BestColleges Pledges $2 Million to Golden Door Scholars

SEATTLE, Nov. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BestColleges.com announced today its pledge of $2 million over four years to Golden Door Scholars, an organization working to eliminate the financial barriers of college for hundreds of undocumented students since 2013. The funding will provide up to 40 DACA and undocumented students with an undergraduate education and career access.

Ineligible for federal financial aid or in-state tuition in most states, high-performing, undocumented students can achieve economic mobility through Golden Door Scholars' scholarship opportunities. The organization has a graduation rate of over 98% among active scholarship recipients over the past 9 years, with 277 active students averaging a 3.6 college GPA at more than 20 partner institutions and 72 new students set to join the program in 2022.

"Opportunity should not be determined by anything but tenacity and hard work, and absolutely not by immigration status," said Cobretti Williams, Ph.D., Senior Editor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for BestColleges.com. "BestColleges is proud to invest in students who deserve to pursue education and define their futures. Golden Door Scholars' proven track record and decade-long fight for immigration reform and permanent status for undocumented students makes it uniquely qualified to change the trajectory of this underrepresented group within our future workforce."

BestColleges has also partnered with Golden Door Scholars to develop a suite of resources for undocumented students on BestColleges.com. Specially tailored tips for college prep and career planning, expert advice, and real student perspectives aims to help undocumented students navigate the college landscape.

Golden Door Scholars partners with educational institutions to cover tuition, room, and board for recipients who are seeking four-year degrees in career-ready fields like tech and health sciences. Hundreds of recipients also gather annually for a three-day summit. Golden Door Scholars' alumni hold positions at Apple, Google, Red Ventures, Oracle, EY, and Deloitte among other companies, and some are pursuing advanced degrees at prestigious universities including University of California - Berkeley, Duke University, Harvard University, University of Oxford, and University of Washington.

"At Golden Door Scholars, we believe every institution has a responsibility to ensure all young people have access to educational and job opportunities that prepare them for high-growth, family-sustaining careers," said Kacey Grantham, executive director of Golden Door Scholars. "BestColleges' support will not only support individual deserving scholars who otherwise would not be able to afford a college degree, but also sets an example for companies and organizations to use their platform to do the right thing."

About BestColleges.com

BestColleges.com empowers students to make smarter educational decisions and find schools that best fit their needs through proprietary research, user-friendly guides, and hundreds of unique college rankings. As a trusted education advisor, it also provides a wide array of college planning, financial aid, and career resources to help students realize life goals and overcome educational challenges as they prepare for careers after college. BestColleges is a Red Ventures company.

About Golden Door Scholars

Golden Door Scholars (GDS) is a nonprofit founded in 2013 by Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias to invest in education and career access for high-performing undocumented students. In the U.S., nearly 98,000 undocumented students graduate from high school each year. To date, GDS has supported nearly 500 scholars. Currently, the program supports 277 scholars attending partner schools such as Duke University, Georgetown University, and Tufts University. GDS has 189 graduates pursuing graduate degrees or working at companies such as Apple, Google, Red Ventures, Accenture, and more.

Contact:
Quinn Tomlin
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SOURCE BestColleges