It’s not easy to get into college or to pay for it, especially for low-income students. According to statistics, almost 50% of low-income students cannot study at for-profit institutions. However, there are plenty of non-profit organizations that help low-income students access and get the quality education they deserve.

By granting scholarships, finding mentors, explaining application processes and rewarding good grades, non-profits promote equal opportunity for education and make sure students with low-income backgrounds are treated fairly.

In this article, we will highlight several amazing organizations that help talented, passionate students shine.

1. Equal Opportunity Schools

The main goal of this organization is to help talented students from low-income families get into college by finding a mentor who can share with them education opportunities. This organization partners with many schools, and encourages low-income students to take higher-level courses. When teachers convince students to try AP classes, the students discover what they are capable of and can set higher goals for themselves.

Equal Opportunity Schools allows low-income students to realize that education is for everyone if you just work hard enough to succeed. This organization has won many awards, including a $1.8 million grant from Google.

2. The Education Trust

The Education Trust also strives to deliver equal education opportunities for everyone. They mostly work with people of color and low-income students. This organization partners with institutions, teachers and students worldwide to create better school systems and help students in need. The Education Trust also collects information about education gaps, analyzes them, and tries to close the gaps.

This organization aims at reshaping policy by searching for solutions to huge educational problems.

3. National College Access Network

NCAN is a non-profit organization that helps schools, colleges, businesses and states deliver equal education for everyone. They specifically aim to help underrepresented and low-income students. They have developed four strategies that help them reach the goal:

• Strategy of capacity (to search for teachers and well-informed students who can help other students)
• Standardized data strategy (to search for people who can analyze the progress of the organization and develop new tactics)
• Collective impact strategy (create groups who can support post secondary completion rates)
• Policy strategy (to make sure students with low-income backgrounds are properly represented)

NCAN tries to solve the problems with high college costs, complicated application processes and lack of resources for low-income students. These are the obstacles that prevent talented students from getting quality educations. Thus, NCAN does everything to make positive changes in education system worldwide.

4. OneGoal

OneGoal is a non-profit organization that strives to make college graduation equally possible for every student. It was founded by a teacher, and is led by teachers who believe that low-income and underrepresented students need help with graduation and higher education. OneGoal also hires professional teachers who help talented students reach their potential.

OneGoal works with students to make complicated application processes easier, increase college options, provide financial aid for students in need and develop social foundations for the future.

5. Teachers Without Borders

This is an international non-profit that aims to create a community with equal educational opportunities for everyone. Today, it has almost 10,000 online members and hundreds of offline ones in many countries worldwide. Teachers Without Borders strives to transfer quality education beyond the school to all students in different countries. It develops multiple programs, such as workshops, educational initiatives and conferences for students.

6. 826 Valencia

826 Valencia is also founded by passionate teachers who encourage creative skills among low-income students. This non-profit organization has dozens of free programs, writing centers, tutoring, and more. All a student needs to do is to sign up for a class and come to study. All materials are provided free of charge.