“Access to education has the potential to change the entire life direction of a student,” said James Rhyu, CEO at Stride, Inc. “That kind of impact has a ripple effect. With this scholarship, we are showing young people of color that they deserve success, and that their presence and perspective is valued in institutions of higher education.”

According to EducationData.org, Black and African American college graduates carry, on average, $25,000 more in student loan debt than their white counterparts. As the nation’s $1.7 trillion student loan debt problem impacts 45 million Americans, more than half of Black college graduates report their student loan debt is greater than their net worth. With its We Stand Together College Scholarship, Stride intends to lower the financial barrier for more college-bound Black students to achieve their education and career goals.

The We Stand Together College Scholarship is open to high school seniors at schools powered by Stride K12 who identify as Black or African American, plan to enroll in fulltime undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school, and have a 2.0 GPA or greater. Scholarship recipients will be chosen based on factors including their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, educational and career goals, and financial need.

The We Stand Together College Scholarship is part of Stride’s multi-year commitment to support racial and socioeconomic equity and inclusion in and through education. The company’s scholarship investments also include the We Stand Together Private Academy Scholarship, which recently awarded 47 students with tuition-free full-time enrollment at K12 Private Academy, and subsidiary Galvanize’s $1.8M investment in its Opportunity Fund, which on Monday awarded four scholarships for tuition-free enrollment in the Hack Reactor Software Engineering Immersive bootcamp.

The company’s other commitments include developing socially conscious legal and law enforcement career pathways of study, interactive courses on the history of systemic racism, and expanding the number of Black teachers employed by Stride.

The We Stand Together College Scholarship is being presented in partnership with Scholarship America, a non-profit organization whose core services include designing and managing custom scholarship and student support programs. Since its founding in 1958, Scholarship America has distributed over $4.5 billion to more than 2.8 million students. The organization works with partners to lower barriers to a college education and give students the support needed to succeed.

The deadline to apply for the We Stand Together College Scholarship is May 18, 2021 at 3:00 PM CT. For more information on eligibility and application instructions, visit https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/stridewestandtogether/.

More information on Stride’s commitments to education equity can be found at https://www.stridelearning.com/responsibility-inclusion.

To learn more about Scholarship America, visit scholarshipamerica.org.

About Stride, Inc.

At Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN) we are reimagining learning – where learning is lifelong, deeply personal, and prepares learners for tomorrow. The company has transformed the teaching and learning experience for millions of people by providing innovative, high-quality, tech-enabled education solutions, curriculum, and programs directly to students, schools, the military, and enterprises in primary, secondary, and post-secondary settings. Stride is a premier provider of K-12 education for students, schools, and districts, including career learning services through middle and high school curriculum. For adult learners, Stride delivers professional skills training in healthcare and technology, as well as staffing and talent development for Fortune 500 companies. Stride has delivered millions of courses over the past decade and serves learners in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The company is a proud sponsor of the Future of School, a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gap between the pace of technology and the pace of change in education. More information can be found at stridelearning.com, K12.com, galvanize.com, techelevator.com, and medcerts.com.

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