Partnership Case Studies

Overview

Boost@BerkeleyHaas began with a simple idea: to help high school students in the Bay Area become the first in their families to attend college. Since former Haas Dean Raymond Miles founded Boost in 1989, more than 1,350 students who have graduated from Boost. Each year, Boost provides mentorship, business skills training, and college advising to about 150 Bay Area teens.

For over 30 consecutive years, 98% of the Boost graduates enrolled in a higher education institution, and more than 80% got their bachelor’s degree—nearly half from a UC school and nearly a third of those from Berkeley.

In 2024–Current, Boost@BerkeleyHaas partnered with Securing Degrees to provide targeted scholarship matching, essay support, and application accountability for 28 students. The goal: increase scholarship application engagement, improve award outcomes, and ensure students were equipped to continue their scholarship journey independently.

• 95% of the students in the program are from low-income families (Cal grant eligible families).
• 94% of the students would be the first-generation college graduates in their family (FGLI):
• The program serves students with diverse ethnicities

The Challenge

Prior to this partnership:

• 45% of students applied to at least one scholarship
  
• 40% had not completed onboarding forms, limiting accurate scholarship matching
  
• time management, finding opportunities, and essay preparation
  

Our Approach

Securing Degrees implemented a high-touch, data-driven scholarship support program that included:

• Orientation sessions and onboarding in January, with clear completion deadlines
  
• 10–15 scholarships matched to each student monthly (average 12.4 opportunities per student per month, valued at over $109,000 each)
  
• Ongoing deadline alerts and follow-ups via text and email
  
• In-depth feedback and editing on scholarship essays
  
• Drop-in sessions for Q&A, essay review, and application guidance
  
• In June, all students received their full scholarship list, trackers, and saved essays to continue applying independently
  

The Results

• 100% of students submitted at least one scholarship (up from 45%)
  
• 71% of students were active applicants (up from 45%)
  
• Average of 7.9 scholarships per student; active students averaged 11
  
• 16 students (57% of total) won scholarships, up from 15.6% the prior year
  
• Over $820,000 secured (up from $16,500 last year)
  
• Included a QuestBridge full ride (~$325,000), a Dell Scholarship ($20,000), and multiple local and national awards
  

Key Insights

• Students who applied to more than 10 scholarships were significantly more likely to win awards
• Early onboarding and clear expectations increased both engagement and application volume
• Consistent follow-up and accountability tools are essential for sustaining student momentum

Partner Impact

This partnership demonstrated that a structured, personalized scholarship program can dramatically increase student engagement and award outcomes in a single year. By providing both the tools and the accountability, students were empowered to secure meaningful funding and continue their scholarship journey with confidence.

Let’s Work Together

If your organization wants to increase scholarship wins, engagement, and student confidence, Securing Degrees can create a customized program to fit your needs.

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