Stephen Curry, Davidson College and College Track launch new scholarship route for Bay Area students

A new scholarship programme backed by Stephen Curry, Davidson College and College Track will create a route for high-achieving Bay Area students from under-resourced communities to study at one of the US’s leading liberal arts colleges.

The Davidson College Curry Scholars Program will select between five and 10 students each year, with the first cohort expected to begin at Davidson in autumn 2027. The programme has been developed by Davidson College, Curry, College Track and Oakland Unified School District.

Shirley Collado, CEO of College Track, said the partnership reflected “our shared commitment to first-generation college students” and showed “what can happen when colleges, nonprofits and local communities work together.” Dr. Collado has been the President and CEO of College Track since 2022.

For College Track, the programme is a natural extension of its work with students who are aiming to become the first in their families to graduate from college. The organisation supports young people over the long term, from high school through college and into the early stages of their careers.

A new opportunity linked to Curry’s Davidson story

The programme also has a personal connection for Curry, who graduated from Davidson in 2010 before becoming one of basketball’s most successful players. Davidson was the setting for his breakthrough college career, including the 2008 NCAA tournament run that helped bring him to national attention.

Curry has spoken often about the role Davidson played in his life, both as a student and as an athlete. The new scholarship programme builds on that relationship, creating a practical way for students from the Bay Area to access the same kind of transformational college experience.

The scholarship will cover tuition, fees, housing, meals, books and a computer allowance. Students will also receive a trip to Davidson during their senior year of high school, with a guest, and take part in a send-off celebration in Oakland before beginning college.

That kind of support matters because the challenge is not only getting into college. For many first-generation students, the bigger challenge is understanding how to prepare, how to settle in, how to use the resources available and how to stay on track through to graduation.

College Track’s role in the partnership

College Track will support students through individualised college and career coaching. That support will work alongside the help offered by Davidson’s own community and its Matthews Center for Career Development.

The partnership is built around the idea that talented students need more than a scholarship. They need advice, relationships, confidence and a clear pathway through the system. College Track’s model is designed to provide that continuity.

Founded in 1997, College Track now supports more than 4,800 high school and college students across California, Colorado, Louisiana and the D.C.-Maryland area. According to Davidson, 90 percent of College Track scholars are the first in their family to attend college and 84 percent come from under-resourced communities.

Davidson will also work with Oakland Unified School District to identify applicants. The district serves nearly 34,000 students, more than half of whom qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

A pathway from Oakland to Davidson

The Curry Scholars Program was announced at College Track’s national office in Oakland, where prospective applicants, families, College Track staff, Oakland Unified School District representatives and Davidson admissions officials gathered to mark the launch.

For Davidson, the partnership strengthens its commitment to bringing students from different backgrounds into the college community. More than 22 percent of current first-year Davidson students are eligible for Pell grants.

Davidson College President Doug Hicks said the college’s mission is to send graduates into the world ready to “lead and serve”. He also said Curry had shown leadership through his commitment to children and young adults in Oakland.

The programme sits at the intersection of education, community and long-term opportunity. It is not simply a scholarship in name. It is a structured pathway that begins before students arrive on campus and continues as they prepare for college life, academic work and future careers.

For selected students, the Curry Scholars Program will offer a route from the Bay Area to Davidson. For the wider education sector, it is another example of how colleges, nonprofits, school districts and public figures can work together to make higher education more accessible and more achievable.