Achieve Atlanta
Achieve Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides need-based scholarships and wraparound college access and success support to Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools students pursuing postsecondary credentials. The organization funds up to $20,000 per scholar and partners with in-school advising organizations and postsecondary institutions to drive enrollment and completion.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Achieve Atlanta does
Achieve Atlanta, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. It operates a need-based scholarship and college access program for high school seniors and college students in the Atlanta metropolitan area, primarily serving students from Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and Fulton County Schools (FCS) — specifically Creekside High School and Tri-Cities High School. The organization also delivers a College Access program (in partnership with College Advising Corps and OneGoal) and a College Success program that supports enrolled scholars through persistence coaching, emergency grants, mental health resources, and career readiness services. Scholarship awards are structured at $5,000 per year (up to $20,000 total) for four-year postsecondary paths and $1,500 per year (up to $3,000 total) for two-year or technical paths, with eligibility based on Student Aid Index (SAI) thresholds and weighted GPA requirements.
The core technology stack is non-proprietary: the organization operates a customized online scholarship application portal (scholarship.achieveatlanta.org) and a Scholar Dashboard (scholardashboard.achieveatlanta.org) for renewals, supported by a Salesforce implementation led by an in-house Manager of Systems. A Match & Fit List Builder tool helps students identify colleges based on academic profile and preferences. Achieve Atlanta does not generate revenue from products or services; it is funded entirely through charitable donations, grants, and fundraising, with disbursements made directly to postsecondary institutions' financial aid offices on behalf of scholars. As of October 2025, the organization reports 2,196+ confirmed scholars who have earned a postsecondary credential, 7,000+ total scholars supported, approximately $65 million in cumulative scholarship funds disbursed, and 409 postsecondary institutions attended. The organization is led by President/Executive Director Dr. Cheryl Watson-Harris and Executive Vice President Dr. Susanne Diggs-Wilborn, supported by an additional four Vice Presidents and approximately 26 total staff.
Achieve Atlanta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Achieve Atlanta
- Legal name
- Achieve Atlanta, Inc.
- Website
- https://achieveatlanta.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Achieve Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides need-based scholarships and wraparound college access and success support to Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools students pursuing postsecondary credentials. The organization funds up to $20,000 per scholar and partners with in-school advising organizations and postsecondary institutions to drive enrollment and completion.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Achieve Atlanta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Nonprofit Services — College Access & Scholarship Programs
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
Keywords
Where Achieve Atlanta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Achieve Atlanta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Achieve Atlanta is funded entirely through donations, charitable contributions, and grant funding. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the organization does not generate revenue from products or services. All funds are used to provide need-based scholarships, college access programming, and student support services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | 4-Year College/University award: $5,000 per year, renewable up to 8 semesters (4 years) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Achieve Atlanta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Achieve Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides need-based scholarships (up to $20,000 over four years for four-year college/university paths and up to $3,000 over two years for two-year/technical paths) to qualifying Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools students pursuing postsecondary education. It delivers wraparound support services including college access advising, college success coaching, mental health resources, emergency grants, career readiness support, and a Scholar Job Board, all funded through donations and grants.
Product overview
Achieve Atlanta is a unified scholarship and student support organization offering a portfolio of programs including the Achieve Atlanta Scholarship (a need-based award up to $20,000 for 4-year or $3,000 for 2-year paths), supported by a digital scholarship application portal and Scholar Dashboard. The organization provides wraparound services including College Access advising, College Success coaching, Mental Health support, Emergency Grants, and a Scholar Job Board. All services work together to help students access, afford, and complete postsecondary education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Achieve Atlanta Scholarship Need-based scholarship award for Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools (Creekside HS and Tri-Cities HS) students pursuing postsecondary education after high school. Provides up to $5,000/year (renewable up to 8 semesters, max $20,000) for 4-year college/university paths, or up to $1,500/year (renewable up to 4 semesters, max $3,000) for 2-year/technical paths. Funds are disbursed directly to postsecondary institution financial aid offices and do not need to be repaid.
- Scholarship Application Portal Online portal at scholarship.achieveatlanta.org where students apply for the Achieve Atlanta Scholarship. Application opens in February and closes in June each year.
- Scholar Dashboard Personalized online portal at scholardashboard.achieveatlanta.org where current scholars access renewal applications, track application and disbursement status, upload required documents (course schedules, transcripts), and communicate with Achieve Atlanta staff.
- College Access Program Program operated in partnership with Atlanta Public Schools, College Advising Corps, and OneGoal that supports high school seniors in completing milestones for college enrollment, including FAFSA completion, college applications, and scholarship applications.
- College Success Program Program offering direct support, coaching, advising, and brokered services to help Achieve Atlanta Scholars persist through college and earn postsecondary credentials, delivered in partnership with postsecondary institutions and college success experts.
- Mental Health Services Mental health support services for Achieve Atlanta Scholars and their families, providing resources for emotional well-being during the college journey.
- Emergency Grants Emergency financial assistance for Achieve Atlanta Scholars facing unexpected financial hardships during their college education.
- Pathway to Persistence Resources and support services designed to help Achieve Atlanta Scholars complete their college education and earn postsecondary credentials.
- Match & Fit List Builder Online tool that helps students identify and compare colleges based on their preferences, academic profile, and fit criteria.
- Scholar Job Board Employment resource connecting Achieve Atlanta Scholars with job opportunities to support their college experience and career development.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,196+ Achieve Atlanta Scholars have earned a postsecondary credential as of October 2025
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Achieve Atlanta
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Achieve Atlanta technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Achieve Atlanta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- College Advising CorpscoreCollege Advising Corps provides college advisers who work in partner high schools to help students navigate the college application and financial aid process. Achieve Atlanta collaborates with College Advising Corps as part of its College Access program, which supports APS seniors to complete key milestones such as completing the FAFSA, applying to colleges, and submitting the Achieve Atlanta Scholarship application.
- OneGoalcoreOneGoal is a college access organization that partners with Achieve Atlanta to support high school seniors in completing postsecondary milestones. Together with College Advising Corps, OneGoal forms part of the collaborative College Access program that Achieve Atlanta funds and operates in partnership with Atlanta Public Schools.
- Georgia Policy Labs at Georgia State UniversitycoreGeorgia Policy Labs at Georgia State University's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies conducts research and evaluation in partnership with Achieve Atlanta to measure the impact of its scholarship and support programs. Research findings inform program improvements and demonstrate that Achieve Atlanta Scholars persist and earn credentials at higher rates than similar peers while taking on less student debt.
- Atlanta Public Schools (APS)coreAchieve Atlanta operates through a formal relationship with Atlanta Public Schools, providing strategic, operational, and financial support, including a district-wide college advising program serving all juniors and seniors. APS seniors are the primary beneficiary population for the Achieve Atlanta Scholarship.
- Fulton County Schools (FCS)coreAchieve Atlanta expanded its scholarship program to serve seniors at Creekside High School and Tri-Cities High School within Fulton County Schools, Georgia. FCS seniors meeting eligibility criteria can receive the Achieve Atlanta Scholarship, making FCS a key school-district partner for program delivery.
- Beyond12minorBeyond12 provides college coaching services to some Achieve Atlanta Scholars. Thomas Smith, a former Achieve Atlanta staff member, previously served as a College Coach with Beyond12 before transitioning to the organization. The partnership supports scholar persistence and college completion.
- Postsecondary Institutions (409+)coreAchieve Atlanta partners with over 409 postsecondary institutions to deliver its scholarship and college success programs. Scholarship funds are disbursed directly to institutional financial aid offices, and the organization works with college success staff and coaches at partner institutions to support scholar persistence and degree completion.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Achieve Atlanta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OneGoal: National college access and persistence organization that works with high schoolers through college to support postsecondary completion. OneGoal is a core delivery partner for Achieve Atlanta's College Access program in APS high schools, operating a closely aligned programmatic model.
- College Advising Corps: National nonprofit that places recent college graduates as near-peer advisers in underserved high schools. Achieve Atlanta funds and partners with College Advising Corps to deliver its College Access program in APS, with a closely aligned embedded-advising approach.
- QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving, low-income students with selective colleges and full scholarships. Comparable to Achieve Atlanta in combining need-based scholarship funding with college access support for underrepresented populations.
- Beyond12: College persistence coaching organization that provides near-peer coaching to students from low-income backgrounds through college. Achieve Atlanta explicitly partners with Beyond12 to deliver College Success support to its scholars.
- uAspire: Nonprofit focused on ensuring low-income students have the financial knowledge and resources to enroll in and complete college. Comparable to Achieve Atlanta's college access advising and financial aid navigation work, though uAspire is a direct-service advising model without its own scholarship.
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: National scholarship provider supporting high-achieving, low-income students through undergraduate awards plus advising and persistence support. Closely comparable in combining a sizable renewable scholarship with structured college success services.
- Posse Foundation: College access and leadership organization that identifies and supports cohorts of underrepresented students through full-tuition scholarships and persistence programming. Operates a similarly wraparound scholarship-plus-coaching model targeting low-income and first-generation students.
- The Scholarship Academy: Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to helping students access and complete postsecondary education through coaching and financial aid guidance. Shares Achieve Atlanta's geography, target demographic, and college-access mission, and is referenced in Achieve Atlanta team member backgrounds.
Emerging players
- College Greenlight: Digital platform helping first-generation and low-income students navigate college applications, affordability, and matching. Comparable to Achieve Atlanta's Match & Fit List Builder tool and online scholarship portal, though focused on platform-based delivery rather than district-embedded services.
Broad incumbents
- UNCF: Long-established national organization administering scholarships and supporting HBCUs. Shares Achieve Atlanta's mission of funding postsecondary education for underrepresented students, but operates at significantly greater scale and a national footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Achieve Atlanta social profiles
Digital presenceAchieve Atlanta compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Achieve Atlanta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Achieve Atlanta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Achieve Atlanta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Achieve Atlanta M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Achieve Atlanta
What does Achieve Atlanta do?
Achieve Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides need-based scholarships (up to $20,000 over four years for four-year college/university paths and up to $3,000 over two years for two-year/technical paths) to qualifying Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools students pursuing postsecondary education. It delivers wraparound support services including college access advising, college success coaching, mental health resources, emergency grants, career readiness support, and a Scholar Job Board, all funded through donations and grants.
Is Achieve Atlanta a public or private company?
Achieve Atlanta is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Achieve Atlanta founded?
Achieve Atlanta was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Achieve Atlanta based?
Achieve Atlanta is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Achieve Atlanta make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Achieve Atlanta's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OneGoal, College Advising Corps, QuestBridge, Beyond12, uAspire, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Posse Foundation and The Scholarship Academy. College Greenlight is listed as an emerging player. UNCF is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Achieve Atlanta have an API?
No public API is recorded for Achieve Atlanta.
What industry is Achieve Atlanta in?
Achieve Atlanta's product category is Education Nonprofit Services — College Access & Scholarship Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAE, College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.