robust on campus food pantry in partnership with the Idaho Falls Community Food Basket, and supplements it with essential household and hygiene items, providing emergency financial assistance for critical educational and living expenses, and offering tailored support including testing fees, eye care, fuel cards, textbooks, access codes, school supplies, and limited childcare assistance to meet the unique needs of CEI’s student population. Visit www.cei.edu/center-new-directions for more information.

About The Idaho Community Foundation

The Idaho Community Foundation connects Idahoans to a generous statewide network through the power of collective giving. Our grantmaking, community impact work and charitable advising services have strengthened nonprofits, schools and communities in every Idaho county for more than 35 years. We believe that shared philanthropy is more powerful than giving alone. For more information, visit: www.idahocf.org.