Yawkey Foundation Education Support

Tom and Jean Yawkey valued the importance of education and understood its ability to change lives. Over many decades, the Yawkeys personally provided tuition support and academic opportunities to countless employees and children of their employees at the wildlife preserve that was their winter home in Georgetown, South Carolina. In addition, in a time of deep need for Tara Hall Home for Boys — a residential school that served boys with academic and behavioral health needs — the Yawkeys provided pivotal financial support that enabled the Georgetown County-based organization to offer education and enrichment for at-risk youth.

The Trustees of the Yawkey Foundation are committed to providing educational opportunities for degree-aspiring individuals who are working to achieve their academic and career goals. The Foundation partners with nonprofits with missions dedicated to higher education access, persistence and success for young adults living in Greater Boston and Georgetown County, SC, with special focus on individuals from circumstances and communities that may lack resources and pathways to opportunities. In addition to supporting the capacity of nonprofits offering focused programs and services toward these goals, the Foundation has also invested in permanently endowed tuition scholarships at Boston College, Emmanuel College, Stonehill College, and Tom Yawkey’s alma mater, Yale University. In addition, the Yawkey Foundation has made meaningful investments totaling more than $13 million in nonprofit internship and service-learning programs for students at Boston University, Bentley University, Merrimack College and Yale University.

The Yawkey Scholars Program has provided nearly $16 million in college tuition support to more than 380 Scholars across Massachusetts and Georgetown County, SC since its inception in 2005. Currently, the intake of new applications for rising first-year college students is on pause to allow for a strategic review of the program and thoughtful consideration of future plans for the most meaningful, impactful manner of investing the Foundation’s resources to perpetuate the Yawkeys’ deep commitment to education. The Yawkey Foundation will continue to provide robust resources – mentoring, guidance and tuition scholarship funding – to make college affordable for the talented and motivated currently-designated Yawkey Scholars.