Some of the more established scholarship funding models have been struggling to keep up with the level of demand.
Michelle Boehm, research and evaluation analyst for the Helios Education Foundation, said the desire to serve minority, low-income, first-generation, and other underrepresented sectors of the student population has helped drive some of the more innovative scholarship funding developments in recent years.
“The evolution of traditional scholarship models has been influenced by an inadequate ability to meet the needs of our nation’s traditionally underrepresented students and a growing recognition that helping students enroll in college isn’t enough,” Boehm said.
She added that tracking the impact and outcomes of scholarship funds that are administered is another significant challenge.
“Students also require support — both financial and non-financial — to persist and complete,” Boehm said.
Boehm and Dr. Paul Perrault — vice president and director of research and evaluation for Helios — are slated to share their findings from a literature review that explored the various ways funders are evolving and innovating in the scholarship space during a session titled, “Scholarship Innovation: Evolving for Greater Student Impact” at the 2017 Florida College Access and Success Summit.
Additionally, a trio of scholarship funding pioneers in Florida — Jessica Kleinberger, Destination: Graduation manager for Heart of Florida United Way; Tessa LeSage, director of social innovation and sustainability for the Southwest Florida Community Foundation; and Nancy Stellway, executive director of Take Stock in Children Palm Beach County — will share their experiences during a panel, which will be moderated by Kathleen McDonald, network partnerships manager for Florida College Access Network.
For more information about the Florida College Access and Success Summit, click here.