You Helped Us Exceed Our Goal—Here’s What It Means

I’m not a big believer in new year’s resolutions, but I love a good year-in-review. Each December, I try to take an honest look at where we’ve been and where we’re going. This year, the picture is clearer than ever: Aim Higher is building something that will matter long after 2025.

Ricky Austin is the president of the Aim Higher Foundation.

Let me start with a little introspection. Much of my own work this year didn’t happen where I thought it would. I wasn’t visiting classrooms and scholars or as close to the daily work our team leads as often as in years past. I didn’t personally witness as many of the small, inspirational moments that remind me why this mission matters. It wasn’t for a lack of desire. The “news of the day,” as it were, had other plans for me.

This year was unusual in that I spent hours and hours in conversations and planning sessions about the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC)—an effort that, if successful, could become one of the most significant catalysts for educational access and innovation in our country’s history. This kind of work is invisible by design. When you’re laying foundation stones, most of the structure remains out of view.

What we are building this year with the work of the FSTC probably won’t be visible until 12 or even 24 months from now, akin to how foundation stones were laid years ago for Aim Higher Foundation’s 2025’s extraordinary accomplishments. Here’s what I mean:

Back in 2017, we set a goal to ensure our scholarship program would always be a “growing fund.” In 2021, that goal became more concrete: what if we could award a scholarship to every student who qualified as “full-need”? To do so, we would need to increase the number of scholarships by nearly 50% to reach a target of 2,800 scholarships.

Thanks to the persistence of our team and the generosity of our supporters, we didn’t just meet this number—we exceeded it, awarding 2,900 scholarships this school year. Stating it so isn’t a victory lap. It’s a reminder of what is possible when many people quietly do their part. It’s proof that the demand for opportunity is growing—and that our community is willing to respond.

And, of course, we know 2,900 is not a number at all. Each student we serve has their own background and family dynamics. We serve 2900 individual souls with their own dreams, attending a school that prepares each one of them for a better future. 

I’ve always believed the Aim Higher Foundation succeeds when we stay focused on children and families—and when we take the long view. The work we did 2025 nor will the work we do in 2026 do be about short-term accomplishments. It’s about building access, generation after generation, for children who deserve nothing less than everything we can give them.

I’m grateful—to our donors, to our school partners, to families who trust us, and to a team that understands that building something meaningful requires focus, a quiet, relentless drive, and  great attention to detail that few ever see.

Thank you for standing with us through this year. The impact ahead will be greater than what’s behind us—and we are just getting started.

With appreciation,