The Greater Futures Scholarship Fund
For a higher degree of success
The student debt crisis is holding young people back from achieving their dreams. Beyond the financial burden, low-income students face glaring disparities that create barriers to college access, persistence, and completion.
That’s why we launched the Greater Futures Scholarship Fund in 2025: a first-of-its-kind program, developed in partnership with Hartford Promise, that awards up to $100,000 for all Hartford Promise Scholars. Any four-year Hartford Public Schools student with a 3.0 GPA and 93% attendance is eligible.
This transformative program offers students a path to debt-free college and expansive support services throughout high school, in college, and beyond to help them succeed, opening a world of possibilities after they graduate.
The Rising Cost of College
Over the past 50 years, college tuition has tripled, placing higher education further out of reach for many young, talented scholars in our community.
35% of college students have considered dropping out in the past six months, with 33% citing financial stress as the reason.
75% of people unenrolled in college cite financial constraints and the need to work as obstacles to continuing their education.
43% of White residents in Hartford hold a college degree, compared to only 14% of Black residents and 10% of Latine residents.
By 2031,72% of jobs will require education beyond high school.
Let’s create a future where students:
- Pursue higher education without the burden of lifelong debt
- Attend any school they qualify for, with the support to graduate
- Build meaningful careers and achieve economic security
Our First Year
This scholarship fund is a testament to our commitment to the region—expanding opportunity for all residents and driving lasting change.
In our first year, we awarded scholarships to more than 100 Hartford Public Schools students; these students make up our inaugural class of Greater Futures Scholars who began their first year of college in the 2025 fall semester. Within three years, when the program will include four classes of scholars, we expect to support 500 students on their college journey. Over time, we believe this program will be transformational for the Greater Hartford region, helping to build Hartford’s next generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers.
In addition to these scholarships, Greater Hartford Gives provides annual grantmaking to strengthen and grow Hartford Promise. We are also funding a five-year learning and evaluation effort in partnership with Hartford Promise and CT Data to understand the impact of this initiative. We plan to share what we learn along the way.
How does the fund work?
Financial Assistance
Up to $20,000/year from the Foundation + $5,000/year from Hartford Promise = $100,000 total over 4 years
This is “last dollar” funding, meaning it comes after grants and scholarships provided by the school. The Greater Futures Scholarship Fund helps to bridge the financial gap and ensure students can afford to stay in school until graduation.
Wraparound Services
10 years of powerful support services from Hartford Promise
Hartford Promise’s Reaching Forward, Reaching Back and Reaching Beyond program offers students a decade of wraparound services such as tutoring, financial aid counseling, academic coaching, mental health support, and career mentoring. These services help students excel before, during, and after college.
Investing in Our Students, Investing in Our Region
By championing our young scholars as they achieve their goals, we are not only helping individuals grow, but we are also building a stronger region. Through the Greater Futures Scholarship Fund:
- We can support students to thrive in class, graduate from college, and continue to develop as leaders in their communities.
- Families will have more incentives to live in the city and send their children to city schools.
- Students will have more opportunities, and we may see more young people choosing to stay in the region, buy homes, and invest in their communities.