Organization History
In 1997, Bottom Line’s founder, Dave Borgal, helped 25 disadvantaged high school seniors get in to college. National Statistics and trends in higher education would have estimated that some of those students would not have been accepted to any college, others would have been accepted but would not have attended for financial reasons, and even if all 25 enrolled in college, at most 6 of them would likely graduate with a degree. However, all 25 students that Dave worked with in 1997 were accepted to college, and 80% of them graduated with a degree, the same rate of graduation as students from the highest income quartile in this country.

The key to Dave’s success was simple: he gave the students support and guidance when they needed it, and he knew when they needed support by remaining connected with them. He mentored them. He advised them. He called them to see how they were doing, and he helped them overcome obstacles on the road to college and the road to success. In the ten years since Dave founded Bottom Line with a caseload of 25 students, much has changed. In 2007-2008, we will serve up to 920 students who are applying to college or persisting toward a college degree. Instead of one staff member, we will employ a staff of 12 full-time and 2 part-time members. We will provide a much larger spectrum of services to students as they apply to college, continue to work toward a degree, and prepare for a career after graduation. However, through all of our growth, the basic premise of Bottom Line has always stayed the same: that disadvantaged students can and will succeed at high rates so long as they have a knowledgeable guide to support them.

Program Details
At Bottom Line, we believe that the lack of knowledgeable one-on-one guidance is an important reason why so many disadvantaged students never make it to college or through college. Because of that, individual relationships are the foundation for Bottom Line’s programs, and we believe that our focus on steady guidance and support is the reason why Bottom Line students succeed at such high rates.

When a student arrives at Bottom Line for the first time, a counselor will discuss that student’s interests, aspirations, academic history, and family situation. Counselors will help students create a list of potential schools, write college essays, complete their applications, apply for financial aid, search for scholarships, and help them deal with any other problems that arise. Once students receive acceptance letters, we help them evaluate their financial options and their choice of schools, and during the summer before their freshmen year, Bottom Line runs transitional programming to help students prepare for the academic rigor and cultural shock of college.

In our College Success Program, Bottom Line becomes a student’s financial aid advocate, debt management advisor, career counselor, and so much more. We help students find jobs, build resumes and buy books. We stay connected to our students through phone calls, e-mails, holiday cards, care packages, and campus visits. However, the most important aspect of our program is the ability to help our students with the unexpected crises that will inevitably arise. Whether a student needs to take a semester off to help their sick mother, their outside scholarship does not come in time for them to buy books for their classes, or they are unhappy at their school and want to transfer, they will always be able to turn to Bottom Line to find a solution. This is the network of support that young people need in order to succeed, and that is the unique and important role that we fill.

Partners and Supporters
Bottom Line collaborates with a number of organizations throughout the community including high schools, colleges, community organizations, scholarship providers, and employers.

High Schools:
Boston International High School
English High School
John D. O'Bryant High School
All Boston Public Schools

Community Organizations:
Bridge to Calculus
Boston University A+ Academy
Epiphany School Alumni
Squashbusters
SSJP Brigham and Women's Hospital
Summer Search
Teen Empowerment
Tenacity
Upward Bound

Colleges:
Bentley College CAP Program
Boston College OTE
Brandeis University TYP Program
Northeastern University Torch Scholarship
UMass Boston DSP
UMass Dartmouth College Now

Scholarships:
ACCESS Scholarship
Phillips Memorial Scholarship
TPI Scholarship
Posse Foundation
Pepsi Rising Star Scholarship

Employers:
INROADS
Boston Lawyers Group
Eastern Bank
Stop and Shop
Target Stores
Sun Life Financial