Friends,
Through your generosity, we are proud to have implemented some critical new elements in our program this year. With many of our students learning from home, and some students following a hybrid or an in-person model, we knew we needed to continue providing stable, consistent support no matter the circumstances.
- Tutor.com allows students to chat with professional tutors at any time of the day or night, as often as they need to, and for any subject they’re studying.
- Virtual Campus Visits have become a great way to keep students learning more about post-secondary institutions, the admissions process, campus life, majors, financial aid, and class sizes.
- One-on-one personalized college coaching for the Class of 2021 has been an incredible addition. Our College Coach helps students navigate completing the FAFSA, applying to colleges, talking through next steps for enrollment, and more.
- Virtual SAT Prep sessions, in partnership with professional tutors at The Princeton Review, teach our students tips and tricks to achieving high scores on their SAT test. We have seen our students’ scores increase across the board after our two sessions of prep in past years.
- Weekly Student Newsletters provide resources and information to keep them engaged, encouraged and motivated.
These changes and updates to our program have allowed more flexibility and innovation in our work, resulting in substantially increased 1-to-1 personalized attention.
We also have a lot to look forward to this spring! We can’t wait to see the Class of 2021 graduate after working hard for three years in the Next Level Scholars Program. This spring, Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars will have awarded over 1,700 students with more than 2.6 million dollars in scholarships since 1990.
We are looking forward to continued achievement and post-secondary degrees being earned for years to come.
Kind regards,
Christa Funk
Executive Director
Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars
“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.