Matriculate’s unique model is proven to boost enrollment and success at high-graduation-rate colleges; partnership will accelerate national effort to lower barriers to higher education for students from low-income backgrounds
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 — Matriculate, whose near-peer college advising model empowers high-achieving students from low-income communities to attend colleges where they will thrive, today announced Stanford University as its newest Signature Partner. Building on an existing partnership between Stanford and Matriculate, the university will help Matriculate recruit, select, and train undergraduate advising fellows, who will provide free, virtual advising to low-income, high-achieving high school students undergoing the college and financial aid application process.
“To build a more equitable higher education system, universities should consider collective impact strategies that deepen their partnerships with mission-aligned nonprofit organizations,” said Matthew Rascoff, Vice Provost for Digital Education at Stanford. “Matriculate’s research-backed model empowers our own Stanford undergrads to offer near-peer advising to the next generation of talented students – helping them achieve their full potential.”
Matriculate was founded in 2014 in the wake of groundbreaking research on undermatching, the phenomenon in which academically capable students from low-income backgrounds hesitate to apply to or enroll in selective institutions because they incorrectly assume they aren’t qualified or are underprepared for the academic rigor. The nonprofit’s virtual near-peer advising model is proven to tackle the undermatching challenge: a study conducted by the University of Virginia determined that students who received college advising through Matriculate are more likely to both enroll and persist at one of the nation’s top colleges compared to similar students who received no support.
A joint venture between the Office of the Vice Provost for Digital Education and the Haas Center for Public Service, this partnership represents the next step in a relationship established in 2018 between Stanford and Matriculate. The lead Stanford undergraduate mentors, also known as Head Advising Fellows, will now also be designated as Education Partnership Fellows at the Haas Center, and Stanford will expand its logistical and operational support for advisors on campus.
“We are excited to join forces with Matriculate to create pathways of opportunity for students who have the potential to excel in higher education,” said Yi-Ching Ong, executive director of the Haas Center for Public Service. “Our shared commitment to equity and access aligns perfectly with Matriculate’s mission, and we look forward to making a lasting impact on the lives of these students.”
“This partnership marks a significant step forward in our mission to ensure every student, regardless of socioeconomic background, has the opportunity to attend a college where they will find success and belonging,” said Craig Robinson, President and CEO of Matriculate. “Together with Stanford, we are forging a path toward a brighter future where all students have an equal shot at realizing their academic and personal aspirations.”
Since its founding, Matriculate has provided college advising to more than 14,000 high school students nationwide, and has trained more than 3,000 undergraduate students to serve as near-peer advisors. This partnership with Stanford is expected to help Matriculate reach its goal of serving 10,000 students per year by 2030.
Matriculate welcomes colleges and universities to join its national effort to support students on their journey to and through higher education. To learn more about how to bring Matriculate to your campus, please visit: www.matriculate.org/partnerships/
About Matriculate
Matriculate is a national nonprofit working to ensure the nation’s talented, diverse, and low-income students attend colleges where they will thrive. Using technology, Matriculate connects high-achieving, low-income high school students with highly trained virtual undergraduate advisors from top colleges. This year, nearly 2,000 diverse and committed undergraduates are training for over 40 hours to support 6,500+ high school students from across the country. By building a community of young people empowering one another, Matriculate generates economic opportunity and social mobility for our future leaders in towns and cities from coast to coast.
About the Haas Center for Public Service
Since 1985, the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University has been connecting Stanford students with opportunities to serve communities locally, nationally, and around the world. It administers Cardinal Service, a university-wide effort to make service an essential feature of a Stanford education. The Haas Center connects academic study with community and public service to strengthen communities and develop effective public leaders. The Center aspires to develop aware, engaged, and thoughtful citizens who contribute to the realization of a more just and sustainable world.
About Stanford Digital Education
Stanford Digital Education leads the development of Stanford’s online and hybrid education strategies and strengthens Stanford’s capacity to carry them out. Also known as the Office of the Vice Provost for Digital Education, it incubates and supports mission-driven digital education initiatives, while also serving as the entry point for groups outside the university wishing to partner on such efforts. By marshaling Stanford’s human and technological capabilities in new ways, Stanford Digital Education seeks to build a more just, equitable and accessible system of higher education.