Our Mission Our Mission
Our mission is to create a more equitable college experience for first-generation and low-income students, an effort that advances Georgetown University's core mission as a whole.
Our Approach Our Approach
The Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP) works with talented first-generation and/or low-income (FGLI) undergraduate students as they navigate the higher education system at an elite university. Additionally, our program ' s staff and students advocate for equity across Georgetown's campus.
OUR COMMUNITY OUR COMMUNITY
GSP serves as a robust network for students and as a social impact hub that champions students to become advocates for themselves and their communities.
50+ Peer Mentors (current)
2100+ GSP Graduates (lifetime)
400+ Alumni Mentors (lifetime)
6 GSP Staff (current)
650+ GSP Students (current)
14 Regional Network Coordinators (current)
Student Student Selection Selection Process Process
Georgetown applicants can not apply to join GSP; instead, all undergraduate students admitted to programs on the Hilltop campus who are eligible are considered for the program.
GSP BY THE GSP BY THE NUMBERS NUMBERS
Our students' stories are unique and their own, but here are a few numbers* that paint a small picture of who they are as a whole:
of GSP students are first-generation college attendees.
Students admitted into the program are selected based on certain characteristics, with a preference for highachieving students that have a first-generation and/or low-income background.
of first-year admits to GSP come from public schools.
of our transfer admits to GSP come from public universities or community colleges.
44 states and Washington, D.C. are represented in GSP's student body.
23 countries are represented in GSP's student body, including the United States and its territories.
*Figures based on data as of September 2024
Following the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis or " care for the whole person, " the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP) provides holistic support for our community of first-generation and/or lowincome students as they acclimate to the Hilltop.
GSP's goal is for our students realize their full potential and make the most of their college experience! Through our programs and social events, GSP students meet each other and begin to form a community. Our students work closely with staff, faculty, and alumni mentors to explore personal, academic, and professional endeavors throughout their time on campus.
From picking up first-year students who would otherwise arrive alone during movein to promoting important relationship building with faculty and mentors, the GSP community is committed to making each student's experience rewarding. GSP connects students with resources so they can show up fully in their curricular and cocurricular activities.
Students are encouraged, although not required, to participate in the program. Participation can look anything like stopping by the GSP Student Lounge for a cup of coffee on their way to class, attending a community dinner with GSP student leaders and staff, or scheduling an advising session with GSP staff.
GSP was born in 2004 from an effort to make Georgetown a more inclusive option for firstgeneration and/or low-income prospective students across the country.
Georgetown administrators and alumni initially came together to create an enhanced scholarship to make a Georgetown education more affordable. Later, the programmatic vision for GSP was brought to life by one of the program ' s very own students who saw the need for support and community beyond the scholarship.
Who
are first-generation and lowincome students and why is a program, created for and with our students, important?
Georgetown and other institutions of higher learning have jargon, traditions, and their own set of norms; some call it "the hidden curriculum." Limited knowledge and access to this cultural capital can prevent students from fully engaging in college and could contribute to a diminished sense of belonging.
We, alongside our students, work to ensure that they have access to this hidden curriculum. Our programming goal is to create a strong sense of belonging at Georgetown and to walk with our students through the challenges that higher education may bring.
GSP STUDENT BOARD GSP STUDENT BOARD
At the rich center of GSP is our Student Board. The Student Board is tasked with two crucial roles: student voice and advocacy.
Our program was born from student ideas and our Student Board helps us make sure we listen to students' needs above all else! The Student Board keeps our ideas fresh, fun, and centered on the student experience.
The Student Board also works with campus partners and student organizations to ensure that others design their programs and campus events with FGLI students in mind. Our amazing student leaders on the board take pride in running key events and initiatives such as our annual #GSProud campaign.
Finally, the Student Board works closely with their staff advisor to cultivate their leadership potential to affect positive change around campus and develop their passions about diversity and inclusion. Students are selected each year to work closely with peer leaders and staff to explore and identify issues the FGLI student community faces. Their thoughtful work helps the program ensure it is meeting these needs.
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY BUILDING BUILDING
MOVE-IN INITIATIVES
We manage two initiatives annually during new student move-in that ensures students in the program feel our support from the moment they arrive in DC. Many students travel long distances to campus for their first day. To assist students who would otherwise arrive alone, GSP pairs them with local alumni and volunteers who work to pick them up from nearby airports, bus, or train stations. Our volunteers also help these first-year students move into their dorms and welcome them to the Hoya community. Additionally, GSP provides brand-new, free bedding kits to incoming students as a welcome gift.
BREAK PROGRAMMING
GSP works hard to ensure that students feel supported and at home on the Hilltop. GSP Staff plan fun break programming over Thanksgiving, Spring, and Easter Breaks. GSP organizes activities for students to enjoy oncampus and around the city like bowling, art workshops, and trips to local eateries (as the dining hall is closed).
Our break programming helps students still feel at home, even though they may be far from their loved ones during holiday breaks.
THRIVE & PARENT GUIDES
To prepare students for the transition to college, GSP prepares a “Thrive Guide” Series. These guides walk them through the first-year experience: from moving in on the first day, to buying books, to meeting with professors, and juggling academic demands with social life. GSP also creates a bilingual Parent Guide annually to prepare parents and guardians for what they can expect during a student’s transition to Georgetown. These resources are mailed to each student's home and students also receive a digital version.
GSP COMMUNITY DINNERS
We host multiple community dinners over the academic year to create a space for GSPers to break bread and spend time in community with each other. These dinners not only allow students to make connections with their peers, but also create opportunities for an open forum to share and reflect on their experiences as FGLI students in a comfortable space.
OTHER FUN PROGRAMMING
One of the most valuable ways to foster engagement among students is via our collaborations with other departments across campus and with student groups! From bringing in alumni to panels for students engage with, to co-hosting mental health seminars, to organizing fun dinners and activities, GSP works to create a tightknit community. Our programming is a space where students can have fun, learn from each other, and make connections!
ADVISINGAND MENTORSHIP ADVISINGAND MENTORSHIP
50+ PEER MENTORS
11 REGIONAL HUBS THIS YEAR! THIS YEAR!
200+ ALUMNI MENTORS
ALUMNI & PEER ALUMNI & PEER MENTORSHIP MENTORSHIP
ALUMNI MENTORSHIP
The Alumni Mentorship Program pairs secondyear students in GSP with Georgetown alumni, many of whom were GSPers. Mentor-mentee matches are made with both the students’ interests and mentors’ strengths in mind. The program ’ s benefit is two-fold. The student forms a personal connection with an alum who can provide guidance from their unique Georgetown experiences. In turn, the mentor gains a different perspective on the experiences of our incredible students and gets to personally witness their awesome journey. Through calls, campus visits, and in-person check-ins, mentors offer invaluable advice and encouragement. They often say they learn even more from their mentees!
PEER MENTORSHIP
Peer mentorship is increasingly recognized as a key factor in the success of first-generation college students. GSP offers an extensive mentoring program that pairs new students with mentors in their second-year (and above) who help them navigate their transition and the first-year college experience. Mentors are carefully selected and undergo training which prepares them to serve as an important resource for new students. To foster this relationship, the program hosts fun activities every semester and offers mentors a small stipend for social outings with their mentee.
ADVISING ADVISING
GSP 101
GSP 101s are sessions that are specifically tailored for first-year GSP students, held by staff members and student leaders. The goals of these workshops are (1) to acquaint students with GSP and its resources and (2) to set them up with tangible skills for success throughout their time at Georgetown.
STAFF ADVISING
At the core of our work, we aim to center the student experience. GSP advisors provide ongoing, personalized, student support. They cover topics with students that range anywhere from academic, to social, to emotional concerns that may arise. Students are always able to ask staff quick questions or make appointments for in-depth concerns.
WELLNESS
All students have access to a wide array of wellness resources across campus from Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) to Health Education Services (HES)! We aim to host programming throughout the year focused on wellness and often partner with these offices and others. These events are designed to alleviate stressors so that students can have a more positive college experience.
REGIONAL NETWORK REGIONAL NETWORK
The GSP Regional Network Program helps current students and young graduates identify and connect with Georgetown/GSP volunteers in their home regions. This network greatly benefits the GSP community by providing a local community space for networking. Our dedicated volunteers often host events and go above and beyond to support current students and recent graduates. The regional network coordinators build a supportive network for recent grads, offering ready-made connections and resources.
There are currently eleven regional networks across the country, plus one for our international students. Each region has dedicated coordinators who are responsible for organizing events and creating new engagement opportunities with local volunteers.
FINANCIAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES RESOURCES
In addition to the standard financial aid package, which enables students to attend Georgetown, GSP offers complementary financial resources. Students in GSP oftentimes have access to loan replacement scholarships that provide around $3,000 a year in loan relief (students receive less loan and more grant aid). GSP partners with student organizations and departments on campus to ensure financial accessibility is a priority across the Hilltop.
EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS
GSP students have access to special services with organizations and non-profits that provide assistance with various aspects of their student life – from storage to LSAT prep to job/internship placement services. GSP responds to student needs that arise to ensure we are providing the necessary resources for our students’ success.
CAMPUS COLLABORATIONS
GSP works with partners across campus from the School of Foreign Service to the Georgetown Program Board (to name a few) to provide discounted access to hallmark events and initiatives. Strong relationships with departments and student organizations help ensure FGLI students can access all aspects of campus life without having to worry about financial barriers.
NECESSITY NECESSITY GRANTS GRANTS
GSP has a fully endowed Necessity Fund for unexpected expenses that may otherwise impede a FGLI student from fully engaging in campus life. Providing funding for these hidden expenses has proven to be critical to students' persistence and retention.
Medical Grants
Grocery Grants
Tutoring Grants
Funded entirely through philanthropy, the GSP Necessity Fund is a resource through which students can access micro-grants for unexpected expenses. The micro-grants cover medical and/or dental emergencies, tutoring expenses, grocery stipends during breaks when the dining hall is closed, winter coats, and more!
The fund can be utilized for anything outside of expenses calculated into the cost of attendance that their financial aid package would cover (e.g. tuition, room and board, supplies like textbooks).
Professional Development micro-grants are available to third and fourth-year students. These grants help offset professional development-related costs such as: professional attire, test-prep fees, study materials for exams like the MCAT or LSAT, and more!
Other year-specific grants are available for first-year students and seniors. These grants help them transition to and from campus at different stages of their journeys.
First-Year Grants
Mental Health Grants
ADVOCACY ADVOCACY
COLLABORATION
GSP works with Georgetown faculty and staff for a "whole institution" approach to student support. We strive for greater awareness of first-generation and/or low-income (FGLI) students' experiences among faculty and deans, including working with Georgetown's First-Generation Faculty and Staff Initiative.
GSP staff actively work with a national community of student success professionals to share evidence-based practices and resources, troubleshoot challenges, generate knowledge, and continue to advance the success of FGLI students across the U.S.
MASTERING THE
HIDDEN
CURRICULUM (MHC)
GSP offers a two-credit, pass/fail course, "MHC," designed to help students navigate the new college environment. From using office hours to discussing the role of a dean, this class helps to demystify the hidden curriculum of the college experience with firstgeneration students’ diverse backgrounds in mind. At the end of the semester, students will have gained knowledge of Georgetown support systems, tools available for academic empowerment, and a greater understanding and awareness of their identities.
“Mastering the Hidden Curriculum made me more comfortable with my identities and with my ability to succeed at Georgetown. The assignments are meant to be stress-free. They're made to have you reflect on your identities, your past and experiences, and what it all means moving forward at Georgetown."
- Dalvyn Velez C'23
#GSPROUD #GSPROUD
The GSProud Campaign was started by our Student Board ten years ago to allow students to publicly selfidentify as first-generation and/or low-income.
Throughout GSProud Week, the Student Board hosts empowering events and spearheads a large social media campaign. The campaign is meant to both increase the visibility of the community and bring attention to the contributions and achievements of FGLI students, faculty, staff, and alumni across campus. The narratives shared highlight the incredible successes of the GSP and FGLI community at Georgetown.
This week of events has included art shares, community dinners, workshops, discussions on how to make Georgetown more class-inclusive, and more.
“I am #GSPROUD because we are breaking generational barriers.” - Marlene Mora, COL '23
“I am #ProudToBeGSP because FGLI students are deserving of celebration and visibility." - Michelle Reyazzudin, COL '23
"I am #GSProud because we are a haven for diversity and inclusivity." - Maria Paredes, SFS '23
SENIOR SENIOR FEATURES FEATURES
GSP CELEBRATION GRADUATION
To celebrate the achievements of GSP graduating seniors and recognize the support of their loved ones, GSP holds a graduation celebration every year during Commencement Weekend. The memorable and uplifting event includes congratulatory speeches from members of the GSP Advisory Board and reflections from GSP seniors.
SENIOR GRANTS AND INITIATIVES
Our program provides seniors a micro-grant for graduation. This grant can help offset graduation costs like regalia, travel costs for family and/or loved ones, Senior Ball expenses, and more. Alternatively, it can be used for expenses that seniors may accrue as they prepare to leave the Hilltop and embark on their postgraduate journey.
Post-graduate Education Post-graduate Education
Many trailblazers in our program continue on in their academic endeavors and pursue postgraduate degrees at top universities!
GRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED
University of Oxford
Harvard University
Stanford University
John Hopkins University
University of Pennsylvania
Columbia University
University of Michigan
Georgetown University
Duke University
University of Virginia
Mayo Clinic
Saint Louis University
Brown University
Princeton University
Dartmouth College
Cornell University
Programs include, but are not limited to: law, medicine, social work, education, business administration, public policy, journalism, etc.
Post-graduate Outcomes Post-graduate Outcomes
We have seen many of our graduates successfully pursue renowned fellowships and honors.
POST-GRADUATE HONORS AND AWARDS
Boren Fellowship
Fulbright Program
Gates Cambridge Scholarship Program
Gilman International Scholarship
Lena Landegger Community Service Award
Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship
Phi Beta Kappa Fellowship
Rhodes Scholarship
Soros Fellowship
Truman Scholarship
Many of our graduates also go on to have successful careers and join prestigious companies like Google and UBS across various sectors.
GSP is proud of the unique journeys our graduates embark on after their time on the Hilltop. This growing alumni community is a special network that current students can tap into as well!
ALUMNI FEATURES ALUMNI FEATURES
ALUMNI GATHERINGS ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we often host alumni socials to bring our GSP alumni back to DC for a night of fun!
We have hosted fun socials in quintessential settings around the city! We hope to continue building up these traditions with each graduating class to celebrate the success and growth of the GSP community.
Our program would not be where it is today without our thoughtful and engaged alumni base. From serving as alumni mentors to participating in virtual and in-person panels, we are proud to have such an active alumni community that is always ready answer the call and give back to the program!
ALUMNI ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT
AMANDA CORTES (C ‘20)
What were your interests and hobbies throughout your undergraduate years? Have you found that you are still pursuing them in your personal or professional life?
Most of my activities on campus were centered on community engagement, whether that was being a loan officer at The Hilltop Microfinance Initiative (HMFI) or on the student board of GSP. I still participate in these types of activities in my professional life by mentoring prospective or current analysts at Morgan Stanley, being on the board of a nonprofit focused on delivering fresh food to low income elementary schools, and helping students apply for the Gilman Scholarship (for anyone interested in studying abroad, reach out!)
Looking back, what mantra did you live by that you feel would best impact current or future FGLI students at an institution like Georgetown?
"A closed mouth never gets fed." I think when you arrive to a place like Georgetown you end up feeling so grateful to even be there you never ask for more I had to assert myself and ask for help or resources and overcome feeling like a bother or burden, which I think most of us unconsciously feel given our backgrounds You not only deserve but are entitled to the same opportunities and experiences like everyone else on campus! The hard part is just asking.
Please share one of your favorite or most impactful memories at GSP and/or Georgetown!
It's hard for me to pinpoint one exact moment that influenced me or a favorite memory, but I had such great professors that were interested in having me bring my full self to my studies It was definitely easier through the Sociology major, for example, Dr. Becky Hu led an advanced seminar on happiness and it led me to write my thesis the next year on happiness in firstgeneration, low-income college students, which she supported and mentored me through. The GSP office always allowed me to bring my full self outside of academics, especially when things were hard. It wasn't one moment, but an accumulation of interactions with different figures and organizations on campus that continuously sought to nurture me as a person that greatly influenced my experience on campus and beyond
MEET AMANDA!
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: New York, NY
School | Grad Year: C ‘20
Major: Sociology
Industry: Finance
