Cal Poly San Luis Obispo received a $1.2 million grant from the Department of Education Sept. 1 to help economically disadvantaged students.

The five-year grant will help support Cal Poly’s Educational Talent Search, which assists middle-school and high-school students who might not otherwise be able to afford college. About 500 students participate in Cal Poly’s program each year, which is part of a broader Education Department program designed to help participants pursue post-secondary education.

Last academic year, 92 percent of high-school students who participated in Educational Talent Search enrolled in post-secondary education.

-Contact Philip Joens at pjoens@pacbiztimes.com