Rough Draft Atlanta
Hyperlocal news for metro Atlanta
The Couchman Noble Foundation announced the application window for the 2025-2026 Next Step to Success Scholarship for Sandy Springs students is now open.
Students have until March 3 to apply and finalize their applications. The initiative addresses what David Couchman, co-founder of the Couchman Noble Foundation, said is the critical need for financial support among students pursuing post-secondary education. It offers a pathway to long-term financial stability and professional success.
So far 14 awards have been given to 10 students, two of whom have gone on to graduate. The scholarships have been mostly multi-year awards and have averaged between $4,000 and $5,000.
“It’s designed for those who are economically challenged,” Couchman said.
Scholarship winners have almost exclusively been graduates from North Springs and Riverwood high schools, Couchman said.
The program was designed so that students can graduate with a minimum of borrowed funds. Students who fill out the Financial Account Standards Board (FASB) forms can get a grant if they are economically challenged. Couchman said that grant would be approximately $7,000 this year. If added to the Next Step scholarship, and a HOPE Grant in Georgia, it would theoretically give a student $17,000 a year in aid.
According to Couchman, the Next Step program is not designed for first-year students. It’s designed for subsequent years once they’ve completed their freshman year. The scholarship can be used for vocational programs sponsored by the state also, such as the community college system.
“The main thing is that they would, after a two or four-year program, have some sort of proficiency acknowledging that they can go out and earn a good living,” Couchman said.
The Couchman Noble Foundation said research shows 55 percent of college graduates carry an average debt of $28,400. The Next Step to Success Scholarship aims to alleviate this challenge, enabling students to continue their education and graduate with little to no debt.
Next Step is sponsored by the Couchman Noble Foundation in collaboration with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Couchman said it builds upon lessons learned from the successful pilot programs, including the Martha Barrios Mead Fund, a scholarship endowed by its namesake. The Next Step to Success scholarship is in its fifth year.
Students who have participated in programs offered by local organizations, such as the SAIL and PUSH programs by the Sandy Springs Education Force are favored for awards. In those two programs, counselors at North Springs and Riverwood identify economically disadvantaged students who are on target to graduate but do not have any post-secondary plans. Trained volunteers present options and assist students with post-secondary applications.
Scholarship Eligibility
The Next Step to Success Scholarship is open to recent graduates of Sandy Springs public high schools who:
Additionally, students who have received previous Next Step scholarships and remain on track to graduate are given preferential consideration.
Award notifications will be sent to recipients in May, and the scholarship funds will be distributed to the higher education institutions in June and July for the upcoming academic year.
How to Apply
Applications can be accessed and submitted through the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s website at Scholarships | Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Applicants who begin their submissions early will have time to make multiple edits before the deadline.
Bob Pepalis covers Sandy Springs for Rough Draft Atlanta and Reporter Newspapers. More by Bob Pepalis
You must be logged in to post a comment.
