Every student can achieve amazing things
when given the opportunity.
What drives Barrier Breakers®?
Our Mission
Barrier Breakers® is a national economic mobility program dedicated to helping first-generation and low-income students access higher education, graduate with less debt, and enter high-earning careers.
Our Vision
A future where being the first in your family to go to college is no longer a disadvantage—in graduation, in earnings, or in generational wealth.
Building the bridge from college to high-impact career.
College access alone does not produce economic mobility. Our model closes both the access gap and the earnings gap by supporting students past enrollment and into high-impact careers. We ensure marginalized students achieve the long-term success and advanced degrees necessary for true economic mobility.
24%
of first generation students earn a bachelor's degree within six years. For low-income, first-generation students, that number drops to 11%. The national counselor-to-student ratio is 408:1.
THE ACCESS GAP
THE EARNINGS GAP
$36K
first-generation students who do graduate earn less per year than their continuing-generation peers, and hold $92,500 less in household wealth. That gap persists more than 10 years after graduation.
At $2400 per scholar, Barrier Breakers® produces an additional bachelor's degree worth of $1.1 million in lifetime earnings. That is approximately $348 for every philanthropic dollar invested in lifetime earnings before counting the $490 million in scholarship aid already unlocked for our program beneficiaries.
Sources: Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce · Bottom Line RCT, Barr & Castleman (2021)
Holistic support for every scholar
WHAT THE MODEL INCLUDES
Every student enrolled in the Barrier Breakers program receives the full integrated model — admissions, persistence, mentorship, and career support together.
Expert admissions advising
Our team of current and former admissions professionals provide individualized guidance through every stage of the college or graduate school applications. Students meet with counselors bi-weekly.
Career exposure & internships
Students get access to internships, shadow days, and career exploration opportunities through our corporate and organizational partners.
Industry mentorship
Students are paired with a professional mentor who offers real-world perspecive, career insight, and network access helping demystify high-earning professional environments.
Continued support
Wellness check-ins, community connection, and academic navigation throughout college and graduate school. Our work continues until the scholar is launched into their career.
We believe expert advice should be accessible to every student, regardless of income. That’s why our model serves students from all backgrounds, even if they don’t identify as first-generation or low-income. Families who pay full tuition help sustain our work, making it possible for low-income and first-generation students to participate at no cost.
WHO WE SERVE
Expert advisors for every student
The Barrier Breakers cross-subsidy model ensures that we serve students whose families can afford to pay as well as first-gen and low income students. The same expert advisors serve every student regardless of what they can pay.
FREE ACCESS
First-generation & low income students
If you qualify for Free and Reduced Meal Services, attend a Title I school, or hold an LSAC fee waiver, Barrier Breakers advising is fully free. Acceptance is not based on GPA or test scores.
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Same expert advisors as paying students
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Full pathway — admissions through career entry
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Free conference access & podcast resources
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College persistence support included
PAID ACCESS
Families that can afford to pay
Receive expert advice from former and current admissions deans with extensive experience in college and law schoool admissions. Enrol onto our long-term model and accelerate into a high impact career.
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Expert 1:1 advising from applications to early career
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Industry mentor pairing
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Consistent wellness and mental health support
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Your payment expands access for others
As a non-profit organization, Barrier Breakers®, Inc., we work hard to make sure that first-generation and low-income students have the same opportunity at upward mobility and access to high impact careers. That’s why, for every college counseling package purchased, we’re able to gift our standard package to a student who qualifies for Free and Reduced Meal Service at no cost to that family.
HOW WE DELIVER SUPPORT
A national virtual advising model
Barrier Breakers® operates through a national virtual advising model, allowing us to serve students across all 50 states with high-quality, individualized support.
In addition, we partner with schools, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and employers to deliver cohort-based programming, mentorship, and career exposure opportunities in local impact hubs that strengthen community and belonging. These Barrier Breakers® Impact Hubs strengthen the relationships and belonging that research shows are critical to persistence and graduation.
Our virtual infrastructure is built for access, ensuring that geography is not a barrier to expert guidance. Students in the Barrier Breakers® network span 36 states and 6 countries.
Our commitment to access
Our model is sustained through a cross-subsidy approach: families who are able to pay for admissions services help make it possible for low-income students to receive the same expert support at no cost.
Free college advising to students who qualify for Free and Reduced Meal Services and/or attend Title I schools.
Free law school advising to applicants who qualify for income-based fee waivers through the Law School Admission Council.
Free public-facing resources, including conferences, webinars, guides, and educational programming, accessed by thousands of students annually.
Every paying family expands our capacity to serve a first-generation student or low income student at no cost.
Looking Ahead
As Barrier Breakers grows, we are focused on deepening career-aligned mentorship, expanding experiential learning opportunities, and strengthening partnerships that create clear pathways from education to employment.
Our goal is simple: to ensure first-generation students are not only admitted — but supported, connected, and positioned for long-term success.
Media & Awards
Some of our media coverage includes:
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Some of our awards & recognitions include:
