About
uAspire is a Boston-based national nonprofit working to improve the economic mobility of underrepresented students by creating financial solutions to diverse postsecondary pathways. The organization helps students navigate financial aid and college affordability, trains counselors and college-access professionals, and advocates for policy change, noting that only 1 in 6 low-income students earns a college degree and that maximum Pell Grants cover about 30 percent of college costs.
Mission
uAspire's mission is to improve the economic mobility of underrepresented students by increasing access to financial aid and postsecondary pathways.
What they do
- Advising: financial aid navigation for students, delivered in person, virtually, and via text-based advising (introduced in 2010).
- Training: professional education for school counselors and program staff, offered nationwide since 2013.
- Policy: systemic advocacy on college affordability, an area of work launched in 2017, including published research reports on topics like financial aid offers.
- Consulting: customized solutions for partner organizations, launched in 2019.
History
uAspire was established in 1985 as the ACCESS program, created by the Boston Plan for Excellence to provide financial aid advising and scholarships. It became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2001 and adopted the name uAspire in 2012. Key milestones include establishing financial aid offer review services in 2003, expanding advising beyond Boston in 2009, opening a California site in 2014, and opening a New York location in 2018.
Scale and impact
According to the organization, uAspire has grown from a local Boston initiative into a national movement that impacts 1.5 million students nationwide, and uAspire students are three times more likely to graduate from college.
Financials
Per its Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer for the fiscal year ending June 2025, uAspire reported total revenue of $6.2 million (71.8 percent from contributions), total expenses of $10.3 million, and net assets of $12.5 million. The prior fiscal year (FY2024) showed positive net income of about $1.7 million. uAspire is a 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 46-1314848.