Coach check-ins
Open Door Scholars coaches meet biweekly on campus or video and log goals families can read in the student portal.
Scholarship foundation · Metro Atlanta
Scholarships with counselors attached.
Open Door Scholars awards last-dollar scholarships to first-generation college students and trade-school apprentices who live in Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties. Each awardee meets a financial aid coach three times a year to renew FAFSA, compare aid packages and avoid private loans when federal work-study is available. We pay tuition directly to the bursar, send stipends for tools and uniforms in trades programs and maintain an emergency fund for housing deposits when dorms close. Donors can sponsor a named award with a minimum five-year commitment, and students write one plain-language update per semester.
Open Door Scholars impact
- Scholars supported
- 412
- Average stipend per year
- 3,600
- First-gen students retained
- 92%
- Coach hours per scholar
- 48
How Open Door Scholars works
Open Door Scholars keeps program descriptions specific so donors know what each dollar buys and volunteers know which training to attend before their first shift.
Emergency grants
Students request one-time grants for housing deposits or car repairs with decisions within two business days.
Trade and university tracks
Scholars choose apprenticeship or four-year pathways with mentors who have worked in that field within five years.
Open Door Scholars milestones
Open Door Scholars publishes dates and outcomes so partners can see when major grants landed and when programs expanded.
- 2009
Founders circle
Atlanta business owners funded the first eleven stipends for first-generation seniors.
- 2015
Coach model
Hired full-time coaches after retention data showed texting reminders cut summer melt.
- 2020
Emergency fund
Board capitalized a rapid grant line when dorms closed during spring semester.
- 2024
Trade partnerships
Added electrician and HVAC apprenticeships with paid tool stipends.
Open Door Scholars field photos
Coach meetings, trade-tool stipend pickups and campus visits with Open Door Scholars in metro Atlanta.
Scholarship tiers
Awards stack with federal aid; coaches help you accept packages without over-borrowing.
Open Door Scholars publishes award ranges each January after the board reviews FAFSA trends.
Bridge award
Last-dollar tuition gap for four-year programs.
$125per month
- Book stipend
- Campus coach check-ins
- Emergency transit fund
Trade award
Tool stipends and apprenticeship fees.
$185per month
- Safety gear allowance
- Employer match calls
- Completion bonus
Emergency fund
One-time housing and food security grants.
$65per month
- Housing deposit
- Transit pass
- Pantry referral
Open Door Scholars voices
“Open Door paid the bursar directly and texted when my tool stipend for welding class cleared—no guessing.”
“Coaches compared aid packages side by side and showed me how work-study beat a private loan for spring housing.”
“We sponsor a named award and receive one plain-language student update per semester—no gala speech required.”
Open Door Scholars questions
Which counties does Open Door Scholars serve?
First-generation students and trade apprentices in Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties may apply during open windows each spring.
Are gifts to Open Door Scholars tax deductible?
Open Door Scholars is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law; receipts list our EIN 58-2147039 and the IRS determination letter is available on request.
How often do scholars meet coaches?
Financial aid coaches meet awardees three times per year to renew FAFSA, compare packages and avoid unnecessary loans.
Can donors sponsor a named award?
Named awards require a five-year commitment. Students send one plain-language update per semester.
Visit Open Door Scholars
191 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
- Office Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00
- Coach evenings by appointment
+1 (404) 555-0170
Give to Open Door Scholars
Monthly gifts help Open Door Scholars plan staffing beyond grant cycles. One-time gifts refill emergency stipends when a semester starts early.