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Student Freedom Initiative

Increasing Access to Education without Overwhelming Debt

Hexagon with Student Inside of It
Hexagon with Student Inside of It

SEE HOW STUDENT FREEDOM INITIATIVE WORKS

Check out the HBCU Shift report

Download the report by Student Freedom Initiative and EAB and the Center for the Study of HBCUs at Virginia Union University

Help Us

Support our mission

Student Freedom Initiative is expanding opportunity for students by increasing access to affordable education and empowering Minority Serving Institutions. Our mission is to address the wealth gap through the lens of education.

How Can We Help?

Student Freedom Loan Agreement

Our Student Freedom Fund subsidiary helps to reduce the debt burden by providing funds to pay for a portion of an eligible student’s educational expenses under our Student Freedom Agreement, an alternative to Parent PLUS loans.
Apply Here

Internships & Certifications

InternXL is uniquely positioned to bring precision, diversity, inclusion, and efficiency to the internship matching process – and increase job readiness for thousands of talented and skilled young adults across the country.
Find an Internship

Student Programs

We offer a wide range of programs to help students persist in school including our emergency grant program and our investment program – with many more on the way.
View All Programs

Each of us will be measured by how much we contribute to the success of the people around us.

Robert F. Smith

Unlocking the Potential

of the SFI Ecosystem

We are partnering with the best HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs in the country to make college more attainable, strengthen their cybersecurity, expand access to broadband, implement green energy at their campus, and make their institution more competitive and more resilient.

Leaders of Today

Helping Leaders of Tomorrow

Student Freedom Initiative was founded by Robert F Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners and Philanthropist.

Robert enlisted Henry Louis Gates, Director of The Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, Michael Lomax, President & CEO of The United Negro College Fund, Lawrence P. Bancroft, President and CEO of Bivium Capital, and a selected team of professionals and community leaders who are dedicated to using the lens of education to eliminate the structural and societal barriers that create the wealth gap in the United States.

meet the team