About College Choice Foundation

Founded in 2014 by three individuals with a shared interest in education and child welfare, College Choice Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, began as a local effort to help academically- talented, motivated students with limited resources and opportunities find their best and most-affordable college fit and ensure they have the resources to successfully navigate college and graduate in four years.

CCF provides intensive college-admissions support to serve between 30-50 Scholars each year by building the knowledge, skills, resources, and behaviors required to succeed at college, in careers, and throughout life. CCF provides individual mentoring, computers, ACT/SAT test-prep tutors, and test-prep books in addition to covering the costs of testing, score reporting, and application fees. We work closely with our Scholars and their families on their financial-aid applications and cover the associated costs. We facilitate campus visits, which affords our Scholars the opportunity to fully experience the atmosphere of a college campus. On average, our Scholars increase their ACT score by two -four points. They attend colleges and universities within the state of Alabama and across the country at schools like Yale, Boston College and Vanderbilt, all on robust financial aid awards.

Prior to departing for college, through a college-readiness camp, SOAR (So You Arrive Ready), CCF offers workshops to help our Scholars navigate the challenges they will face at college. Then, during their academic career, we counsel Scholars as needed, help with financial aid applications, and provide monetary assistance for expenses not covered by their financial-aid packages such as books, transportation, travel abroad, emergency situations, and other needs deemed necessary and appropriate. This ensures our Scholars leave their institute of higher learning prepared to make a positive impact in our world. A college degree remains the most reliable lever to break the cycle of generational poverty and maximize lifetime earnings.

Story

Hello, my name is Josephine Lowery, and I am the Executive Director and co-founder of College Choice Foundation. In 2014, Dr. Mark Bateman, retired Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Samford University, approached me about helping motivated students from disadvantaged families navigate the complex college-admissions process. I jumped at the chance to pay forward the kindness afford me by others in the college admissions process. Having grown up with an alcoholic mother with a childhood of food stamps, powdered milk, and free lunch, I remembered acutely the struggles that can derail achieving a higher education. But because a guidance counselor intervened and provided me support I would not otherwise have had, I received full scholarships to Emory, Birmingham-Southern, Sewanee, and Vanderbilt. I chose Sewanee because it was the best fit for me. This is our hope for our students – we want them to have a choice and to be able to choose the best college they can afford.

Initially, we approached a dear friend’s daughter, Michelle, who needed financial assistance to take an ACT review course, as well as guidance regarding colleges. With our help, Michelle raised her ACT score from a 28 to a 32 and had her choice of selective colleges where she could attend without borrowing any money. After our first year helping Michelle, and another outstanding student, both of whom were admitted to Washington University in St. Louis with excellent financial aid packages, we knew there was a need for our services. We currently have 82 students in our organization, and our first four students, graduates of Wash U, Boston College and Centre College, are attending or seeking to apply to graduate school.

Once in college, our students thrive. They are leaders in their class, they study abroad, they make the Dean’s List, and they become very involved in their college community. It is so exciting to see them flourish. Naturally, there are struggles. Often, they do not have enough money to fly home except once or twice a year, their meal card may run out, they may need a winter coat, they may be the only student of color in an all white classroom … but our Scholars have GRIT and they persevere. All of these young men and women are incredibly bright and resourceful and would have accomplished great things on their own, but because College Choice Foundation provided additional financial support and intense guidance throughout the college search, admissions and selection processes, we helped them reach their dreams.

Everyone involved with CCF whether as a board member, mentor, officer or staff member, is passionate about helping deserving students realize their college dreams. College Choice Foundation wants to expand the horizons for these students so that their worlds can be as big as they want them to be, and to open doors they never dreamed possible. Some of our Scholars never even thought of college as an option, yet because of College Choice Foundation they have the potential to attend almost any college, including the most prestigious ones.

However, we cannot help these kids without your assistance! Your monetary support is invaluable in helping our Scholars achieve their goals. A monetary contribution to this non-profit organization ensures that we can better assist the students we are currently supporting on a shoe-string budget, while increasing the number of students that we help each year. It is an honor and privilege to work with these kids and a humbling and inspiring experience. Your support will make a difference in changing the life trajectory of these young adults.

Thank you,

Josephine Lowery
Executive Director, College Choice Foundation