Page 42 - 2024 May report

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FINAL REPORT (11) Final Report
Examining findings from focus groups and interviews with disability services professionals, in combination with interviews with graduates and current Johnson Scholarship Foundation award recipients, we have identified the following findings. Where appropriate, we have placed these findings in the relevant research or policy context.
1. JSF funding made a tangible impact on graduates’ and current students’ ability to persist in their studies.
The students whom we interviewed described the impact that receiving the JSF award had on their lives. Most obvious was the financial impact, with several students indicating that the scholarship helped minimize their college debt. As one graduate stated, “the financial assistance from the Johnson Foundation Scholarship did help me graduate largely debt free.” A current student went even further, saying that they were only able to afford college because of the scholarship:
It’s one of those things where I have only been able to go to college because of programs like the JSF Scholarship. It’s taken a huge amount of pressure off of my shoulders, because college is very, very expensive.
The financial implications of receiving the scholarship went beyond reducing student debt. Several participants expressed gratitude that they were able to focus their attention and time on their studies rather than having to find and maintain a job. As one current student stated, “It allows me some breathing room financially to pursue my education... without having to work as much.” Similarly, another student shared, “I focused a lot more just on my education and kind of extracurriculars instead of maybe some of my peers who may have needed to get a job.” A graduate credited the scholarship for supporting their academic success, saying:
I was able to really focus on my schoolwork with that scholarship, that’s a big thing for me. I was able to get on the President’s List, the Dean’s List. That’s all because of the scholarship being able help me [with staying focused on schoolwork].
For one graduate, the relief provided by the scholarship had profound implications for their health. They explained that prior to receiving the scholarship, they were working so much that they were hospitalized monthly for flareups of their chronic health condition, which were triggered by stress. After receiving the scholarship, they stated that their hospitalizations dropped to about once a year. In describing the scholarship, they stated, “It was just a godsend, to be honest.”
Another graduate appreciated the scholarship’s focus on supporting students with disabilities with financial need, which made them feel seen and supported. They explained:
And it just feels really good that there’s a scholarship for that. Because it feels like sometimes there are scholarships for everything, but not for you. ... when I got that email, through [the disability services office], I was like, “Oh, my goodness, that’s something that’s literally for me.” It felt really good.
Given that college students with disabilities, especially those with chronic health conditions, experience disproportionate college costs (Fox et al., 2021), the importance of this funding in the lives of graduates and current scholars cannot be overstated.
Page 40 May Report