LEWISTON – Bates College this week began a new partnership with a nonprofit that helps high-achieving, low-income students attend elite institutions of higher education.

QuestBridge, the three-decades-old nonprofit, aims to prove “accessible and affordable life-changing opportunities to the best and brightest students, regardless of their financial backgrounds.”

Admissions office at Bates College in Lewiston. The college is working with QuestBridge to help low-income students attend elite colleges.  Steve Collins/Sun Journal

Bates officials said they were happy to join 54 other colleges and universities in the program, including two that also became partners this week: Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia.

“At Bates, we hold a long-standing belief in the transformative power of education along with our foundational commitments to excellence, inclusion and access,” President Garry Jenkins said in a prepared statement.

“Our partnership with QuestBridge furthers these commitments and strengthens our ability to empower exceptional students from all backgrounds, preparing them for lives of meaning, leadership, and impact,” Jenkins said.

Through its national college match, QuestBridge students have the chance to earn admission and four-year scholarships to colleges. The nonprofit said it had helped 2,627 high school seniors earn full scholarships to top colleges last year.

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Bates’ vice president of enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid, Leigh Weisenburger, said in a prepared statement that “we’ll enroll our first cohort of QuestBridge Scholars at Bates in fall 2026, and we are already looking forward to welcoming them and all they will bring to our community.”

Weisenburger said QuestBridge is a “powerful engine for access” that Bates is proud to collaborate with.

QuestBridge and partner colleges cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, food, housing, books, course materials and travel expenses.

Bates has a long-standing commitment to helping low-income and first-generation students who need substantial financial help to attend. It provides 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need.

More than two in five Bates students receive financial aid. The average award currently tops $60,000 annually.

Ana Rowena Mallari, co-founder of QuestBridge, said in a prepared statement that it is “thrilled to welcome Bates College, Harvard College, and the University of Richmond as our newest QuestBridge partners.”

“These exceptional institutions provide opportunities, connections and resources for our students to unlock their potential and excel not only on campus, but also throughout their lives,” Mallari said. “We look forward to collaborating with these outstanding colleges and celebrating the impact these scholars will make in the years to come.”

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