Mission

The mission of WithinReach is to provide financial and academic support to deserving and economically disadvantaged students who have passed the High School Equivalency exam and are preparing to enter college.  Through the provision of scholarships to cover the full cost of college tuition, WithinReach aims to alleviate much of the financial strain associated with higher education that deters many eligible and deserving students from ever submitting an admissions application. WithinReach will also establish a community of student learners, led by our scholarship recipients, for the purposes of peer mentoring and networking.

Adult learners are brave, dedicated, committed, and underserved.  They have worked hard to earn their diplomas, but in today’s society, a high school equivalency diploma is not enough. Our students deserve a fighting chance.  We hope to help put college, and a better future for them and their families, WithinReach.

 Our Future Goals

1. Candidates with 2 or more developmental course needs must enroll in CUNY Start.  WithinReach will pay the fee for CUNY Start (currently $75); the time in CUNY Start will not factor into the timeframe of the scholarship.
2. We hope that, in the future, we can accommodate scholarship recipients who are attending school part-time over a longer time frame.
3. We would like to eventually offer scholarship awards to recipients who choose to attend non-CUNY institutions, receiving up to $5500 a year for tuition.
4. We hope to award scholarships to four-year colleges in the future, Awardees must complete their AA within 3 years, or transfer in good standing to a senior college within that time-period. Awardees will have up to 6 years total to complete a BA/BS and 3 years total to complete an AA. If awardees transfer to a senior college before completing an AA, their “clock” continues and they have the remainder of their six-year timeframe to complete their degree.