Scholarships

Every student in the United States deserves the chance to go to college.

Most U.S. high school students want to attend college. They recognize that higher education is the most direct path to success in their future careers. College also provides opportunities to explore talents and develop leadership skills they can use to participate more fully in adult life—at home, at work, and in their communities.

Millions of students can’t afford the tuition.

It’s estimated that between 2006 and 2016, nearly 4.5 million students won’t pursue college degrees because their families can’t afford the high costs of higher education.

Low-income students and students of color are particularly hard hit.

Only one in 10 low-income students can expect to graduate from college. And disproportionately fewer students of color earn bachelor’s degrees. This is not due to a lack of talent but instead to the high costs of tuition and to the fact that many graduate high school without the skills they need to succeed in college. They also lack guidance on how to choose a school, apply for admission, and fill out financial aid forms.

We will help more than 27,000 low-income students get to college by 2016.

Thousands of low-income, minority students are highly motivated and ready for college every year. We’re working to help them get there through our scholarship programs. We’re also creating programs in lower performing schools designed to help low-income students get ready to enter—and then succeed in—college.

We believe in educating future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

We encourage leadership and public service in the U.S. and abroad. We will provide scholarships for graduate study in fields that benefit local and global communities.

Next: Our Approach

We’re funding scholarships to expand access to college for low-income and minority students and to encourage public service and leadership in the following ways:

Remove financial barriers for low-income students who are ready for college.

We’re funding scholarships to give college-ready, highly motivated students the opportunity to attend the college of their choice. Most of our programs focus on low-income and minority students. Some programs fund additional graduate study in the areas of public health, education, science, engineering, mathematics, and library science.

Help low-income students get ready to succeed in college.

We’re funding college scholarships in select high schools, working to raise college aspirations and readiness in low-income communities. One program is in our home state of Washington; the other is in the nation’s capital. Both provide academic, financial, and social support—from tutoring and mentoring to career counseling and leadership training—to prepare 7,250 low-income students to enter college, stay in college, and graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

Sponsor future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

We’re creating an international network of future leaders to work in agriculture, health, technology, law, and learning—and make the world a better place. Scholarships fund graduate studies for 1,000 international students at Cambridge University in England, for 1,000 U.S. students pursuing careers in public service law at the University of Washington, and for 360 female, African scientists pursuing careers in agricultural research and development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Next: Find a Scholarship