Accomplishing a Great Work

Helping more than 57,000 students from 188 countries to “arise and shine forth” through education is indeed a great work. Considering that many BYU-Pathway Worldwide students get less than two meals a day, don’t have secure housing, have significant family responsibilities, and struggle to find internet, the task seems almost impossible. But with the significant contributions of donors, BYU-Pathway has been able to better meet those needs with the worldwide launch of the Heber J. Grant Scholarship .

In November 2021, the scholarship was launched as the first needs-based scholarship that was guaranteed for all students who participate in the preferred path , which takes students through courses that lay the foundation for the rest of their online degree program.

For most students, a scholarship is more than just financial aid; it’s the chance they’ve been praying for to change their lives. Randy Lowry from Mississippi, USA, is just one of the nearly 13,000 students to receive the new needs-based scholarship. While he and his wife care for their son with congestive heart failure, the Heber J. Grant Scholarship is what gives Randy the momentum he needs to better his situation.

He said, “I’m just so thankful for those who are donating out of the kindness of their hearts. I hope to one day be able to do the same and help someone else’s dream be achieved.”

Serving a worldwide student body

Named after the prophet Heber J. Grant, the scholarship was created to help individuals through difficult times and reward their efforts to become self-reliant through education. Research indicates that 90% of international BYU-Pathway students who do not complete a course have a passing grade but stop participating due to a lack of money, time, or for other reasons. The Heber J. Grant Scholarship is helping to alleviate those burdens.

Rangi Skipwith-Borell, a scholarship recipient from Australia, said, “I am extremely grateful for the support you have given me to achieve my long time dream to help my family and others become achievers and make a difference in their lives. I have loved my time with BYU-Pathway and look forward to continuing to progress toward my degree.”

Students are awarded a discount of 10, 25, or 50% off of their tuition balance for PathwayConnect courses, depending on their circumstances. For Winter Semester 2022 (Jan.–Apr.), 12,989 scholarships — 63% of overall enrollment — were awarded. Thanks to donors, BYU-Pathway has helped more students than ever to arise, shine, and share their light regardless of their circumstances.