Partnership will place free, high-quality college counseling resources to high school students in underserved communities
CONTACT: Shikha Bhatnagar, Vice President, External Relations, Matriculate, sbhatnagar@matriculate.org, 646-408-3561;
Jamie Abell, Assistant Director, Media Relations, Towson University, jaabell@towson.edu, 410-704-4672.
(Towson, MD – May 14, 2025) Today, Towson University’s Division of Enrollment Management announced its partnership with Matriculate, a national nonprofit organization that connects high-achieving, low-income juniors and seniors to highly-trained undergraduate advisors. TU students will serve as advisors to support high school students on their college admission journeys by providing insights, advice and guidance through several one-on-one virtual meetings.
“We are thrilled to partner with an organization so deeply committed to educational equity. Connecting high school students with knowledgeable undergraduate students opens powerful pathways to college access and success,” says Amy Moffatt, assistant vice president for Admissions in the Office of Enrollment Management at TU. “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to support and uplift talented students from all backgrounds, and we look forward to the impact this partnership will have on future scholars.”
The partnership reflects TU’s commitment to inclusive excellence, striving towards a collaborative community where all people within the community feel valued and supported. Currently, over 50% of high-achieving, low-income students don’t apply to a single college or university that is an academic match. Through virtual, near-peer mentoring, TU students will help close this gap by guiding these students through the college application and enrollment process. This program is free for all students involved.
“As an institution with a long history of helping students from all backgrounds unlock the potential of higher education, Towson University is an ideal partner for Matriculate. We are thrilled to join forces to ensure that students from across the socio-economic spectrum have access to an education that reflects their hard work and talent—fulfilling higher education’s promise as a powerful engine of opportunity,” says Matriculate co-founder and interim CEO Bryden Sweeney-Taylor.
Towson University is the third public university serving as an Advising Partner for Matriculate and the second Advising Partner in Maryland. Students at TU can begin applying to become advising fellows in Fall 2025. Once accepted in Spring 2026, the students will undergo several training courses online to prepare them for their roles. In Fall 2026, each TU advisor will get paired with three to four current high school students and the advising and continued training will begin.
Ben Kessel, a Matriculate Advising Fellow and Intern from Bethesda, MD attending Emory University, shared, “Matriculate’s partnership with Towson University will be such a great opportunity for students to give back to their community by helping to bridge the college access gap. Becoming an Advising Fellow is such a rewarding experience and will be an amazing way to create a community of social impact leaders on campus.”
For media inquiries, contact Jamie Abell.
About Matriculate
Established in 2014, Matriculate has served over 17,000 high school students nationwide through its innovative near-peer advising model. Matriculate’s work has been widely recognized for its impact on expanding access to selective colleges. Research shows that students participating in Matriculate’s advising programs are significantly more likely to attend high graduation rate colleges and universities. For more information about Matriculate, visit www.matriculate.org.
About Towson University
Towson University is Maryland’s university of opportunities. With more than 150 years of experience pushing possibilities, TU is a nationally recognized leader in inclusive excellence, social mobility, research and discovery. As the largest university in greater Baltimore, TU’s momentum is always accelerating, with more than 20,000 students and 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences and applied professional fields. Located amid one of the East Coast’s cultural and economic epicenters, TU is a beacon and powerful catalyst in the Mid-Atlantic, partnering with hundreds of businesses and organizations, impacting communities and fueling change. TU meets the holistic needs of each student to achieve success, a result of a deeply inclusive culture with a focus on equity among all students, faculty and staff.