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The Council for Opportunity in Education to Honor Barry C. Cosgrove with the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award 

August 20, 2025 — by Terrance L. Hamm

Renowned business leader, philanthropist, and lifelong TRIO champion, Barry C. Cosgrove to be recognized at COE’s Educational Opportunity Dinner in Chicago on September 9, 2025. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) is proud to announce that Barry C. Cosgrove will receive the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award and be honored at COE’s Educational Opportunity Dinner on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, in Chicago. Cosgrove’s career as a business executive, attorney, and civic philanthropist, as well as his decades-long commitment to expanding access to higher education, make him a singular figure in the movement to open doors for first-generation, low-income students. 

Raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, Cosgrove is a 1975 graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School and a 1979 graduate of Marquette University, where he enrolled through the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). A first-generation college student, he credits educational opportunity programs with shaping his path and providing the support that launched his career. He later earned a Master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), his law degree from Suffolk University Law School, and graduated from the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. 

Cosgrove has translated his personal experience into sustained public service and philanthropy. He helped build one of the nation’s most successful healthcare companies, has supported scholarships and institutional endowments, and has been a vocal advocate for federal higher education programs designed to increase college access for disadvantaged students. 

“Barry Cosgrove is the embodiment of what TRIO seeks to accomplish: he transformed opportunity into leadership and then turned that leadership into opportunity for others,” said Kimberly Jones, President of the Council for Opportunity in Education. “Through his long-standing advocacy, generous philanthropy, and hands-on mentorship, Barry has expanded the reach of TRIO programs and invested in the futures of countless students. We are honored to celebrate his enduring impact.” 

COE President Emeritus Dr. Arnold Mitchem added, “Barry’s life is a roadmap for how one person’s success can be multiplied into a community legacy. He understands that access without support is insufficient, and he has used his influence to build the support that helps students persist, graduate, and lead. This award recognizes his lifetime of leadership on behalf of educational opportunity.” 

Cosgrove’s contributions span corporate leadership, nonprofit service, and higher education advocacy. He has served on boards and advisory councils for universities and charitable organizations, supported need-based programs that assist patients and families in crisis, and championed TRIO and other federal efforts to expand opportunity. His commitment to mentoring and creating pathways to professional experience for students underscores the practical ways philanthropy can fuel student success. 

The 2025 Educational Opportunity Dinner will bring together leaders from higher education, government, philanthropy, and the TRIO community to honor Cosgrove alongside the 2025 National TRIO Achievers and celebrate the success stories that TRIO programs help produce. Interested guests may visit coenet.org for more information about the Federal TRIO Programs or to purchase tickets to the 2025 Educational Opportunity Dinner. 

About the Council for Opportunity in Education 

The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) is a nonprofit organization, established in 1981, dedicated to furthering the expansion of college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the Pacific Islands, and Puerto Rico. Its membership includes more than 1,000 colleges and agencies. Through its numerous membership services, the Council works with colleges, universities, and agencies to help low-income students enter college and graduate. Over a million low-income students and students with disabilities each year receive college access and retention services through our member colleges and agencies. 

Media Inquiries

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact Terrance L. Hamm, associate vice-president for communications and marketing at COE via email at [email protected] or call (202) 347-7430.

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