More Than Money

One important feature of the NHF Scholarship Program is the support structure we provide to try and make certain that scholarship recipients perform as well as possible in school, attend regularly, and understand additional avenues of support and financial aid. We want them to work to earn a degree, and not simply "attend" school. All recipients are required to participate in a summer workshop led by NHA Staff.

• New college students participate in a workshop that focuses on self-advocacy, time management, early creation of an on-campus support system including guidance staff and tutors and establishing positive relationships with professors.
  
  
• Returning college students participate in a workshop that reiterates some of the key points from the previous summer's workshop but also highlights areas important to upper class students. Topics include: business etiquette, interviewing skills, identifying a mentor and why internships are important.

We want to prepare students (most of whom are first generation college students) for what they will encounter in college and give them strategies to adapt to their environment so they can stay on track to graduate. The additional care the scholarship recipients receive contributes to graduation rates - 44% from 2-year schools and 65% from 4-year schools - which are significantly higher than the 11% graduation rate of low income students nationally ("Promoting Economic Mobility By Increasing Postsecondary Education", Pew Charitable Trusts, May 2009). We also create a bond between the students and the NHF, a connection we hope will carry them through the completion of their degree and beyond.