ACCESS College Foundation

What ACCESS College Foundation does

ACCESS College Foundation (formerly Tidewater Scholarship Foundation, renamed October 2004) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 by Frank Batten, Sr. and Joshua P. Darden, Jr. and headquartered at 2555 Ellsmere Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia. The organization delivers free college-access and college-success programming to public-school students across South Hampton Roads and Northampton County, Virginia, serving approximately 85,000 students cumulatively over 36+ years and facilitating $871 million in financial aid and scholarships. Core programs include the Early College Awareness Program for 7th–8th graders, the High School Program in 30 public high schools, Last-Dollar Scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $110,000, and the College and Career Success Program with dedicated advisors visiting 14 Virginia college campuses.

The operating model is a school-based, advisor-embedded distribution system: staff are physically present in partner schools and on college campuses to provide one-on-one advising on applications, FAFSA filing, fee waivers, scholarship matching, and career development, supplemented by virtual advising and signature annual events (College Commitment Day at Chartway Arena drawing 2,000+ seniors; Scholarship Awards Celebration awarding $1.1M+ to 100+ recipients). All services are provided at no cost to students or families. The supporting technology stack is conventional nonprofit/web infrastructure — WordPress CMS, Google Analytics, Blackbaud and PayPal for donation processing, Vimeo and social media channels — with no proprietary software platform or AI components.

The revenue model is donation-dependent across five streams: individual donations (online, mail, pledge), corporate and foundation grants including event sponsorships and designated funds such as the Batten Educational Achievement Fund, government grants from cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake plus the Obici Healthcare Foundation, planned giving via the Batten Legacy Society, workplace giving through United Way (CCC/CVC codes), and stock donations. Notable financial partners include PRA Group (Title Partner), Truist, Old Dominion University, Dollar Tree, Sentara, Merrill Lynch, Dominion Energy, and the Bank of America Neighborhood Builders program. The foundation operates with 11–50 employees under President and CEO Damon Jiggetts, who assumed the role in 2025 following Bonnie Sutton's retirement.

Name

ACCESS College Foundation

Legal name

Access College Foundation

Website

https://accesscollege.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACCESS College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 in Norfolk, Virginia that provides free college-access and college-success advising, FAFSA support, and Last-Dollar Scholarships to public-school students across South Hampton Roads and Northampton County, serving 85,000+ students over 36 years via embedded school-based advisors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Access and Success Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• College access services
• Scholarship administration
• College advising
• Financial aid support
• College readiness

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation receives donations from individuals through its website, mail-in donation forms, and pledge forms for scheduled giving.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Corporate partners, foundations, and community organizations provide financial support through event sponsorships, general operating grants, and designated gifts such as the Batten Educational Achievement Fund.
3. Government Grants: The organization receives government funding including grants from the City of Norfolk for general operating expenses in Norfolk Public Schools, COVID relief program funding from cities, and grant funding from foundations like the Obici Healthcare Foundation for Western Tidewater expansion.
4. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Donors can make planned gifts through the Batten Legacy Society, allowing supporters to leave charitable bequests that support students in the future.
5. Workplace Giving: Donations accepted through United Way workplace campaigns with designation codes (CCC and CVC codes) for payroll deduction giving.
6. Stock Donations: The foundation accepts donations of publicly traded stock transferred through a donor's broker to Access College Foundation's brokerage account.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ACCESS College Foundation provides free college access and success advisory services to public school students in South Hampton Roads and Northampton County, Virginia. Core offerings include the High School Program serving 9th-12th graders in 30 schools, the Early College Awareness Program for middle school students, the College and Career Success Program supporting Access Scholars at 14 Virginia college campuses, and the Access Last-Dollar Scholarship program awarding need-based scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $110,000.

Product overview

ACCESS College Foundation operates as a single unified program offering educational pathway services rather than a software platform. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of college access and success programs including: the High School Program serving 9th-12th graders in 30 public high schools, the Early College Awareness Program for middle school students, Access Last-Dollar Scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $110,000, the College and Career Success Program supporting scholars at 14 Virginia college campuses, College Tours, Scholarship Administration for external organizations, and signature events including College Commitment Day and Scholarship Awards Celebration. All services are provided free of charge to public school students and parents in South Hampton Roads and Northampton County, Virginia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High School Program College access advisory services for 9th-12th grade students across 30 public high schools, including assistance with college applications, financial aid, SAT/ACT registration, and fee waivers for testing and college applications.
• Early College Awareness Program College preparation program for 7th and 8th grade middle school students and their parents, providing workshops and advising sessions on future goals, career choices, educational opportunities, financial aid literacy, and connecting education to careers.
• Access Last-Dollar Scholarships

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 85,000 students helped over 36+ years to pursue college education
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Old Dominion UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Host Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, providing the venue (Chartway Arena) and hosting the major celebration event for 2,000+ high school seniors.
• PRA GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Title Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, providing major sponsorship support for the annual celebration event.
• TruistcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Special Guest Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, supporting the major student celebration event.
• Dollar TreesecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Diamond Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, providing sponsorship support.
• SentarasecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Diamond Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, providing sponsorship support.
• SOAR Virginia presented by Commonwealth SaverssecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Premier Partner for both College Commitment Day 2026 and Scholarship Awards Celebration 2026.
• Merrill Lynch (Bank of America)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold Partner for College Commitment Day 2026 through Campbell, Johnson and Earl Wealth Management Group.
• Dominion EnergysecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver Partner for College Commitment Day 2026.
• Rivers Casino PortsmouthsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver Partner for College Commitment Day 2026.
• Virginia Natural GassecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver Partner for College Commitment Day 2026.
• Longwood UniversitysecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Doctorate Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, participating as a college partner.
• Norfolk State UniversitysecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Doctorate Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, participating as a college partner.
• Virginia TechsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Doctorate Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, participating as a college partner.
• ECPI UniversitysecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Master's Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, participating as a college partner.
• Tidewater Community CollegesecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Master's Partner for College Commitment Day 2026, participating as a college partner.
• BlackbaudcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Payment processing provider for the organization, handling credit card donations with a 2.79% fee + $0.30 per transaction for Discover, MasterCard, and VISA.
• PayPalsecondaryTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Alternative online payment processing option for donations.
• Timbaland Way Cares InccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborated with Access College Foundation to bring music icon Timbaland as headline performer for College Commitment Day 2026.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• College Possible: National nonprofit providing near-peer college coaching and access services to low-income high school students. Directly comparable to ACCESS in mission, target population (underrepresented students), and college advising/financial aid support model, though operating at national scale versus ACCESS's regional Virginia footprint.
• uAspire: Nonprofit focused specifically on financial aid advising and college affordability for low-income students, including FAFSA completion support. Highly comparable to ACCESS's financial-aid-centric services and Last-Dollar Scholarship model, with overlapping target population and similar regional nonprofit structure.
• Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing college access and success advising to first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds, with strong persistence/graduation outcome tracking. Directly comparable end-to-end college access + success model and outcome reporting approach to ACCESS.
• OneGoal: Nonprofit delivering college readiness and success programming in high schools with a focus on persistence through college completion. Comparable in school-embedded model, target population (low-income high schoolers), and full-pipeline college success support.
• Scholarship America: Large nonprofit scholarship administrator that designs, manages, and administers private scholarship programs for donors and employers. Directly comparable to ACCESS's scholarship administration services and Last-Dollar Scholarship administration function, though at much larger national scale.
• SOAR Virginia: Virginia-based college access nonprofit serving students across the Commonwealth, including 529 savings programs and college affordability initiatives. Active Premier Partner with ACCESS on College Commitment Day and Scholarship Awards Celebration, indicating direct mission overlap and collaboration.

Broad incumbents

• National College Access Network (NCAN): National membership and advocacy organization supporting a network of local college access programs across the U.S. Comparable mission category and provides industry coordination that ACCESS participates in, though operates as a membership/advocacy body rather than direct service provider.
• College Board: Mission-driven nonprofit administering the SAT, AP, and FAFSA-related tools (including CSS Profile) used in college access. ACCESS supports students through these standardized testing and financial aid systems; broad comparable incumbent in the college access ecosystem though with a fundamentally different delivery model.
• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit K-12 charter school network with strong college persistence support for alumni through college completion. Comparable in mission of supporting underrepresented students through K-12 into higher education, with an embedded advising model, though as a K-12 operator rather than a pure college-access nonprofit.

Regional players

• Cleveland Scholarship Program (Cleveland Foundation): Original model that ACCESS's founders explicitly adapted in 1988; provides college access and scholarship support in the Cleveland, Ohio region. Functionally a regional twin to ACCESS but operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AccessCollegeFd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3AwBClwwDmPErAHcTuIMPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACCESSCollegeFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/accesscollegefd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/access-college-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACCESS College Foundation