Scholars do the work. You clear the way. Our communities are better for it.
A year of college costs more than aid covers. The costs include tuition, books, a bus pass, a winter’s rent, and the $600 car repair that would otherwise end a semester. Scholars carry most of it. Giving carries the rest.
A scholarship helps a scholar afford all the costs of college and take the opportunities that come with it. College success advising, career readiness, and a community of mentors are what get them through the degree and into the job after it. The journey runs from acceptance to graduation to the first paycheck.
Why It Matters
The gap.
75% of Berkeley adults hold a bachelor’s degree. Who doesn’t hold a bachelor’s degree is not a coincidence. Our scholars are the first in their families to attend college, come from families in the lowest economic quartiles, and are predominantly Black, Latine, Asian, and Pacific Islander students — the groups a degree has been kept furthest from. In Berkeley, a degree shouldn’t depend on race or wealth. A year of college runs $25,000 to $100,000. Aid often covers about a third. The rest needs to be covered by wages. Yet working more than 12 hours a week makes the degree much harder to earn.
What we do.
We don’t just write a check with a scholar’s name on it and wish them luck. Every scholar gets a College Success Advisor who knows them personally and stays with them from high school graduation to early career. A scholarship every term, plus emergency and opportunity funds for the moments that end other students’ degree aspirations. Career readiness throughout: coaching, practice, interviews, and workshops. A community network of alumni, mentors, and local employers who open doors. The entire model is what gets a scholar to a degree, not one part alone.
Who is in the BCS community.
This is a community program, not a foundation program. 99% of our contributions come from people who live, work, or grew up here.
What changes.
80% of BCS scholars graduate within 4.5 years. Nationally, about 16% of students from similar demographics finish within six years. The difference isn’t talent or work ethic. It’s the right support at the right time, from high school graduation to early career. A scholar who finishes becomes a teacher, a nurse, an engineer — a neighbor in our community. Often, a mentor to the next scholar.
Ways to Give
Every gift funds the same thing: a scholar’s degree and the support strategies around it. Money, time, or opportunity.
Questions about getting involved through giving? Email giving@berkeleyscholars.org.
| Monthly | The steadiest way to fund a multi-year commitment. Give monthly → |
| By check through the mail | Make checks payable to “Berkeley Community Scholars.” Mail to: P.O. Box 680, Berkeley, CA 94701. |
| Employer matching | Many employers offer a donation matching program. Check yours, or reach out for more information. |
| Donor-advised fund | Recommend a grant from your fund. |
| Stock | Give appreciated stock and avoid capital gains tax. For transfer instructions, email giving@berkeleyscholars.org. |
| In your will | Name BCS in your estate plans. |
Give time.
Join the BCS Community Network. Scholars reach out when they need advice in a field, an introduction, or an informational interview. Ask any mentor what they got out of it, and they’ll say, “it means so much to me.”
However you choose to give, thank you.
Your part starts here.
Scholars do the work, day in and day out. Giving is how the community shows up.