The University of Iowa has joined a group of colleges that aim to help more students from all backgrounds prepare for higher education.
On March 2, the UI partnered with the Raise.me scholarship platform in a statewide pilot project to encourage college readiness among Iowa high-school students.
Brent Gage, the UI associate vice president for Enrollment Management, said the goal of the program is to create access for school districts that have the highest rates of free and reduced-lunch percentage by offering micro scholarships to students.
“The big thing we’re hoping for this is to really increase access to postsecondary opportunities for high-school students,” he said. “If students go through the program, whether they choose to come to the University of Iowa or somewhere else, they are going to be college-ready.”
Eligible students will be able to earn up to $1,200 in micro-scholarships to attend the UI by meeting certain criteria, such as achieving an A or a B in select math classes or being involved in arts, athletics, or other extracurricular programs.
Students begin the program by building a portfolio of their achievements, following the UI on the website, and watching their scholarship earnings stack up. They can later add their achievements, such as grades, extracurricular activities, community service, and more.
Aneesh Raman, the vice president of growth for Raise.me, said the project enables students to work harder in high school and also provides them with greater transparency into the cost of college.
“We’re focused on expanding access to higher education, especially on low-income and first-generation students, so that every kid has a shot at the American Dream,” Raman said. “The way we are doing that now is by modernizing scholarship money.”
On the college side, Raman said, it is important for college partners in Raise.me to be part of a solution when it comes to extending access to higher education.
The 3-year-old project is a part of the Raise Labs Inc. — a startup company located in San Francisco.
According to data from the Raise.me website, as of now, students at more than 15,000 high schools have earned micro-scholarships from more than 100 colleges, earning $19,000 on average in scholarship money with a potential maximum amount of $80,000.
Tom Rocklin, the UI vice president for Student Life, in an email to The Daily Iowan said that even students who do not choose to attend the UI and receive their scholarships would benefit from the program by being better prepared for college.