Giving Compass' Take:

• The 74 talks about Michael Bloomberg’s recent $1.8 billion donation to Johns Hopkins and how it will help shift the national conversation regarding first-generation college students.

• This big gift is intended to boost much-needed college financial aid, with the upshot being that we need to lift higher ed graduation rates for low-income, minority students overall. How can we keep up Bloomberg's momentum?

• Here's more on why many eligible students aren't getting financial aid. 

Most people will read the news about former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg donating $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins University to make it “forever need-blind” and say to themselves: That’s nice; another billionaire donating to his alma mater. What else is new?

Actually, there’s a lot that’s new here. What Bloomberg did is just one sliver of a barely noticed breakthrough playing out around boosting the college success rates for first-generation students. The goal is not just getting them into college, but making sure they emerge with degrees.

Here’s what’s unexpected about the breakthrough: It’s on the cusp of actually happening — rare good news in the world of education.

Why unexpected? Because for decades nothing much worked to boost the college success rates for low-income and minority students. Although their rate of entering college rose impressively over the last decade, their actual degree-earning rates have been little better than flat. Instead of walking away with degrees they walk away with disappointment, debt or both.

Read the full article about Bloomberg’s donation to Johns Hopkins by Richard Whitmire at The 74.