The Bridging the Dream Scholarship initiative from The Sallie Mae Foundation in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, features two college scholarship programs to help students in financial need, or those from diverse communities, to access higher education.

Nic Jafarieh, executive vice president of Sallie Mae, stated:

For many students, particularly first-generation and those for underrepresented communities, scholarships can be the difference maker to accessing higher education.

Two Bridging the Dream Scholarship packages

Among the support programs for higher education, two stand out:

• For High School Seniors — 25 high school seniors who excel in and out of the classroom and demonstrate financial need will be selected to receive up to $10,000 to help pay for higher education. To be eligible, students must plan to enroll in a two-or four-year degree, professional certificate, or vocational training program. Click here to see the official rules.
• For Graduate Students — Up to $10,000 will be awarded to 10 qualified students committed to leveraging their graduate degree to advance social justice. To be eligible, applicants must be currently enrolled at least part-time in an accredited graduate level program. Click here to see the official rules.

“Through our partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund, The Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program ensures more students, from all backgrounds, have the opportunity to build a strong future,” added Jafarieh. 

The application window for the Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors and the Bridging the Dream Scholarship for Graduate Students is open until March 27, 2023 at 12 p.m. ET.

Congratulations again to the 10 outstanding scholarship recipients of our Bridging the Dream Scholarship for Graduate Students! It was an honor to celebrate them and share their inspiring stories. pic.twitter.com/3MQs0kVQnU

— Sallie Mae (@SallieMae) February 6, 2023

A commitment to education

Bridging the Dream is part of a three-year, $3 million commitment by Sallie Mae to open the doors of higher education for students of all backgrounds.

To date, the program has awarded 600 scholarships totaling $2 million to help students access and complete their education.

“We're excited to continue our important work with The Sallie Mae Fund. These scholarships fuel our ability to move the needle further for deserving, talented students who want to earn degrees, but may not have resources to do so,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund.