SEATTLE, Nov. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- BestColleges.com announced today its pledge of $2 million over four years to Golden Door
Scholars, an organization working to eliminate the financial
barriers of college for hundreds of undocumented students since
2013. The funding will provide up to 40 DACA and undocumented
students with an undergraduate education and career access.
Ineligible for federal financial aid or in-state tuition in most
states, high-performing, undocumented students can achieve economic
mobility through Golden Door Scholars' scholarship opportunities.
The organization has a graduation rate of over 98% among active
scholarship recipients over the past 9 years, with 277 active
students averaging a 3.6 college GPA at more than 20 partner
institutions and 72 new students set to join the program in
2022.
"Opportunity should not be determined by anything but tenacity
and hard work, and absolutely not by immigration status," said
Cobretti Williams, Ph.D., Senior Editor of Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion for BestColleges.com. "BestColleges is proud to invest in
students who deserve to pursue education and define their futures.
Golden Door Scholars' proven track record and decade-long fight for
immigration reform and permanent status for undocumented students
makes it uniquely qualified to change the trajectory of this
underrepresented group within our future workforce."
BestColleges has also partnered with Golden Door Scholars to
develop a suite of resources for undocumented students on
BestColleges.com. Specially tailored tips for college prep and
career planning, expert advice, and real student perspectives aims
to help undocumented students navigate the college landscape.
Golden Door Scholars partners with educational institutions to
cover tuition, room, and board for recipients who are seeking
four-year degrees in career-ready fields like tech and health
sciences. Hundreds of recipients also gather annually for a
three-day summit. Golden Door Scholars' alumni hold positions at
Apple, Google, Red Ventures, Oracle, EY, and Deloitte among other
companies, and some are pursuing advanced degrees at prestigious
universities including University of
California - Berkeley, Duke
University, Harvard University,
University of Oxford, and University of Washington.
"At Golden Door Scholars, we believe every institution has a
responsibility to ensure all young people have access to
educational and job opportunities that prepare them for
high-growth, family-sustaining careers," said Kacey Grantham, executive director of Golden
Door Scholars. "BestColleges' support will not only support
individual deserving scholars who otherwise would not be able to
afford a college degree, but also sets an example for companies and
organizations to use their platform to do the right thing."
About BestColleges.com
BestColleges.com empowers students to make smarter
educational decisions and find schools that best fit their needs
through proprietary research, user-friendly guides, and hundreds of
unique college rankings. As a trusted education advisor, it also
provides a wide array of college planning, financial aid, and
career resources to help students realize life goals and overcome
educational challenges as they prepare for careers after college.
BestColleges is a Red Ventures company.
About Golden Door Scholars
Golden Door Scholars (GDS) is a nonprofit founded in 2013
by Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias to
invest in education and career access for high-performing
undocumented students. In the U.S., nearly 98,000 undocumented
students graduate from high school each year. To date, GDS has
supported nearly 500 scholars. Currently, the program supports 277
scholars attending partner schools such as Duke University, Georgetown
University, and Tufts
University. GDS has 189 graduates pursuing graduate degrees
or working at companies such as Apple, Google, Red Ventures,
Accenture, and more.
Contact:
Quinn
Tomlin
qtomlin@redventures.com
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SOURCE BestColleges