EST College Access Program

Since 1987… The Educating Students Together (EST) College Access Program has empowered economically disadvantaged students to pursue and achieve their college education dreams. The mission of Educating Students Together is to increase the access, retention, and graduation of youth in the foster care system and from low-income communities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to transform their lives. The Problem According to the Pew Charitable Trust, when foster youth leave high school and do not enroll in college, within two to four years, many experience unemployment, go on public assistance, battle homelessness, or become involved in the criminal justice system. The outcomes for foster youth who do attend college are equally as dire. Less than 3% of former foster youth ever graduate from college without the support of a warm and caring individual. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, colleges and universities continue to struggle to graduate low-income students. While 66% of the wealthiest students complete their studies and graduate, only 16% of low-income students graduate from college. The Solution Pre-College Identify Students Student Intake College Advising Application Essay Coaching ACT/SAT Prep Tutoring Financial Literacy Scholarship Essay Coaching Monthly Meetings In College Networking Get-Togethers Connections to Campus Support Services Connections to EST Alumni Attending the Same School Who Share Their Experience and Knowledge With the Student Post-College Graduate School Assistance Connections to a Professional Network of EST Graduates Workforce Assistance This Year’s Results Over $4 Million In institutional scholarships awarded to the class of 2022 Nationally, less than 1% of high school students receive full-ride scholarships 64% of EST students received full-ride scholarships to attend Tennessee State/Meharry Meical College, Tuskeegee University, Northwestern, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Santa Clara, Pepperdine and Notre Dame. Our top student was admitted to the prestigious accelerated medical degree program at Tennessee State and Meharry Medical College with a full-ride scholarship that includes tuition, housing, meals, books and a $1500 stipend. Her career goal is to become a neurosurgeon. Our seniors competed against 2200 students for 93 Posse Foundation leadership scholarships. Three were selected to be Posse scholars. All the youth in the foster care system that we worked with this year (N=9) were accepted into four-year colleges. UCLA received 149,799 applications this year—a record year for applications. Four EST students were admitted. Nationally, only 2% of the 2.2 million high school students taking the SAT receive a perfect score. One EST student received a perfect 800 on the math portion of the SAT after completing our summer school program. By The Numbers 5171Total students served 350 Average number of program participants per year 100% Reside in low-income households 100% Are accepted into 4-year colleges 100% Are students of color Student Stories Mariah Jameson Mariah’s college journey began in 2009 when she graduated high school as a single mother in the foster care system. Though it was difficult at times to keep everything going, she knew how important education was. Her experience led her to pursue a degree and career in Social Work. In 2016, Mariah, along with her kids, experienced homelessness. But this made her even more determined to succeed. Education was the way to a better life. Read More “I met Dr. Delahoussaye while I was on a tour of HBCUs with another group. But we got to talking, and we began to build a relationship. Visiting Clark Atlanta, I fell in love with the campus and the school. I was determined to go there.” Through her connection with Dr. Delahoussaye and EST, she was able to find the money for school through scholarships. She also made connections within the school that helped her find the funds necessary to continue.“COVID was a challenging time for us. The school had to shut down the dorms, and suddenly I was without a place to live. I didn’t have anywhere to go. Dr. Delahoussaye reached out to some donors who helped me get the money for housing. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know how my kids and I would have been able to continue.” Like many students, the shift to distance learning wasn’t easy and hadn’t prepared students for online learning. “Fortunately, the housing I obtained had Internet access included. That helped financially, and of course, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with my schoolwork without it. EST donors were the lifeline I needed.” Through her studies, Mariah started working at a detox facility for girls and is currently working at a group home for boys. Her experiences have helped her make an impact on the kids she works with daily. “I get questions all the time about college and what it’s like to be a college student. I can relate to them and what they’re going through.” She helps them identify college programs or careers that they might be interested in, and of course, her own story helps inspire them to see that a college career is possible. Mariah is finishing up her studies in the coming academic year and is planning on going into the Accelerated Master’s Program in Social Work at Clark Atlanta. Less than 3% of former foster youth graduate from college. We are pleased and excited to share with you that Mariah will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in December 2021. Thank you so much for being an EST College Access Program donor, and for helping students like Mariah earn their college degree. Charles Johnson For Charles Johnson, a tour of historically black colleges was the first step of a life-changing journey. Yasmin and Greg Delahoussaye took Charles and other students to universities, museums, and historical sites in the South. “It’s hard to put it into words the meaning of it, how it affected me,” Charles recalled. “It was just a great experience. It was overwhelming too, in a good way.” That experience motivated Charles to apply to Clark Atlanta University, a university he had not heard about before the tour. But navigating the admissions and financial aid processes was not easy for Charles, who is […]

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