Dear Volunteer,
Scholarship America is continuously refining our services and offerings to make the biggest possible impact on students. Continuing changes in the financial aid landscape have led us to re-assess our Collegiate Partners model, and we have decided to discontinue the Collegiate Partners program as of September 1, 2022.
In recent years, the Collegiate Partners program has simply not had the impact we hoped to see on students or on schools. While some students did see benefits, the combination of confusing eligibility guidelines and inconsistent college participation made it difficult to truly change the landscape. In addition, state and institutional rules regarding aid displacement sometimes made it impossible for colleges to fulfill their agreements, potentially causing students to lose aid dollars unexpectedly.
As an organization that specializes in customized, student-centered solutions, we are looking to step back and learn how we can do better at ensuring students get the maximum value of their scholarships.
Mike Nylund, Scholarship America’s new President & CEO, is a longtime expert in the field of institutional aid, and Director of Policy Kalwis Lo is also working in Washington to advocate for legislative solutions. We believe their expertise, combined with our connection to students and scholarship providers, can help develop truly impactful measures to combat displacement.
If your Dollars for Scholars has seen a significant benefit from partnerships with colleges in your area, we want to help you stay connected and continue maximizing aid for your students. You should feel empowered to take action at a local and state level.
For a simple way to take action, we have put together this email template, which you can personalize and send to elected officials at any level, and encourage your fellow volunteers to do the same. If you’re interested in taking things a step further and getting more involved, our “7 Steps to a Successful Advocacy Meeting” provides you a detailed guide to meeting with local, state or Congressional elected officials.
A couple other resources that may help:
You can contact Kalwis Lo in our Washington, DC office to learn more.
I want to thank you, as always, for the work you do on behalf of students. Scholarship America will be reaching out to Collegiate Partners, and I am also happy to answer any questions that your students may have about the program closing down.
Thanks and best,
