Student Freedom Initiative Increasing Access to Education without Overwhelming Debt Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 video. SEE HOW STUDENT FREEDOM INITIATIVE WORKS ✕ 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 income contingent 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 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. See all Partner Schools 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