Fewer low-income students are going to college. A Bay Area nonprofit aims to change that

"Students who are coming from low-income, first-generation backgrounds, they need a special kind of support when it comes to approaching careers because they don't have folks in their corner who have maybe gone through similar kinds of things."

"We're also working with the students who don't think college is for them and part of our work is to say college is for you if you feel like you belong there, and let me tell you why, and let me show you all the options that you do have regardless of the background you came from, regardless of your current grades."

"They made everything easier for me. They helped me with FAFSA, they helped me with college applications, and also to apply for scholarships."

10,000 Degrees, a San Rafael nonprofit founded over 45 years ago, supports low-income and first-generation college students through mentoring and scholarships. The organization has assisted more than 80,000 students and distributed over $113 million in scholarships. Students receive comprehensive support including FAFSA assistance, college application help, and scholarship guidance. Ninety-two percent of 10,000 Degrees students are first-generation college attendees. Research shows college graduates earn approximately $1 million more over their lifetime than high school diploma holders. The organization works to convince students that college is accessible regardless of background or current academic performance.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco