Education and Career Pathways

All children in New Hampshire deserve to attend a high-quality public school and get an education that sets them up for success. And all young people deserve access to the higher education and training they need to embark on their chosen career.

But only some are so fortunate.

The vast majority of New Hampshire students (more than 78 percent) live in communities that struggle to fund public schools. And funding disparities correlate with disparities in outcomes for children. In New Hampshire, according to a report from the state’s Commission to Study School Funding, “The highest poverty school districts have the lowest student outcomes. The negative relationship between poverty and outcomes is very strong.” New threats to public schools have also emerged, mirroring those in other states.

New Hampshire universities charge the second-highest in-state tuition rate in the country. The Granite State consistently ranks close to last in funding for state colleges and universities, and our college students graduate with the highest student-aid debt in the nation. Nearly 60 percent of our college-bound high-school graduates leave for out-of-state colleges, where many stay and establish themselves in careers and communities. Current demographic trends underscore the urgency to course-correct: New Hampshire has both an aging workforce and acute workforce shortages.

Fair funding for public schools, support for students pursuing higher education and innovative pathways to careers are critical for the future of our economy, democracy and community.

What We’re Doing

The Foundation is approaching these complex challenges in four major ways:

• Advocating for school funding fairness and strong public schools. The Foundation is partnering with and supporting nonprofits that are working for school funding fairness and strong public schools, including Reaching Higher-NH, the New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project, Manchester Proud, City Year and more.
• Providing scholarships. The Charitable Foundation provides almost $8m to New Hampshire students annually, including awarding more than a half-million dollars annually to students attending community colleges. We are applying flexible scholarship funds to help students who have faced barriers to opportunity, including students of color and those with the greatest economic need.  The “Class Gift” to all New Hampshire high school graduates of 2021 – offered in partnership with the Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges – provided a free community college class to students whose high school and college preparation were affected by the global pandemic.
• Building pathways to meaningful careers. Foundation staff and support have been integral to creating more than a dozen projects around the state in collaboration with employers, students, high schools, community colleges and trade schools and chambers of commerce. These partnerships have resulted in direct and low-cost or no-cost pathways to careers in everything from advanced manufacturing to medical and pharmacy professions, building trades and outdoor recreation.
• Removing barriers. Barriers including language, economics and family circumstance can make it much harder for some young people to get the education that will help them thrive in careers and community – and that will help the next generation thrive. The Foundation supports programs and projects that remove such barriers, including the Duet program, support for residents of public housing who are attending college, English-language training for aspiring nursing assistants, funding for Driver’s Education training for New Americans and direct assistance for community college students who qualify for food assistance programs.

Funding opportunities

Our strategic grants are identified in partnership with key stakeholders. For more information, please contact Michael Turmelle, Foundation director of education and career initiatives, at Zvpunry.ghezryyr@aups.bet or 603-225-6641 ext. 147.

We are committed to making New Hampshire a community where everyone can thrive.
Working together, we can make a difference.

Give