Application to the Herb and Sara Drower Next Step Fund

For many Alray Scholars, earning a college degree is the culmination of years of hard work and the beginning of something even bigger. Graduation, however, often brings a new set of financial hurdles: the cost of a graduate school entrance exam, a professional licensing fee, a required uniform or certification. These expenses may seem small in the abstract, but for graduates who have already stretched every resource to reach this point, they can delay or derail the next step entirely.

The Herb & Sara Drower Next Step Fund was created to change that. By providing targeted financial support to Alray graduates, the fund helps remove the barriers standing between our scholars and their career goals.

About the Fund

Named in honor of Herb and Sara Drower, longtime supporters of the Alray Scholars Program who believed that talent and drive deserve a fair shot regardless of family income, this fund provides financial awards to Alray graduates navigating the early stages of their careers and continued education.

Who Can Apply

The Herb and Sara Drower Next Step Fund is open to Alray graduates. Current scholarship recipients and current Alumni Council members are not eligible to apply. If you've completed your undergraduate degree and are no longer actively receiving an Alray scholarship award, you're encouraged to apply.

How It Works

Awards of up to $500 are distributed twice per year, with up to five graduates selected per cycle. Applications are due November 1 and June 1. Funding recipients will be notified by December 1 (for applications received on or before November 1) or July 1 (for applications received on or before June 1). We will use this rubric to evaluate your request.

Questions?

Contact Elaina Curtis at ecurtis@alray.org

This fund is only available to Alray graduates. Please certify that you are an Alray graduate by checking the box below. If you have any questions about your eligibility for this fund, please reach out to Elaina Curtis at ecurtis@alray.org.

Yes, I am an Alray graduate.

First Name

Last Name

Amount requested (no more than $500)

Please provide a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) explaining how you would use up to $500 from the Herb and Sara Drower Next Step Fund and how this financial support will help you in the next steps of your career. Please be as specific as possible.

What additional costs, if any, will you have to take on to achieve your career goal? What is your plan to cover the additional costs?

The award is reimbursement based (i.e. you pay for the expense, and we pay you back), OR if you are unable to cover the expense upfront, we can meet you at the Alray office to put the expense on an Alray credit card. Please select the preferred payment method.

I will pay for the expense on my own first. If selected an award recipient, Alray will pay me back.I am unable to cover the expense on my own first. If selected as an award recipient, I will meet an Alray staff member at the Alray office in downtown Boston to process the expense on an Alray card.

Upload a copy / screenshot of bill, invoice, or webpage outlining the expense

Contact Information