Blog
Elijah Daniel: Energy and Opportunity
College wasn’t on Elijah Daniel’s personal radar screen in 2018. He certainly did not expect not only his collegiate future, but the entire trajectory of his life, to change, as well. But that is exactly what happened. DRDFS would help Elijah grow as an individual and...
Marketea Abbott: Giving back and paying it forward
Marketea Abbott wants to give back. As one of seven adopted siblings in a family of ten children, she is keenly aware of how fortunate and blessed she has been, benefitting not only from the care and attention of a loving and supportive family, but also from the...
Next Level Scholar, Kelvin Hasanaj featured in Fox 2 Graduation Story
As he prepared for his high school graduation, Next Level Scholar, Kelvin Hasanaj, spoke with Fox 2 News reporter, Ingrid Kelley, about the challenges he faced during his journey of moving to the United States in the 10th grade, learning English and now graduating...
Letter from the Executive Director – Spring 2022
Friends, Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars has so much to celebrate this spring! In March, we saw many of you at the 9th Annual Celebration Luncheon. Governor Whitmer joined us and recognized DRDFS’s efforts to help build a stronger community focused on education....
Spotlight on Madison High School
Madison High School (MHS) has been a partner school of Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars since 2015. It is one of our smaller partner high schools with enrollment of about 300 students. As a school of choice, over 40% of the population are students from...
Suited for Success Describes Our DRDFS Class of 2022
On May 4th, the Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars Class of 2022 gathered at Laurel Manor for Suited for Success, where the seniors announced their postsecondary plans. The evening began with a panel of three Next Level Scholars alumni who shared their paths to...
DRDFS Receives COVID19 Response Grant from Michigan College Access Network
Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) received a COVID-19 Response Grants from Michigan College Access Network (MCAN). These grants are to help support emergent post-secondary projects and programs in their communities. DRDFS will use the grant to help fund...
9th Annual Celebration Luncheon Highlights
For the first time since 2019, over 600 supporters and donors gathered at the University of Detroit Mercy to celebrate the Class of 2022 at the 9th Annual Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) Celebration Luncheon. Emcee Paul W. Smith began the celebration by...
Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars Coaching First-Generation College Students
Post-secondary Coach, Marketea Abbott and Next Level Scholar, Lina Karteet, were featured by WXYZ Detroit in a story highlighting the challenges of first-generation students and how Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is helping them. Freshmen juggling financial...
Next Level Scholars Fall Recap
Eastern Michigan University Event Recap On Wednesday, September 29, juniors in the Next Level Scholars program visited Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan for our first in-person student event since March 2020! Students joined DRDFS staff in the...
Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is proud to partner with MCAN to work toward the shared goal of 60% college attainment by 2030.
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Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is proud to partner with MCAN to work toward the shared goal of 60% college attainment by 2030.
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Contact Us
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“I grew up without a clue of what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go in life, until I had the opportunity to join Dollars for Scholars my sophomore year of high school. From visiting campuses, to SAT prep, the guidance I received from the program changed my entire outlook.
“From college tours to financial aid, Dollars for Scholars has greatly impacted my path to higher education. As a first generation college student, deciding where I would want to continue my education and figuring out how I would get there was a difficult process. My family and I lacked the time and transportation necessary to visit schools, and this limited me in figuring out my future.
“When joining Dollars for Scholars, I was eager to visit colleges and earn scholarship money. Being able to look at all the different schools with other students I could relate to was so reassuring. Dollars for Scholars was able to answer my questions about the ins & outs of post-secondary education, as well assist me with applications. This extra help was so motivating.
“Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is a life-changing program. Before high school, I was going down a path that if most kids took, they’d end up either dropping out of school or going to jail. Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars helped inspire me to get on a better path by showing me how to prepare for college. Hearing other students’ stories made me feel like I could be successful both in high school and post-secondary education.