Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Need-Based Scholarships and Emergency Funds
Central Scholarship (CS) provides need-based scholarships and emergency funds for high-performing students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. For most programs, students are eligible for up to $10,000 per year in assistance for post-secondary education. During the fiscal year ending 6/30/2018, CS processed nearly 6,000 applications and awarded 231 scholarships to students.
Need-Based Interest-free Loans
Interest-free loans are awarded to students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, who qualify based on financial need and academic performance. Students are eligible for up to $10,000 per year in assistance for post-secondary education. New loans of $256,000 were awarded to 62 students in the fiscal year ending 6/30/2018. CS also managed existing loans of approximately $3 million for more than 500 students.
Need-Based Career Training Scholarships
Career training scholarships are available for fields where there is a verified workforce demand, an opportunity to earn a living wage, recognized credentials upon program completion, and a path for career advancement. Students are qualified based on financial need, with preference given to Baltimore City residents. During the fiscal year ending 6/30/2018, CS awarded career training scholarships to 112 students. A new feature launched in 2018 was a pilot to provide funds for transportation in the form of bus passes, Uber rides, and used cars to individuals eligible for good-paying jobs in locations that require dependable transportation.
Other Program Services
College Cash (R) is our financial education series offered as a free public service to help students and parents navigate the complex financial options available to college-bound students. The goal is to ensure that students and parents are making informed financial choices when selecting a college.
Our advocacy program continues to focus on scholarship award displacement, which occurs when colleges reduce their institutional scholarship after a student receives a private scholarship. A paid lobbyist assisted CS in negotiating an agreement with 13 private colleges that are members of the Maryland Independent College and University Association. This agreement prohibits private colleges from displacing private scholarship awards made by CS, and follows the first in the nation law restricting Maryland 4-year public universities and colleges from displacing private scholarships.
Where we work
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Very simply, Central Scholarship strives to make post-secondary education and career training more affordable for low-income Maryland students.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We award more than $1 million each year in scholarships and interest-free loans to low-income students from throughout Maryland who are pursuing degree and non-degree post-secondary education and training. We reach students through an electronic database we created in-house, that connects us to colleges, high schools, nonprofits, and any individual or organization who has elected to receive our email blasts announcing scholarship opportunities. Students apply through an online application service.
We offer College Cash®, our free financial education series, with current offerings, “Finding Money for College" and "A Parent's Guide to Finding and Funding College". Programs were developed and are delivered by our staff experts.
Our Student Loan Pay-Down Program provides $30,000 in student loan relief to one lucky student recipient each year, pre-qualified but chosen at random, at our annual student awards ceremony.
Through our Advocacy Program, we work at the state level to support legislation that will improve the lives of low-income students as related to affordability of post-secondary education and training. We are uniquely positioned for this type of work because we do not receive any government funding; our funding is completely private. Our current focus is restricting scholarship award displacement.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our President and our Special Program Advisor have a combined 50+ years of experience in higher education and financial aid.
Our Vice President is a lifelong political activist, who drives our advocacy program and our College Cash® Program.
Our Development Director is an expert on poverty issues and resource development. She ran a pre-school for homeless children under the age of six and a reentry program for ex-offenders.
Our program managers are experts in financial aid, career training, and data analysis.
Our Stewardship and Annual Fund Manager drives public relations, social networking, web development, events, and our annual fund.
Our Board of Directors is deeply committed to our mission, and provides resources and expertise that allow us to fulfill our mission year in and year out, since 1924.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We've been very successful at building our electronic outreach program and feel reasonably comfortable about our visibility in the student world in Maryland for both degree and non-degree programs. We have been successful at raising money although we never have enough to come close to meeting the demand.
Expanding the reach of College Cash® is extremely important. The only way for students and families to manage the student loan burden is to “Know Before They Go." The most basic information, such as understanding the cost of going to an in-state college versus out-of-state college, deciphering the college student awards letter, finishing college in four years instead of six, and more, is simply not being conveyed, in fact, it isn't even a consideration for many working directly with college-bound high school students.
We are working hard to educate our constituents about the forces affecting college affordability. The frenzy around college for all makes no sense, given the under-performing K-12 system and a job market that requires higher level skills and abilities. Selective colleges compete for the best students; some manipulate private scholarships to advance their own mission. Maryland is now the first state in the nation to restrict scholarship award displacement at 4-year public universities. This legislation was introduced at our request, and we were the lead advocates. Additionally, we now have an annual written agreement with 13 private colleges in Maryland, restricting scholarship award displacement for our recipients. We will continue to work on this issue in Maryland.
Non-selective colleges, strapped for cash, often admit students who do not have the capacity to complete a college program. Students either drop out or are pushed through so that colleges can maintain the tuition income. These students are saddled with loan debt they cannot pay off, and often have credentials that do not lead to employment. This is a topic for the future.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Central Scholarship Bureau, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Russ Causey
CMD Outsourcing Solutions
Term: 2020 - 2021
Margot Heller
Larry Kamanitz
Mary (Molly) Shock
Mike Ward
Johns Hopkins University
Jean Wyman
Self-employed
Russ Causey
CMD Outsourcing Solutions
Ira Wagner
Jerry Focas
Hassani, Focas and Fifer P.A.
David Rothschild
Rothschild Capital Partners, LLC
Tim Redmond
Enterprise Community Partners
Liz Block
Michael Davenport
Baltimore Gas and Electric
Arnold Fruman
National Lumber Company
Kevin Fudge
American Student Assistance
Ricardo Johnson
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Barbara Kornblatt
Raymond McCree
University of Baltimore
Bruce Rosenberg
Leland Shelton
Saul Ewing Arnstein and Lehr LLP
Susan Silberman
Martex Properties
Ernestine Whiting
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
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Sexual orientation
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Disability
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