Pay It Forward Scholarship & Mentoring Program

The Pay It Forward Scholarship & Mentoring Program is a support & accountability program that ensures first-generation college students succeed. The program provides scholarship awards, life skills, mentoring, and accountability structures that increase graduation and career placement success.

Pay It Forward provides a $5,000 scholarship for up to four years at Cal State Monterey Bay, to local Monterey County, first-generation college students. Each scholar is mentored by a community leader who helps the student navigate the challenges of college life. In turn, the scholars must maintain a four-year graduation track and a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. The scholars “Pay It Forward” by mentoring a First Tee — Monterey County participant, creating a cycle of local college students who are contributing to the community even as they study.

The program has provided over 200 scholarships and scholars have provided over 30,000 hours of tutoring and mentoring since 2008. The scholars are taught skills like budgeting, credit-building, networking, public speaking, self-care, and accessing resources and 9 out of 10 graduate, half of those with honors.