Money, Mentorship and More

The Scholarship Program for College Students

Very low income students face formidable challenges in attending college.  While they may receive generous financial aid packages for tuition, they generally lack “pocket money” to pay for the everyday expenses more affluent students take for granted and - particularly for those who are the first in their family to attend college – the experience of going away to school can be overwhelming. 

Thanks to donors in Boston and New York City, college students are getting extra help through a model TPI developed to provide financial support and mentoring.  Selected students receive stipends to purchase books and supplies, a laptop computer, travel money to come home for the holidays, and help with study abroad and summer internships.  They are also provided up to $20,000 for repayment of their student loans.  Throughout their college careers, students are assigned mentors who help them with everything from finding summer internships to general moral support.  Mentors are TPI staff and volunteers from the community who often continue relationships with the students beyond their college years.

This initiative began in 1999 in Boston, where it has worked with 90+ students, including 45 who have now graduated from college.  In addition to financial need, students are chosen for their strong academic promise.  Current students are attending institutions such as Harvard, Brown, Middlebury, the University of Southern California, and Boston College.   Many of these students are from immigrant families and all are the first generation in their family to go to college.  Their average family income is $27,000.  Without this initiative and the extra financial support it provides, these students would have a very different college experience.  

A pilot group of students from New York City high schools are benefiting from a similar program just launched in that city.  These students are among the first NYC graduates of the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Program, which provides extra support to help "average" students succeed in rigorous academic courses, including Advanced Placement and Honors classes.  AVID has a successful 20+ year history of working with predominately low-income, under-represented minority students whose parents did not attend college.  Thanks to a TPI donor, the program was introduced to schools in New York City and New Jersey four years ago and now that the first AVID students are enrolling in college, the same donor is committed to continuing to provide them with the support they need to be successful in college.  Students from this pilot group are attending the University of Vermont, Binghamton University, the College of Mount Saint Vincent, and Pace University.

These two programs – one based in Boston and the other in New York City – illustrate how donors who share similar objectives can learn from and build upon one another’s efforts, and how relatively small amounts of money can make a difference in individual lives.  In a letter to TPI and his mentor, one student wrote, “Words cannot express how much I appreciate the support from you all.  I am very grateful to know that in addition to my family and friends, you all care about influencing me and other students to have the best and most productive academic experience possible.”