Partner Organizations

Denison is proud to partner with the American Talent Initiative (ATI), which brings top colleges and universities together with philanthropy and research communities to expand access and opportunity for qualified low- and moderate-income students.

The partnership with ATI is a natural extension of Denison’s work to attract accomplished lower- and middle-income students, and to help make the college’s excellent liberal arts education into a reality.

The American Talent Initiative is a Bloomberg Philanthropies-supported collaboration between the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program, Ithaka S+R, and a growing alliance of colleges and universities dedicated to substantially expanding opportunity and access for low- and moderate-income students.

Denison is a Platinum Partner with the Chicago Scholars Foundation, an organization that serves academically ambitious, first-generation college students from under-resourced communities in Chicago. The organization supports 3,000+ Scholars and Alumni each year in a seven-year program model built on three phases: college access, college success, and career mentoring.

As a Platinum Partner, Denison pledges to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need—through graduation—for Chicago Scholars, sponsor a campus visit prior to an admitted Scholar confirming enrollment, and provide an on-campus liaison for Scholars.

Scholars first engage with the organization during their junior year of high school, when they receive support with the college application process and begin building leadership skills. Throughout the relationship, Scholars will apply to several Chicago Scholars partner colleges and will complete interviews with college admission officers to receive early admission decisions and scholarships.

Denison is a proud partner to College Promise, an organization founded by a Denison alumnus and that is based in Montgomery County, Ohio. College Promise works to help alleviate the poverty cycle for students who have indicated academic promise to make the dream of college a reality. 

Students who qualify for the College Promise Scholarship began the College Promise program in eighth grade. For Denison’s selection process, College Promise seniors are competitively selected as candidates for the scholarship during the fall. At that point, candidates will come to Denison’s campus for a visit and interview. Decisions will be made after the interview process. 

Denison values its relationship with our big-city neighbor, Columbus, through the Denison-Columbus Alliance, which provides total grant aid of at least the full cost of tuition for up to 20 high-achieving students from the Columbus City Schools. This program is offered in partnership with I Know I Can, the only college access program in Columbus.

High school seniors attending Columbus City Schools and working with I Know I Can are invited to apply for this opportunity. Finalists will be selected based on academic records, extracurricular achievements, essays, and teacher and counselor recommendations. Finalists are then invited to an interview round, after which Scholars will be chosen and offered binding admission to Denison and total grant aid of at least the full cost of tuition.

For nearly 20 years, Denison has partnered with the Posse Foundation in Chicago and Boston to enroll student leaders from under-represented populations who might not otherwise have known of or considered applying to Denison. Each Posse consists of 10 Scholars who train and learn together for eight months before starting classes at Denison, and they continue to work together as a cohort, supported by a Denison faculty or administrative staff member/mentor, throughout their time on campus.

Students who are nominated by their teachers, counselors, and other community leaders go through several rounds of interviews with the Posse Foundation throughout the fall of their senior year. In each city, several students are identified by November and are offered the opportunity to commit to apply to Denison under a binding admission plan as Denison Posse Finalists. After submitting admission applications and participating in an in-person group interview with Posse and Denison staff, 10 Scholars are selected in each city. A Posse Scholar receives a full-tuition scholarship from Denison, and Denison also meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all students.

Denison is proud to partner with RaiseMe to help high school students prepare for college by offering scholarships for achievements in high school.

See how you can earn RaiseMe micro-scholarships for Denison University by signing up for a free RaiseMe profile and registering with RaiseMe and Denison. Then, by completing achievements such as taking challenging courses, earning an A, visiting campus, and more, you can earn micro-scholarships adding up to a maximum amount of $12,000 at Denison. The more achievements you add to your RaiseMe Portfolio, the larger your micro-scholarship total will be.

Whatever your Denison micro-scholarship total is by November 1 of your senior year will be included in your merit scholarship award from us, if you apply to Denison and are offered admission. You may receive an even larger merit scholarship based on your complete application for admission, but with RaiseMe, you’ll know ahead of time the minimum amount of merit scholarship you will receive.

For more than 20 years, talented high school sophomores and junior have participated in the acclaimed Reynolds Young Writers Workshop at Denison. Nearly 50 students spend a week in June at this residential program, experiencing small, intimate writing workshops and one-on-one interactions with professional writers.

High school sophomores and juniors are invited to apply for admission to the program. The application includes a creative writing sample, a recommendation form, and a $25 application fee. The program fee includes tuition, housing, and meals, and financial assistance is available—based on need—through the Reynolds Endowment.

Denison is proud to partner with Say Yes to Education to offer full tuition covered with free grant aid to all admitted students from public schools in Buffalo, NY; Cleveland, OH; Guilford County, NC; and Syracuse, NY.

Students who attend public school in Buffalo, NY, Cleveland, OH, Guilford County, NC, or Syracuse, NY and who are admitted to Denison will have their full cost of tuition covered with free grant aid for all four years.

Denison is proud to work with The Sutton Trust, a foundation that aims to improve social mobility through education. The Sutton Trust US Programme, run in partnership with the US-UK Fulbright Commission, offers a scholarship program for high school students from the United Kingdom to attend top American colleges and universities.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must attend, and have always attended, a state-funded school or college (non-fee paying) in the UK, not hold U.S. citizenship, and be from a low-income family (generally, this will mean a household earning £45,000 or less per year).

Students who are selected by The Sutton Trust US Programme and who are admitted to Denison will have their full cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, and board) covered with free grant aid for all four years.

The U.S. Department of Education established the national Upward Bound Program as a part of President Johnson’s Great Society initiatives. The program provides fundamental support to participants as they prepare for college, and it serves high school students from low-income families, as well as first-generation students. Denison University offers an Upward Bound Scholarship in the amount of $20,000 each year to qualified program participants who are admitted to Denison.

Students in the Upward Bound Program need only submit an application for admission to Denison University to be considered for admission (and therefore the scholarship).