UA Selected to Partner with Suder Foundation’s First Scholars Program

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama is one of two universities recently selected to partner with The Suder Foundation as part of their national pilot for first-generation college students, First Scholars program.

“Our First Scholars program goals align well with The University of Alabama’s current efforts in supporting first-generation students,” said Eric Suder, founder and president of The Suder Foundation. “We are excited by the planning team’s level of energy and enthusiasm about our data-driven approach as well as their commitment to sustaining this program.” 

The Suder Foundation has selected The University of Alabama and Southern Illinois University Carbondale as the next two campuses to benefit from the First Scholars program. Each university will receive a $60,000 planning grant to fund the development and preparation of the program.

“We are honored to be selected as a new partner in this very important initiative and are committed to upholding The Suder Foundation’s mission of dramatically increasing the graduation rate of first-generation college students,” said UA President Robert E. Witt. “Helping first-generation college students succeed is a top priority on our campus.”

 The planning grant UA receives this year will be used to fund a coordinator and other preparation activities for the First Scholars program. Once UA successfully completes the planning process, additional multi-year grants totaling more than $1 million will be awarded to fund scholarships for first-generation students and program infrastructure to aid in their transition to college and success at UA.

 UA and Southern Illinois University Carbondale join the University of Utah and the University of Kentucky, who were selected in 2009, as partners in this new national program. UA was among 34 universities across the nation that applied for the funding.

 About The Suder Foundation

The Suder Foundation engages with selected public universities to provide a holistic support program, the First Scholars program, for first-generation college students. The foundation awards universities startup funding for program operations and renewable scholarships for cohorts of students at each program site. The program model uses data to support scholar selection and aligns resources to support specific student needs to promote persistence and retention and, ultimately, graduation from college. Established in 2008, The Suder Foundation is a private foundation with headquarters in Plano, Texas.