Our Mission
What Makes us Different?
Our Guiding Pillars
Investing in abundant Potential
Most scholarship programs seek to identify ‘top’ talent and reward them with support—as long as they stay on top.
This leaves out far too many capable students and overfunds a select few. The Last Mile Education Fund takes an abundance approach, investing in a broader group of students already committed to technology and engineering fields, providing support for challenges they face beyond their control, and incubating them to be the next generation of innovators.
We see these students as a high return on investment (ROI) opportunity to address the talent challenges plaguing the tech industry and increase economic mobility for striving, financially-vulnerable students.
PROVIDING Agile SUPPORT WHEN IT’S NEEDED MOST
The Last Mile Education Fund is agile. We respond quickly to the dynamic circumstances students encounter, provide immediate response to student needs, and directly address financial obstacles in their paths.
Last Mile stays nimble: it leverages networks for outreach, volunteers, informal mentoring, and to create a clearinghouse of additional resources. Since 2020, Last Mile has given over 10,000 awards totaling $12M to support degree completion for financially vulnerable students aimed at careers in tech.
Creating a Sustainable engine of reinvestment
Last Mile creates sustainability through a virtuous circle of investment, engagement, and reinvestment. Students progress from awardee, to fund ambassador, and then become investors once established in their career.
The Last Mile model has a built-in path to sustainability as the graduates enter high-paying careers and are able to reinvest in the next cohort of students. Last Mile is structured completely around an investment approach, and students are intended to experience support and goodwill, rather than pity or obligation. These factors are designed to heighten the impulse to “pay it forward,” and early results indicate that it is working.
“A bump in the road should not mean the end of the journey!”
— Ruthe Farmer, Founder & CEO
Who We Support
Last Mile invests in striving students who have demonstrated a commitment to a technology pathway and:
Can provide evidence of financial need.
Currently in pursuit of a technology related degree or certification in the U.S.; eligible degrees are detailed in the application.
Are nearing degree completion.
Currently located in the United States.
Experiencing a financial obstacle to continued progress towards degree completion.
Members of Ecosystem Partner organizations and alumnae of computing talent pipeline programs and groups are encouraged to apply.
Investors
Ecosystem Partners
