Statements

Mission

Equal Chance for Education grants college scholarships to first generation high school students in Tennessee. Distributing 2.1 million dollars in scholarships each year, ECE TN connects its scholars with mentoring and career development resources through graduation. With the door of higher education opened, ECE scholars report an average 3.27 GPA and maintain a 96% retention rate.

But ECE TN cannot yet fund every eligible student in Tennessee, and more than 8,000 first generation students continue to face impossible financial barriers to higher education due to their immigration status. Each year, students successfully graduate from Tennessee high schools, only to learn that they do not have access to in-state tuition, state college grants, or federal college funding. They cannot even apply for traditional student loans, and for most, college is simply out of reach.

All Tennessee students deserve an equal chance for education.

With the generosity of community champions, ECE TN strives to give eligible students an equal chance to walk through the door of higher education to pursue their college dreams.

Impact

The ECE scholars across Tennessee continue to excel. ECE's retention rate is 96%. The group's GPA last semester was 3.43. The ECE alumni association consists of 241 graduates and we are seeing the impact on entire community through our alums' contributions as young leaders in their fields. Graduates have started careers in education, social work, nursing, engineering, business, accounting, and are pursuing graduate degrees in law (Yale), business (Lipscomb), hospital administration (Trevecca), medicine (Meharry), and engineering (Vanderbilt).

As ECE continues to expand its scholarship cohorts, it is significantly expanding its programming. The Program Coordinator is also an ECE alumna herself, and locate resources and events to address the needs of our scholars including; Professional development seminars and bootcamps, Mental Health Counseling, immigration advice from pro-bono attorneys, healthcare and Covid information from public health representatives, a formal mentor program, and various interventional methods and support groups for students as needed.

Needs

There are an estimated 8,000 DACA eligible students who have grown up in Tennessee and find themselves without access to in-state tuition, student loans, or financial aid. Equal Chance for Education plays a crucial role in the lives of DACA students in Tennessee. Our organization's impact and goals are centered around providing opportunities for these high-achieving students by empowering them with education. Each year, the demand outweighs ECE's capacity for new enrollment. You can support Equal Chance for Education and our mission to provide equitable access to higher education for DACA students by contributing to our fundraising efforts. Your generous donations will directly support our programs, resources, and mentoring services, helping these students achieve their dreams of attending college and building successful careers.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Education  - Scholarships & Student Financial Aid
Secondary Category:	Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy  - Minority Rights
Tertiary Category:	Community Improvement, Capacity Building  - Economic Development

Areas Served

ECE serves any student in the state of Tennessee who can commute to one of our partner universities. ECE has partnerships in Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Sewanee/Chattanooga, and East Tennessee/Knoxville.

TN - Davidson