Expanding Access and Opportunity – The Washington State Achievers Scholarship

This report synthesizes the findings of research conducted on the Washington State Achievers program through Summer 2006.

Pell Institute report

Expanding Access and Opportunity – The Washington State Achievers Scholarship

In 2001, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the multi-year, multi-million dollar Washington State Achievers Scholarship program. Concerned about disparities in college participation for low-income students in the state of Washington versus their wealthier peers, the Gates Foundation partnered with the College Success Foundation (CSF), formerly the Washington Education Foundation, to provide scholarships to eligible low-income students to attain a four-year post-secondary degree. The program targets juniors in 16 Achievers High Schools, which have high levels of low-income students and are implementing school redesign. Approximately 500 students each year receive financial support to help pay for college, and mentoring and other assistance to assure their preparation for and participation in post-secondary education. By 2015, more than 5,000 low-income students will have received scholarship assistance to attend college.

Through six cohorts, 3,340 Achievers Scholars have been selected as high school juniors. Of this group, 3,010 have received the scholarship, with the remainder either not fulfilling eligibility requirements (such as completing high school) or choosing to attend a non-eligible college, frequently a four-year institution out of state. This report synthesizes the findings of research conducted on the Washington State Achievers program through Summer 2006.

GET THE REPORT

More Research

The Pell Institute shares the mission of the Council to advance and defend the ideal of equal opportunity in postsecondary education.

Featured News

Support Us

If you are a student support services professional, thank you. You are an unsung hero for all the good that you do, and surely you know by now that COE has your back.

Donate

Partner

Through strategic collaborations, we work to strengthen quality, opportunity and access to education for all American students — the next generation of global leaders.

partner with us

Join Us

Join more than 1,000 colleges and community agencies committed to postsecondary opportunity for low-income, first-generation students, students with disabilities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the Pacific Islands, and Puerto Rico!

become a member