What is the One Family Scholars Program?

One Family Scholars is a one-of-a-kind college scholarship program that breaks the cycle of poverty and homelessness for single mothers and their children. The One Family Scholars program values higher education as the surest pathway to family self sufficiency. With financial assistance and wrap-around programming, low-income and formerly homeless mothers – One Family Scholars – pursue college degrees and prepare for successful careers in a variety of professions.

One Family Scholars is a program of One Family, Inc., a not-for-profit organization founded by Paul and Phyllis Fireman and family with a mission to end family homelessness in Massachusetts.

• Building Blocks for Success
  
  Unlike traditional scholarship programs that focus solely on tuition, the One Family Scholars program focuses on four core building blocks for success: college, career, financial, and leadership. Our wrap-around programming includes:
  
  

  ♦ Financial assistance for tuition and living expenses ♦ Asset development and financial education ♦ One-on-one financial coaching ♦ Career mentoring and professional association memberships

  ♦ Career development sessions hosted by employers ♦ Direct civic engagement opportunities



• Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Homelessness for Families
  
  The One Family Scholars program positions Scholars for academic, professional, and personal success:
  • Scholar graduates have more than tripled their families' income from pre-program earnings.
  • In 2008, 71% of our program graduates were working full-time, earning an average salary of $43,792
  • Scholars have an average G.P.A. of 3.04
  • No One Family Scholars program graduate has ever re-entered the family shelter system, and 14 graduates have purchased their own homes
  • 38 Scholars obtained their college degrees in May 2009, the most ever in a single program year

One Family provides college scholarships to 75 low-income and formerly homeless single parents for the 2009-2010 program year. The One Family Scholars program is headquartered in Boston, and One Family works in partnership with colleges, corporations, foundations and community organizations across Massachusetts.