More Than Bootstraps (MTB), a New Jersey non-profit organization, has been awarded a grant from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation (JSF) that will provide $157,500 over three years to support its college access and success work in the state.
MTB was selected because its mission aligns with JSF’s mission to help people prepare for and obtain a college degree. The foundation, based in West Palm Beach, Fla., provides grants for scholarships and other support to nonprofit organizations that serve students with disabilities, students Indigenous to Canada and the United States, and students from low-income families.
MTB, now in its sixth year of programming, employs a near-peer mentoring approach to address the challenges first-generation, low-income students face in accessing and succeeding in higher education. Working with underrepresented students in Passaic, the organization matches high school students with near-peer mentors – graduates of the Passaic Public Schools currently enrolled in institutions from Princeton University to Passaic County Community College.
Led by their college student mentors, MTB High School Fellows follow a curriculum that focuses on education about higher education and financial aid, communication with families, holistic student development, and the promotion of student well-being and agency.
“The Johnson Scholarship Foundation is grateful to support students through our partnership with More than Bootstraps,” said Bobby Krause, CEO. “MTB’s near-peer model and wraparound student services are equipping today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders.”
Grants and donations to More Than Bootstraps fund the monthly stipends that allow the high school and college students in the program some time and space to devote to their professional development and college-going activities while still meeting their financial responsibilities.
More Than Bootstraps is a nonprofit created by educators seeking to level the playing field and remove some of the barriers that first-generation college students encounter in accessing and succeeding in higher education.
The Johnson Scholarship Foundation is an independent nonprofit foundation based in West Palm Beach, Fla. The foundation serves three communities: students with disabilities, students Indigenous to Canada and the United States, and economically disadvantaged students.
