Upward Scholars

Financial Support to lessen the burden of attending college, including free textbooks, course materials, and laptops, transportation assistance, grocery gift cards, and support for other college costs, as well as a Safety Net Fund that assists students with basic living expenses. In 2020, we launched Student Safety Net, a new program to better meet the needs of the people we serve today and confront the future challenges of our changing economic landscape, particularly given the pandemic's direct impact on our students. We introduced our first-ever Student Safety Net Fund (SNF) to support students who were hardest hit by the pandemic. Students applied for assistance from the SNF to help cover expenses related to rent, medical care, childcare, utilities, and other emergency needs. This support ensured that, despite losing jobs and wages, they could continue their college courses. We have maintained this program as a means of retention, allowing our students to keep prioritizing their academic and career goals. In 2024, the high cost of living in the Bay Area significantly affected many Upward Scholars students. In response, we continue our Student Safety Net Fund and are extending our grocery gift card program, Healthy Scholars, to help students offset costs associated with lost wages. The Healthy Scholars program provides monthly grocery gift cards to students struggling to access food.

Academic Support, including community and peer tutors, opportunities to improve English skills, peer learning facilitators, assistance with scholarship applications and applications for transfer to four-year universities, and an annual Graduation Celebration. Free textbooks and course materials for adult immigrant students across San Mateo County and northern Alameda County is the second largest combined program service as measured by expense. To ensure students have all of the necessary course materials to attend their college courses and succeed, Upward Scholars pays for college textbooks and, in some cases, shipping, e-textbooks, disability technological tools, special course fees, and additional course supplies (e.g., baker jacket and kits, cosmetologist/barber apron and kits, skeletal models, dental hygiene kits).