A Matriculate "Advising Fellow" mentors a student while sitting outside on the grass.

Matriculate “Advising Fellows” provide resources and support to juniors and seniors seeking to attend college. (Photo provided by Matriculate)

Two national organizations focused on college access—Matriculate and the Guided Pathway Support (GPS) Program—have partnered with Morehead-Cain to nominate rising seniors for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship beginning this year.

Matriculate trains U.S. college students to provide comprehensive, virtual “near-peer” advising to juniors and seniors seeking to attend college. The program matches these Matriculate “Advising Fellows” with up to four high-achieving, low-income high school students to help them navigate the application and enrollment process, according to Madeline Kerner, CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit.

“Too many students lower their sights and fail to apply to colleges commensurate with their talent and track record,” said Kerner, stating that their cohorts disproportionately live in rural municipalities. “That’s where Matriculate comes in—with the right approach and intervention, students are able to reimagine what’s possible for themselves while receiving the information and resources they need to succeed in pursuing high quality institutions.”

Matriculate has partnered with 14 colleges and universities throughout the country since its founding in 2015. And it has trained more than 2,500 Advising Fellows to-date in order to close the “high-achieving, low-income college perception gap,” Kerner said.

Students with an annual household family income under $80,000, a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and who have scored in the 90th percentile on the PSAT, SAT, or ACT, are eligible to be paired with a mentor through Matriculate.

More about the Guided Pathway Support Program

The Guided Pathway Support (GPS) Program is a free college access and advising program for African American high school juniors and seniors.

Once invited to the GPS online community (called the “GPS Workplace from Facebook platform”), participating students and parents can receive support with college and scholarship essay reviews and preparing for interviews, attend weekly advising webinars, meet with the admissions teams of 16 partnering institutions and GPS college advisors, and search for and apply to scholarships.

Students can also qualify for SAT fee waivers, and they have access to application assistance for completing FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS (College Scholarship Service) Profile forms, according to Kiya Jones, program director for the GPS Program.

She said the program offers students “empowerment, community, and culturally-competent college advising” through every stage of their application journeys.

“We pride ourselves in providing students the most comprehensive, reliable resources available and connections to immense opportunities through the Ron Brown Scholar Network — and doing so in a way that’s accessible and engaging,” Jones said.

The Charlottesville, Virginia–based program is an initiative of the Ron Brown Scholarship Program (RBSP), a four-year, $40,000 scholarship awarded to low-income, African American high school seniors who “demonstrate a keen interest in public service, community engagement, business entrepreneurship, and global citizenship,” according to RBSP’s website. Ron Brown Scholars also receive mentoring and guidance, leadership experiences, and services opportunities.

Of the 99 percent of GPS students who enroll in college following their participation in the program, close to a quarter become first-generation college students, the program director said. Since launching in 2016, the GPS Program has served more than 4,000 students, representing around 1,600 high schools and 47 U.S. states and territories.

Morehead-Cain’s executive director, Chuck Lovelace ’77, said collaborating with the newest nominating affiliates will continue the Foundation’s strategy of seeking partners to broaden the pool of qualified candidates for the Morehead-Cain Program.

“Our selection process depends on partners such as Matriculate and the GPS Program to identify and recruit student leaders of all backgrounds to UNC-Chapel Hill,” Lovelace said. “Identifying and developing potential for excellence in young people is at the core of our mission, and we look forward to working with both organizations to increase access to the Morehead-Cain selection process and the educational opportunities our Program provides.”

In April 2021, the Morehead-Cain Foundation welcomed to Carolina 76 new Morehead-Cain Scholars. Learn more about the Class of 2025 or how to become a nominating affiliate.

Morehead-Cain Affiliate Programs

  • Matriculate
  • Guided Pathway Support (GPS) Program
  • Bezos Scholars Program
  • Boys and Girls Clubs of America
  • College Advising Corps
  • District of Columbia Public Schools (DC Public Schools)
  • Global Citizens Initiative
  • High Mountain Institute
  • HOBY World Leadership Congress
  • Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
  • Joyce Ivy Foundation
  • Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA)
  • The Mountain School
  • Rainier Scholars
  • Roaring Fork PreCollegiate
  • School Year Abroad (SYA)
  • Schuler Scholar Program
  • SHAD Canada
  • Student U
  • Sutton Trust

The Morehead-Cain Scholarship is a four-year, undergraduate merit scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a lifelong challenge to make a positive difference in the world. In addition to tuition, books, and room and board, the Morehead-Cain funds four summers of travel and experiential learning. It also offers scholars Discovery Fund grants for additional educational experiences. Morehead-Cain Scholars enjoy close relationships with some of the world’s best professors; a network of more than 3,200 Morehead-Cain Alumni; a diverse and thriving college campus in one of America’s most picturesque settings; and opportunities to become leaders in a wide variety of academic, social, and service organizations. Learn more about Morehead-Cain.