NSPA 2024 Insights: Revolutionizing Scholarship Programs for Student Success

As I reflect on the National Scholarship Providers Association conference in Salt Lake City last week, I'm filled with a sense of hope and renewed purpose. The gathering was a powerful reminder of the challenges facing today's students, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, but also a testament to the resilience and adaptability of scholarship providers in addressing these issues.

Key Takeaways and Reflections

1. Understanding and Addressing Student Barriers

Students, especially those who have faced oppression and disenfranchisement, continue to encounter numerous obstacles in accessing and financing higher education. However, scholarship providers are stepping up to the plate, constantly innovating to make higher education a reality for these students.

• Reflection point: How can you, as a scholarship provider, better identify and address the specific barriers faced by your target student populations?

• Action step: Conduct a survey of your current and past scholarship recipients to gather firsthand insights into the barriers they face. This can be as simple as asking a question like, “What’s the biggest challenge you face in enrolling/staying enrolled in higher education?” Use this data to inform your program design.

2. Redefining "High-Priority Student Populations"

One of the most inspiring developments are the community-wide efforts to reach consensus on who constitutes "high-priority student populations." This shift is accompanied by a commitment to educating donors about these groups, creating targeted opportunities to serve them effectively.

• Reflection point: How can you ensure your organization's definition of high-priority students remains dynamic and responsive to evolving student needs and experiences?

• Action step: Form a diverse advisory committee, including current and former scholarship recipients, to annually review and update your organization's definition of high-priority student populations.

3. Tailoring Support for Today's Diverse Student Body

The conference highlighted for me the importance of creating scholarships that cater to the unique needs of today's students, including student-parents, first-generation students, former foster youth and kinship care youth, and veterans' caregivers.

• Reflection point: How can you design your scholarship opportunities to be more flexible and accommodating to the diverse life circumstances of these student groups?

• Action step: Develop at least one new scholarship category or modify an existing one based on direct input from students in underserved populations in your community.

4. Streamlining the Scholarship Search Process

Efforts in Missouri and Florida to create one-stop scholarship search tools are paving the way for more efficient and accessible scholarship discovery.

• Reflection point: How can your organization contribute to making the scholarship search process more student-friendly and less overwhelming for applicants? What can you do as a sole organization, and what can you do in partnership with others?

• Action step: Reach out to local entities or organizations focused on higher education access to explore the possibility of creating or joining a centralized, user-friendly scholarship database for your state or region.

5. Mitigating Award Displacement

Creative solutions to address award displacement were discussed, including loan repayment programs and utilizing 529 plans for scholarship disbursement.

• Reflection point: How can you structure your awards to maximize their impact and minimize displacement, acknowledging the entirety of a student's need and financial aid package?

• Action step: Redesign your awarding mechanisms to reduce the risk of award displacement while meeting students' most pressing needs.

6. Expanding Support Beyond Financial Aid

Scholarship providers are increasingly offering wraparound services such as career pipeline programs and emergency funds.

• Reflection point: What non-financial support could make the biggest difference to your scholarship recipients' success, based on their expressed needs and challenges?

• Action step: Implement a pilot program offering a specific wraparound service, such as mentorship or emergency financial assistance, based on direct feedback from your scholarship recipients.

7. Turning Challenges into Opportunities

The FAFSA delays have become an opportunity for education on the realities of financial need. Additionally, providers are simplifying financial need assessments through trust-based, self-reported forms, instead of requiring FAFSA or tax information reporting.

• Reflection point: How can you use current challenges as catalysts for positive change in your processes, always keeping the student experience at the center?

• Action step: Develop an educational campaign for your donors and stakeholders that explains the complexities of student financial need, using recent challenges and real student stories as concrete examples.

8. Embracing AI in Scholarship Management

The pre-conference on AI revealed how initial fears transformed into excitement about AI's potential to level the playing field and enhance scholarship management.

• Reflection point: How can AI tools be ethically integrated into your processes to benefit you and your students?

• Action step: Identify one area of your scholarship process where AI could be piloted to improve efficiency or equity, and gather student input on its implementation.

Moving Forward

As you return to your organization, carry forward the energy and insights from the NSPA conference. Your student-centered efforts can make a significant difference in the lives of those who need your support the most.

• Final reflection point: How can you maintain the momentum and collaborative spirit of the conference throughout the year in your scholarship program?

• Final action step: Schedule a team meeting to discuss these takeaways and brainstorm how to implement relevant changes in your scholarship programs, including the potential use of AI. Invite student representatives to participate in this discussion.

By continually adapting and innovating, you can break down barriers and create pathways to higher education for all, regardless of their background or circumstances. Remember, you're not just providing scholarships; you're offering hope and shaping futures by truly seeing and supporting each student.