HEAR Scholarship

The HEAR Scholarship Foundation provides financial assistance and a college success program to low-income Chicagoland high school seniors who demonstrate academic excellence, commitment to community, and personal integrity in their pursuit of a college education. Through its nationally recognized program, HEAR is committed to increasing the declining college enrollment and graduation rates from underrepresented communities within Chicagoland.

By finding gifted students from a low socio-economic background and providing financial and structured educational support to assist them in their college career, HEAR helps to channel some of Chicago’s potential in the form of qualified, young, diverse students back into the local workforce. This in turn offers a solution to diversity-related workplace challenges, providing a pathway to upward economic mobility and reduced inequality.

Almost 80% of HEAR Scholars are minority students, 60% are first-generation and ALL are low-income. HEAR uses a multi-factor approach towards supporting its students. It isn’t simply a scholarship provider it is a true college success program. The foundation combines financial support, a structured mentoring program, educational programming, and encourages a feeling of family among its scholars to ensure college success through personal development. HEAR’s four-year college graduation rate of 96% shows this method is proving successful. To date, HEAR has enrolled over 180 scholars into its program and committed in excess of $3,400,000 to scholarship funding.