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History

Started 39 years ago, uAspire now impacts 1.5 million students nationwide.

History

Our Evolution


uAspire was started in 1985 and has evolved from a financial aid advising program in Boston into a national practice, policy, and consulting organization seeking lasting systems change. 

2010

Integrated text advising to support high school students on their phones

2011

Expanded advising beyond Boston to Cambridge, Fall River, Lawrence, Malden and Somerville (2011 – 2016)

2012

Changed name from ACCESS to uAspire

2013

Launched Training & Technical Assistance for school counselors and program staff

Completed six external evaluations to assess our impact and improve programming (2013- 2018)

2014

Expanded to California where we advise students in Hayward, Oakland and San Francisco

Launched Succeed Advising Program to support college students

2017

Introduced our policy impact model to advocate for equitable financial aid and higher education systems

2018

Expanded advising support to college students in New York City

Released Decoding the Cost of College report on financial aid offers’ lack of transparency and consistency

2019

Introduced our consulting team to address partners’ needs with customized solutions

2020

Launched Policy Fellowship to build college students’ advocacy skills and influence policymakers

Released Beyond the College Bill report examining indirect expense communication and student impact

2023

Released Universal FAFSA brief to advance student-centered policy implementation