As the first person in their families to attend college, BALF Scholars lack the reservoir of experiential knowledge and the support for their education that many younger college students take for granted. Higher education research shows the importance of continuing to support at-risk students once they are accepted to college; our experience reinforces this.

The Boston Adult Literacy Fund now helps our Scholars make the difficult transition to higher education by pairing them with mentors who have grappled with the same issues. BALF provides training and honoraria so that many of our former Scholars can become mentors for current scholarship recipients who are entering college or vocational training. Mentors provide valuable advice, guidance, and a sympathetic ear.