Temple University has launched its Temple Future Scholars program, a pioneering college pipeline initiative that draws inspiration from the highly successful Rutgers Future Scholars (RFS) model. Recognizing Rutgers’ proven track record of guiding first-generation, low-income students from middle school to college graduation, Temple has adapted many of RFS’s core strategies to reach Philadelphia’s seventh graders. By providing comprehensive mentoring, monthly campus visits, summer programming, and guaranteed financial support through Temple Promise, the new program aims to remove academic and financial barriers for students who may never have envisioned themselves pursuing higher education.
Temple’s commitment to scaling this initiative is evident in its initial recruitment of 120 students across seven Philadelphia public middle schools, with plans to grow to 200 annually in subsequent years. Much like RFS, Temple Future Scholars is built on close partnerships with local school districts and community organizations (including Heights Philadelphia), ensuring students receive consistent support from early adolescence through high school and into college. This holistic approach mirrors Rutgers Future Scholars’ emphasis on sustained engagement and relationship-building that fosters academic success, civic involvement, and personal growth.
By directly modeling its program on Rutgers Future Scholars, Temple underscores the viability of multi-year, wraparound interventions for first-generation, low-income populations. Temple President John Fry, Provost Gregory Mandel, and Vice President for Community Impact Valerie Harrison each emphasized the transformative power of connecting young students to college resources, mentors, and financial pathways well before senior year. Their vision affirms a growing movement of universities—led by Rutgers—that view these programs not just as altruistic endeavors, but as investments in the futures of both individual students and entire communities.