GradeFund: Inspiring Academic Achievement

As an alternative to traditional student funding through loans, Gradefund offers friends and family, the wider community and even corporate entities the opportunity to sponsor educational success.

Students can raise money for themselves or for their school and sponsors can chose to donate to a student or on a wider basis and support an educational cause close to their hearts.

The concept has had its critics but I’m rather drawn to it for a couple of reasons. Firstly it’s rewarding success rather than just chucking money at a student in the hope he or she will do well. Secondly, with the involvement of the corporate sector, it has the potential to create opportunities that go beyond the schoolyard.

As a straightforward student fundraiser it’s a simple process. Set up an account and get friends, family, former teachers and other possible interested parties to sponsor an agreed amount per grade. Hit those grades, forward the proof and the sponsor’s credit cards are charged and you get the money. Sponsors are of course given the option to pay the school rather than an individual student.

For me the corporate angle is the interesting aspect of GradeFund. Businesses can sign up for a sponsors account and pledge money for all students achieving a certain level of grades in subjects relevant to their particular industry. Again it’s the sponsors decision as to whether successful students get the money directly or it goes to the school or college.

What this does of course is to introduce a bunch of students with good grades in relevant subjects to possible future employers. It could also be the starting point for a more personal sponsorship arrangement where a business helps fund a student through higher education. That sort of situation would be a real success story.

Conclusion
There’s nothing wrong with rewarding success and the fact that the GradeFund process could lead to success beyond school gets it the thumbs up.