The Generation Hope Scholar Program offers $1,200 per year in scholarship money if you are attending a 2-year college or $2,400 per year in scholarship money if you are attending a 4-year college and each Scholar is matched with a caring adult mentor who works with you one-on-one until you graduate, providing you with emotional support, guidance, and friendship. The program also offers the support of Generation Hope staff, who can help you access resources, manage crises, etc., training in life skills, career readiness, etc. as well as free tutoring as necessary, access to an Emergency Fund for financial crises and access to fun, family-friendly events such as field trips.
To qualify, you must be a teen parent (defined as pregnant/expecting by age 19) and 25 or younger at the time of application. You must be raising or actively involved in your child's life (defined by regular support and care of your child) and you must be attending -or planning to attend- college starting the Fall semester in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area and seeking an undergraduate two or four-year degree. Applicants must be a US Citizen, legal US Resident, or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status or any other immigration status that allows them in-state tuition and work eligibility.
Generation Hope began in March 2010 when Nicole Lynn Lewis, a former teen mother who attended the College of William & Mary while raising her infant daughter, decided to put her dream of helping more teen parents beat the odds in motion. She envisioned an organization that would encourage and support other teen parents in their pursuit of a college degree. Nicole's life -- and her daughter's life -- was truly transformed by graduating from college, and she wanted to help others realize their full potential and obtain stable and successful futures.