Planning ahead is crucial for being a college scholarship recipient: students must be aware of award requirements at the outset of ninth grade in order to build the necessary resume to be considered. Unfortunately, this is where many talented high school seniors falter. Often in these cases, students miss scholarship opportunities because they lack information, and consequently, a clear plan. To address this need, FUEL’s Scholarship Highway was created to promote FUEL Compact scholarship opportunities to families upon their enrollment in the program to motivate and focus their involvement in their child’s education.
We have created the Compact Scholarship model to serve as a motivator early in high school when families are in a position to affect their student’s behavior towards achievement. Every year, Salem State University, UMass Boston, UMass Amherst*, and Bunker Hill Community College* make available a select number of full-ride scholarship opportunities, as well as comprehensive financial aid packages for FUEL students.
The Compact was finalized in spring 2010 in Chelsea, MA and enabled two brothers who emigrated from Ethiopia to pursue their dreams of medical school. They said FUEL was instrumental in allowing them to attend UMass Amherst at the same time, especially since they come from a single-parent home.
Our public colleges are important to the economic vitality of our state. By offering exclusive applications to FUEL participants who are predominantly from low-income and immigrant families, these schools give students the opportunity to attend college in Massachusetts and maintain the close family network that helps them thrive and succeed — and, ultimately, contribute to the local economy and workforce.
*Currently only available for FUEL families in Chelsea.
