TACOMA, Wash. (May 1, 2024) – Degrees of Change recently learned that many of our college partners have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Act Six program. While every college’s situation is unique, ultimately there were not enough partners left to continue selecting new scholars. As a result, this year’s incoming class of Act Six scholars will be the last.
Act Six is a leadership development and scholarship program for young leaders who want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their home communities. Launched in 2002, the program has served 1,406 scholars in 210 cadres over the last two decades.
Ninety-one percent of Act Six scholars are students of color, and 91% are first-generation or low-income. At its peak, the program had 17 college partners across the country in Tacoma-Seattle, Yakima Valley, Spokane, Portland-Salem, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Indianapolis, and Chicago.
But the higher education landscape is currently facing unprecedented challenges, with financial strains and program cuts becoming more common. Colleges are closing at a rate of one per week due to declines in student enrollment. Unfortunately, Degrees of Change has also been significantly impacted.
Despite the challenges, we remain committed to the over 400 Act Six scholars still enrolled in our partner institutions. While college enrollment has been a key component of our mission, our goal has always been to support our students through college completion and to prepare them for successful careers.
Degrees of Change invites our communities to lean in and support our current Act Six scholars who are just beginning or are partway through their college journeys. Please consider becoming a monthly donor and joining our virtual fundraiser May 30 to learn more.
General Questions: support@actsix.org
To Share Feedback: Act Six Feedback Form
For Media Inquiries: Communications Director