How much funding does Power of Hope Award provide?

The listing does not state a funding amount. Check the funder's announcement for specifics.

When is the deadline for Power of Hope Award?

The funder has not published a deadline for this grant.

Who is eligible for Power of Hope Award?

Eligible applicants: Applicant Type: School districts only (not college access organizations or individual schools); Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL): Minimum of 50% FRL student population OR defined as rural by US Census; Charter Management Organizations (CMOs): Eligible if they employ licensed school counselors; Engaged school counselors in implementing postsecondary enrollment and career strategies; Made significant progress in at least two of the 20 research-based college and career metrics recognized by NPSI. Geography: Used research-based data to lead and implement FAFSA completion initiatives.

How often is Power of Hope Award offered?

Power of Hope Award runs on an annual cycle.

Power of Hope Award

National Postsecondary Strategy

Foundation Annual Grants for K-12 Schools College Prep Grants

Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Deadline history & next window

Cycle: Annual
Tracked since: April 2026

Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Eligible organizations

Applicant Type: School districts only (not college access organizations or individual schools)
Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL): Minimum of 50% FRL student population OR defined as rural by US Census
Charter Management Organizations (CMOs): Eligible if they employ licensed school counselors
Engaged school counselors in implementing postsecondary enrollment and career strategies
Made significant progress in at least two of the 20 research-based college and career metrics recognized by NPSI

Geography

Used research-based data to lead and implement FAFSA completion initiatives

Other requirements

Licensed School Counselors: District must employ licensed school counselors
Applicants must demonstrate:
National (past winners from Illinois, Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, California, and New York)

Overview

Funder: National Postsecondary Strategy Institute (NPSI) in partnership with REACH HIGHER (Michelle Obama's Reach Higher initiative)

Purpose: Recognize school districts implementing FAFSA completion and college and career readiness programs led by school counselors.

Eligibility

Applicant Type: School districts only (not college access organizations or individual schools)
Licensed School Counselors: District must employ licensed school counselors
Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL): Minimum of 50% FRL student population OR defined as rural by US Census
Charter Management Organizations (CMOs): Eligible if they employ licensed school counselors

Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate:

Engaged school counselors in implementing postsecondary enrollment and career strategies
Used research-based data to lead and implement FAFSA completion initiatives
Made significant progress in at least two of the 20 research-based college and career metrics recognized by NPSI

Award Benefits

National recognition
Appointment to National NPSI Advisory Committee to support NPSI Counselor Engagement strategies and the Reach Higher initiative
Opportunities to share postsecondary advising framework and best practices through:
- Webinars
- Blogs
- Newsletter blasts
- Social media
- Other channels

Geographic Scope

National (past winners from Illinois, Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, California, and New York)

Past Winners

2022 Winners (3 districts):

Chicago Public Schools - Chicago, IL
Garland Independent School District - Garland, TX
Socorro Independent School District - El Paso, TX

2021 Winners (6 districts):

Grand Prairie Independent School District - Grand Prairie, TX
Alvord Unified School District - Riverside, CA
Moreno Valley Unified School District - Moreno Valley, CA
New York City Department of Education - New York, NY

2021 Spotlight Award Districts (2 districts):

Columbus Community School District - Columbus Junction, IA
Stillwell Public Schools - Stilwell, OK

How to Apply

Application Process

Submission Level: District-level application (not individual school)

Required Collaboration: The application process requires internal district collaboration between school counselors and may include collaboration with:

Higher education institutions
Non-profits
Faith-based entities
Businesses in the community

Application Components

Section 1: District information and counselor engagement strategies

Section 2B: College and career readiness metrics

Submit exactly two additional metric indicators (no more)
Select from 20 research-based college and career metrics recognized by NPSI

Section 3 – Counselor Narrative:

Submit up to 5 school counselor strategies (no more than 5)
College access partners providing support can be reported in this section

Important Submission Guidelines

Web links and supporting documents: Cannot be attached to electronic application narrative documents
Additional documentation: May be required from districts reaching the semi-finalist round
Semi-finalist opportunity: Districts reaching semi-finalist round will have opportunity to provide additional information beyond initial caps (more than 2 metrics and more than 5 strategies)