Princeton University has launched two new initiatives to increase the socioeconomic diversity of its student body and the range of students at Princeton who major in fields related to science and technology, school officials announced.

The two initiatives fulfill commitments that were made this past January by President Christopher L. Eisgruber when he participated in a White House summit that sought to increase college opportunities for low-income and disadvantaged students nationwide. The Ivy League school also has expanded its efforts to identify and recruit students from low-income and disadvantaged backgrounds.

"Increasing the number of students at Princeton from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and providing them with the resources they need to be successful, are high priorities for us," Eisgruber said. "I am grateful for the support of alumni who have provided funding for these initiatives and to the members of the faculty and staff who are helping to design and carry out these programs."

One of the new initiatives is a significant expansion of its partnership with Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), a national program dedicated to developing the academic and leadership potential of talented high school students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Since 2005, the organization has hosted the Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute on the Princeton campus. The seven-week summer program provides leadership development, writing instruction, standardized test preparation, and college guidance to students.

Princeton University's increased support will allow LEDA to expand participation from 60 to 100 students starting this summer, boosting the opportunity for more students to benefit from this intellectual experience and prepare for positions in leadership in the future.

The other new initiative is the development of a new module of the University's Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) for students interested in science, technology, engineering or math. The 20-year-old FSI program helps admitted Princeton students from low-income families and less advantaged backgrounds to make the transition to the rigor of a Princeton education through a seven-week summer program held on campus.

This initiative also will establish introductory workshops during the academic year for students taking freshman chemistry, as well as a summer research program to enable FSI alumni to work in the lab of a faculty member, thereby allowing them to take part in original scientific research. The new opportunities will be phased in as of summer 2015.

Princeton's freshman Class of 2018 has a record 290 students from low-income backgrounds, making up 22 percent of the class; approximately 12 percent of the Class of 2018 are first-generation college students; and 18 percent of freshmen are federal Pell Grant recipients, compared with 14.5 percent of freshmen last year.