学生自由倡议组织(SFI)是一个501(c)3非营利组织，通过增加少数民族服务机构(MSI)学生的社会和经济流动性，促进他们在职业和生活选择方面的自由. 与参与学校及其他策略伙伴紧密合作, 我们通过提供负担得起的大学教育来解决贫富差距问题, opportunity for hands on professional and life training, integrated student services, and technology enhancement. 我们为学生提供支持，使他们未来在全球市场上取得个人和职业上的成功，并为参与机构提供有针对性的支持，以提高他们在各自社区中的弹性和竞争力.
到目前为止，“学生自由倡议”已经收到了罗伯特. Smith, Fund 2 Foundation, Cisco, Jane Street, Prudential, and the Walmart Foundation. The program has also been acknowledged and supported by the Business Roundtable’s Racial Equity & Justice Subcommittee on Education. Our ability to provide support to MSI students is based on the continueD这些捐助者和其他有兴趣支持我们使命的人的财政支持.
Core Values
Student-Centered
SFI仍然非常关注学生/家庭的利益，并认识到他们的成功使社区受益, employers and MSIs.
Holistic
SFI elevates the totality of the MSI ecosystem; recognizes the implication to people, process, technology, and governance; and provides a suite of solutions that enable MSI and student success.
Evidence-Based
SFI改进和调整其计划，以优化学生的成果，基于整个计划生命周期的持续数据分析, 并产生高质量的研究，以支持广泛采用这一变革计划.
Collaborative
SFI develops mission-aligned, strategic partnerships; leverages core competencies of subject matter experts; and capitalizes on synergies with related goals.
History of Student Freedom Initiative
As a philanthropist, an industry leader and an entrepreneur, Robert F. Smith has used his platform to help create opportunities for U.S. 少数民族挑战自己，在学术和专业上取得卓越成就. 史密斯是基金II基金会的创始董事和总裁, 这是一个慈善非营利组织，通过资助来保护黑人社区的文化, protect the environment, 通过教育培养人才，通过将今天的学生与成为明天领导者的工具联系起来，解放人类精神.
As the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, 史密斯对全球数字经济的未来有一个愿景，确保不同的社区不会落后. 史密斯的长处之一是能够为复杂问题找到优雅的解决方案. 史密斯把这归功于他在康奈尔大学获得的化学工程学位. That school at Cornell is now named the Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, in honor of his achievements. Smith, an Alpha Phi Alpha brother, 承认了美国历史上黑人学院和大学(HBCUs)以及少数族裔服务机构(MSIs)的光荣历史, whose graduates are business leaders, educators, top scientists and politicians. And, he saw a way to expand that legacy for more students.
Smith, at the Morehouse College Class of 2019 commencement address, 通过向“学生自由倡议”(Student Freedom Initiative)承诺5000万美元，实现了他关于如何进一步推进msi使命的想法. By reducing or eliminating the debt burden of graduates, 每个学生的创造和生产潜力都可以被释放出来，以增强社区的能力.
史密斯想要帮助解决的问题是黑人社区缺乏代际财富. 目前，60%的非裔美国人的财富都用在偿还学生贷款上了. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, 拥有学士学位的黑人学生在毕业四年后所欠的债务大约是白人同学的两倍.
What is the Student Freedom Agreement?
Who Is Eligible for the Student Freedom Agreement?
有资格获得学生自由倡议的资助, 学生所在的学校必须是学生自由倡议项目的收入基金替代部分的参与者, 学生必须在支付资金之前立即满足以下所有标准(由学生所在学校确定和确认):
(a)完成FAFSA或可接受的替代性国家援助申请，并被学生学校接受和批准;
(b) A valid Social Security Number;
(c)非经授权的国际学生或外国交换学生
to enter the United States on a non-immigrant visa;
(d)Majority age or older;
(e)Junior or senior for the school year being funded;
(f)在即将到来的学期中全日制注册(除非我们授予例外，因为学生需要少于全日制注册才能在她/他的最后一年完成学士学位);
(g)Working towards a degree in an approved STEM major; and
(h)达到学生所在学校规定的令人满意的学业进步.
Please note: You may qualify for federal student loans. For additional information, 联系学校的经济援助办公室或教育部，电话:StudentAid.gov