Dream Builder Fund
The Dream Builder Fund provides $500 micro-grants to low-income & first-generation college students who possess a clearly defined and ambitious vision for a career-building project but lack the financial resources to bring that vision to fruition. Whether the goal is to obtain a professional certification, develop a compelling portfolio, attend an industry conference, fund an early-stage prototype, or gain access to essential tools and software often taken for granted by more resourced peers. This fund is designed to eliminate the structural barriers that stand between students’ realities and their long-term aspirations.
This initiative departs from the conventions of traditional scholarship models: there are no tuition-use restrictions and no preferential bias toward specific majors or career pathways. Instead, the selection process centers on students who can articulate a concrete idea, demonstrate authentic financial need, and exhibit the initiative and follow-through required to execute their proposed project. Beyond financial support, grant recipients are integrated into a broader ecosystem of guidance and opportunity. Each awardee participates in a coaching check-in with a member of our team, is paired with a professional mentor in their intended field for a 3-month engagement, and gains access to a network of peers, alumni, and supporters who are collectively invested in their personal and professional advancement.
Round 1 Priority Deadline: April 17, 2026
Final Deadline: May 1, 2026
Who can apply?
Current college students who will be juniors or seniors as of Fall 2026 and who self-identify as low-income (documented proof required), with a focus on first-generation college students. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 and can be based anywhere in the United States. Scholarship is only open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and DACA holders. Any major, any university, and any career interest is welcome as long as the applicant exhibits need and provides a specific certificate, credential, or project plan that can be accomplished in approximately 3 months, within the $500 budget.
What will I receive?
Five grants of $500 each are available through the general Dream Builder Fund for Spring 2026. As the prize pool grows through community donations, additional grants will be awarded in summer and fall rounds, giving more students access to funding even if they are not selected in the spring cycle.
How do I apply?
The application is intentionally designed to be accessible and straightforward, taking approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Applicants are asked to share information about their academic background and career interests, along with responses to a small set of short, open-ended questions in their own words. Rather than requiring highly polished essays or professional writing experience, the application prioritizes clarity and authenticity, aiming to understand each applicant as they are rather than as a heavily edited or overly refined version of themselves. Please make sure to check your spelling and grammar, as applications that lack attention to detail are eliminated every year. All submissions must represent the applicant’s original work. Applications that appear overly generic, formulaic, generated by artificial intelligence, or that lack specific, personal detail will not be considered and will not advance to the review stage. We’ve had students from different states submit the same type of example in questions, so be thoughtful about your usage of technology.
Each application is reviewed by a selection committee that evaluates submissions through a structured and holistic lens. Reviewers look for a clearly articulated and well-defined project idea, alongside evidence that the proposed use of funds would meaningfully remove a real barrier to progress. They also consider how thoughtfully the project connects to the applicant’s broader career direction, prioritizing students who demonstrate intention in how this opportunity fits into their longer-term goals. Finally, in shaping each cohort, the committee is attentive to building a diverse group of recipients across fields, backgrounds, and lived experiences, reflecting a broad and inclusive vision of what economic mobility can look like in practice.