A Circle of Support
About Boost Fund For Students
The Vision
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Boost Fund For Students is an initiative begun in 2024 to unblock access to post-secondary education and the economic mobility it provides. We envision a society where everyone has a chance to find and develop their talents - working toward professional aspirations without being derailed by the economic disparities that persist in American communities. Taking any first step out of poverty and toward an unknown future requires guts and determination. BoostFundForStudents.com creates a community of Boosters to cheer and support these achievements.
The vision is that completion grants and other financial aid for professional credentialing courses will become just as popular as scholarships for degree programs are now, as one tool in our arsenal to build a more equitable and thriving society.
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The Process
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To serve this vision, BoostFundForStudents.com hosts crowdfunding campaigns that create opportunities for caring individuals to provide funds for those working to change their own financial trajectory. A Boost award can be spent on tuition, fees, and also other out-of-pocket expenses that sometimes block good students from achieving a milestone like license exam fees, transportation to apprenticeships or clinicals, child care, tools and uniforms, etc. These are expense categories not addressed by the current funding landscape.
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Each Boost Crowdfunding Campaign will be aimed at a specific cohort of awardees. We partner with selected credentialing programs that prepare students for family-supporting professional careers in fields like health care, skilled trades, green energy, and tech. See our fundraisers page for current campaigns, or you can suggest a campaign using the contact form below. The FAQ page has more details on the criteria for schools and award cohorts, and how donated funds are distributed to students as grants.
A Boost Award For Your First Credential is provided as a completion grant rather than as a scholarship. Scholarships are fabulous and we hope the scholarship model remains strong in American philanthropy. Yet, the typical scholarship award cycle is not a good fit for the achievers we aim to support for two reasons.
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First, scholarships are typically offered only to degree-seeking students. 35% of Americans obtain a college degree. On the other hand, a large portion of the 65% majority either aren't interested in the professional opportunities opened up by college degrees, or see the costs or the multi-year commitment as a blocker. Alternative pathways into careers are on the rise, and students who complete a professional credential make a big leap toward economic mobility. Students in non-degree programs who are already working to change their own trajectory deserve support.
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Secondly, the typical scholarship application process happens before schooling has begun and is also a heavy lift for applicants. Gathering reference letters, proving academic excellence, writing a personal narrative - it can be a time consuming and discouraging process for time-strapped working students balancing schooling with family and other commitments. This application protocol results from a traditional paradigm where scholarships are won exclusively by only a few students who use their prior track record to support their desire to be selected as one of the few who receive support.
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In contrast, our process creates funding pools that are unlocked after students have successfully completed the first portion of training, which alleviates the need for up-front proof of their drive and academic abilities. Boost award funding pools can be accessed by all qualifying students in a cohort.
Boost completion grants fill a complimentary role alongside scholarship programs by sending support to a broader subset of students as a recognition that they are blazing their own path toward success.
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Boost Fund For Students works with the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts as our fund administrator. You can donate directly on their portal.
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Based on feedback from our donors, Boost Fund For Students crafted an operating model that provides more assurance that the hard-earned dollars donated here are sent only to verified students in established schools. This contrasts with other crowdfunding sites where donations are sent directly to individuals and donors accept the risk that the use of funds could be misrepresented. Our differentiation is detailed on this chart.
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2024 is our launch year, which begins with a fundraiser for Nursing students in Central Massachusetts. Each quarter, additional opportunities will be posted to enable bright moments of hope and achievement. Please join us as a donor and participate in the joy as we cheer and support students to complete their higher education dreams.
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Help us make this first year a success!
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The Team
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Boost Fund For Students was created in 2024 by Dr. Donna K. Byron, a technologist and social equity advocate, after noticing a gap in available funding for professional education in key areas where the young women in her network had focused to improve their financial futures, like coding bootcamps, nursing, and other licensed professions. Intensely grateful for the financial aid that paid her own college expenses, she is working to build a new ecosystem where caring individuals nurture each other. This includes not just financial assistance, but also practical tips on all the logistical steps needed to achieve an educational goal - advice from those who have done it.
Dr. Byron currently serves as the Chief Encouragement Officer and Chief Technologist at BoostFundForStudents.com.
Shout out to the many friends and coaches whose wise advice and guidance has helped me get this initiative off the ground.