Taylor Griffin, left, and Colleen Roberts of the Georgetown Scholars Program at the Fall Leadership Weekend in 2013. (Photo courtesy of Georgetown University)
When they arrive, the management closes the store for three hours. Then, under the guidance of experienced stylists, the young women browse and pick out appropriate professional attire for their upcoming internship or post-graduation job. The cost of their shopping spree is borne by the retailer, whose president is the parent of a recent Georgetown graduate.
The men get to shop, too. Once a year, a few dozen seniors receive gift cards to offset most of the expenses of picking up suits and accessories at Jos A. Bank.
These students are members of the Georgetown Scholarship Program (GSP), which was formed in 2004 to enhance the college experience of first-generation and lower-income students.
But the students do a lot more than just shop. They receive generous scholarship packages designed to ensure that they graduate with no more than approximately $6,000 in college debt.
In addition to providing financial assistance, the program coordinators also provide academic assistance and devise strategies to help the students feel welcome, navigate the system, and fit in on a campus where 55 percent of the students are from wealthy backgrounds and can afford to pay the approximately $60,000-per-year tuition without flinching.
The students also learn important life lessons that ensure their survival on the campus and beyond, such as budgeting and shopping for the best deals on items such as plane tickets, meals and textbooks.
