By Damian Ramsey
College wasn’t part of my original plan. Maybe I didn’t believe it was meant for someone like me. But people and programs changed that. They helped me see what was possible and guided me forward.
One of those programs was the Bruce Wells Scholars Upward Bound Program at Clark University. Part of the federal TRIO family of college access initiatives, it supports first-generation and low-income students. Upward Bound gave me exposure, encouragement, and a ladder to higher education. It helped me not only get to college but thrive. Because of that program, I became a college graduate. My siblings followed. We changed our family’s story.
That’s why the recent decimation of AmeriCorps, and the proposed elimination of TRIO programs, hits so hard. These aren’t just budget lines. They’re lifelines. I am living proof.
Across metro Atlanta, thousands of students are climbing similar ladders with support from programs like College Advising Corps, College AIM, The Scholarship Academy (TSA), and Communities In Schools. Not all rely on AmeriCorps, but many are powered by its members—dedicated individuals who guide students through FAFSA, scholarship searches, and college applications. Their work doesn’t just improve access. It transforms lives.
A recent landscape analysis by Learn4Life and Achieve Atlanta highlights the extraordinary work underway across the region to support postsecondary access. Districts are embedding college and career readiness into strategic plans, using data to drive action, expanding FAFSA completion, and partnering with nonprofits like The Scholarship Academy to strengthen advising. And it’s working. This year, TSA helped students at 12 Title I high schools complete 1,247 FAFSAs, achieving a 78% completion rate—far outpacing Georgia’s 47% average.
Just as students are climbing, the ladder is being pulled up behind them.
In April 2025, the federal government slashed $400 million from AmeriCorps. In Georgia, at least 21 programs lost funding, displacing over 540 AmeriCorps members and volunteers. TSA lost its entire team—members who delivered more than 115,000 minutes of one-on-one advising this year alone.
The loss isn’t just financial. It’s deeply human. AmeriCorps members turn intention into action. When they disappear, students lose a trusted guide.
“I was ready to choose a Plan B just to avoid the stress college costs would put on my parents,” said Abigail, a freshman at Kennesaw State, Marietta High grad, and Upward Bound alum. “But my AmeriCorps advisor from The Scholarship Academy walked me through FAFSA. Without that help, I probably wouldn’t be in college.”
“The loss of AmeriCorps isn’t just hurting students—it’s straining the capacity of nonprofits that were already stretched thin,” said Jessica Johnson, founder of The Scholarship Academy. “We’re being asked to do more with less, at a time when the stakes for students couldn’t be higher.”
So how do we protect the progress, and the people behind it?
At Learn4Life, we’re rallying our Postsecondary Change Action Network to help sustain this work:
- Elevate student and advisor voices – Share the stories of those most impacted by AmeriCorps cuts.
- Engage local networks – Partner with churches, alumni groups, and civic organizations to spread awareness and support.
- Explore shared staffing models – Work with nonprofit partners to place trained advisors where they’re needed most.
- Secure emergency funding – Collaborate with district foundations, corporate sponsors, and philanthropic allies to keep services going.
This is a moment to lean in: to protect the momentum and preserve the progress we’ve made. If we let these cuts stand and allow AmeriCorps to disappear, we don’t just lose people—we lose possibilities.
I know what it’s like to be the kid who doesn’t know if college is for them, until someone shows up and says it is. That someone, for me, was an Upward Bound advisor. For thousands of students across metro Atlanta, it’s been an AmeriCorps member, offering the steady guidance that turns potential into progress. As our region doubles down on college access, we can’t afford to lose the people who bring those plans to life. They’re not accessories. They’re anchors.
Let’s not allow a generation of students to have their futures stalled just as they’re getting started. Let’s give them what I was given: a reason to believe—and someone to believe in them.
Damian Ramsey is Director of Postsecondary Partnerships at Learn4Life, a cross-sector initiative focused on improving academic and career outcomes for students across metro Atlanta. To stay connected or help drive solutions, join Learn4Life’s Postsecondary Change Action Network. All are welcome.
I am always inspired by how one opportunity can open the doors to many more. Each one, teach one., right! In this case, the “one” was my child—my children—my firstborn.
As a single mother with limited education, I had no idea how his future would unfold. The truth is, I was struggling. But someone—only God knows who—opened a door, and here we are today.
I am deeply appreciative of this program’s heart, its concern for families like mine, and its unwavering support for this demographic. But it shouldn’t stop here. Our future depends on continued commitment, compassion, and belief in what’s possible.
I cannot express how proud I am of my children, and how grateful I am for the program—not only for encouraging our dreams, as a family, but for helping make them a reality. This isn’t just about a child going to college; it’s about a child being positioned to make a lasting impact. It’s about breakthroughs and bright futures.
I love you Damian and best wishes in the next chapter.
Thank you, Upward Bound for your dedicated staff, vision and the impact on my family —thank you-thank you.