Breaking down the barriers to a bachelor’s degree
Working Scholars® Fund History
Working Scholars® Fund was founded in 2017 as a small, organic social impact program to provide a no-cost, no-debt bachelor’s degree to people in Mountain View, CA. The program is currently active in six California communities and has received philanthropic support from many Bay Area and Southern CA companies and foundations, including Facebook, Google, Duke Realty, and the Peery Foundation, among others. Working Scholars® Fund was named 2018 CA Non-Profit of the Year.
In 2019, Working Scholars® Fund started an expansion effort which has been aided by a Walmart grant to pilot expansion of the program beyond the state of California.
Why Working Scholars® Fund is important
Today’s jobs require a degree
Since January 2013, 10.6 million jobs have been added to the U.S. economy and 71% of them have gone to individuals with a college degree.
There are not enough qualified applicants to fill demand
There are more U.S. job openings (7.4 million) than there are unemployed Americans (6 million).
Communities desire more diverse and qualified talent
Upskilled communities with high-demand skills provide businesses and potential business partners with a more diverse and trained talent pipeline.
A college degree can dramatically impact earnings
College graduates, on average, earn 56% more which adds up to over $1M in their lifetime.
Student debt is skyrocketing
Borrowers nationwide owe over $1.5 trillion in federal student loan debt
Ready to learn more?
Alicia and Melanie
Sunnyvale, CA
Working Scholar