Grantee Spotlight Archive

Bridging the Gap for San Francisco's Underserved Achievers

The road to college presents challenges for all students, from filling out complicated applications and researching financial aid to meeting the demands of academically rigorous coursework. Students in California who are the first in their families to graduate high school, who are learning English as a second language, or who are facing severe financial hardship must overcome even more daunting obstacles to remain competitive. These students may not attain 4.0 grade-point averages, but their achievements are no less impressive.

Meritus College Fund was created in 1996 to support these students – low-income San Francisco public school students with GPAs between 3.0 and 3.7 – by providing four-year college scholarships worth $3,000 per year. After awarding just one scholarship in its first year, Meritus selected 58 new scholarship recipients in 2008, including eight students who received four-year scholarship grants from College Access Foundation of California. More than 160 Meritus Scholars are currently enrolled in colleges across the nation.

Meritus conducts a competitive scholarship selection process that reviews student financial need and assesses students’ personal and academic development. Meritus also partners with other community-based nonprofit organizations and youth development programs to identify students who have shown initiative and determination to succeed.

In addition to providing much-needed financial aid, Meritus works with students during the summer after their high school graduation, throughout their four years of college and beyond to ensure that they remain motivated, focused and successful in reaching their goals. Community volunteers are paired with Meritus Scholars to serve as mentors, offering encouragement and counsel throughout the college experience.

“The greatest challenge we face is helping each class get through their freshman year, when they have to be accountable for themselves, manage their time and resources effectively in order to succeed,” says Diana M. Wolf, Executive Director of Meritus College Fund. “We build a trusting and supportive relationship with our Scholars even before they go off to college to make sure they know what to expect once they get there, and that they can rely on this support structure along the way. We are their cheerleaders.”

Most of the $3.6 million raised over Meritus College Fund’s history has been donated by individual donors sponsoring a scholarship for one particular Scholar. Because it makes a four-year commitment to each student, Meritus must raise four years of scholarship funds before adding any new scholars. These multi-year scholarships send a powerful and affirming message to students that Meritus will continue to support them through graduation.

“Our goal is to serve as many students as we can while remaining a grassroots, community-based organization,” says Wolf. “Our effectiveness lies in the fact that we do not lose touch with our students – we know who they are and what they need.”

For more information on Meritus College Fund, click here.

For more information on College Access Foundation grants, visit our Grants page. To read more College Access Foundation grantee spotlights, visit our Spotlight Archive.