ACCESS Receives
Special Honor

ACCESS is proud to announce that it has received this year’s Champion of ACCESS award from the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) at their recent Annual Dinner for its success in increasing college access for low-income students in Boston and Springfield.

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Programs

Learn more about ACCESS's four main programs: Early Awareness, Senior Advising, Last Dollar Scholarship, and Postsecondary.  For further information, please contact Program Director Jerry Henry at 617.778.7195, ext. 105, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Early Awareness Program

  • Identifies financial barriers that prevent low-income students from earning college degrees and takes proactive steps to help eliminate those barriers or minimize their impact.
  • Through workshops and financial aid awareness events, provides vital information and resources to students and families within Boston.
  • By building partnerships with public high schools and community-based organizations, expands ACCESS’s reach to new populations of students and parents.

Senior Advising Program
ACCESS employs a multi-faceted approach to financial aid advising in high schools:
  • One on One: Individual, personalized advising on the financial aid process.
  • Large Groups: Lectures to entire grades; classroom presentations; early awareness workshops aimed at younger students.
  • Small Groups: Workshops focused on specialized topics impacting only certain groups of students; follow-up sessions from larger presentations.

Last Dollar Scholarship Program
  • Upon completion of the college selection and financial aid packaging processes, students with unmet financial need may apply for an ACCESS’s Last Dollar Scholarship.
  • Scholarships range from $200 to $2,500 and are renewable for up to six years.
  • ACCESS’s staff evaluates each student’s financial need and awards scholarships accordingly.
  • Only students advised by advising program are eligible.

Postsecondary Program
  • New program providing financial aid advising and assistance to former program participants once they have reached postsecondary education.
  • Designed to ensure that participants complete higher education.
  • Maintains connection with participants as they enter the workforce in order to measure longitudinal impact.