September 7, 2022
Cue the confetti… Class 101 is now 25 years old! In honor of our 25th anniversary we have made some commitments to help empower more students. This includes giving away more scholarships, servicing more communities, and committing to provide our services for those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.
Since 1997, when Tom Pabin founded Class 101 and began this amazing journey of helping students, we’ve been dedicated to empower students, serve families, and inspire greatness by providing a comprehensive roadmap for students as they prepare for higher education.With this mission, we have helped 8,516 students earn a cumulative $859,216,118 in college scholarships, with plans to exceed $1 billion by the end of 2022–2023 school year.
But we’re already thinking of ways to give back beyond these goals. After talking with our Class 101 family, we are thrilled to announce we will be awarding students with $39,000 worth in college scholarships. Our Class 101 locations around the country donated beyond our initial goal of providing $25,000 through our 101 Scholars Program. We will also be providing $101,000 in free Class 101 planning services in the 2022–2023 academic year.
This work continues our mission to provide families with expert guidance on the college search, admissions, and financial aid process.
101 Scholars Program
For many years, we have sponsored our 101 Scholar Program, giving students nationwide the opportunity to receive funding to offset the growing cost of college education.
Deserving high school students who demonstrate leadership in making their communities a better place as well as their overall academic achievement can earn over $1,000 in scholarships in 2023, all in effort to help make college more affordable. The program will be open to students in grades 9-12, with the application involving a short video or essay on their achievements and what they’ve done in their communities. Applications will be accepted from March 1 – April 1, 2023.
Additional Support
Also to celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are committed to awarding approximately 25 high school students with college planning all four years of high school—a total funded value of $101,000.
The initiative is an attempt to expand the accessibility of college planning to new students who may lack the resources they need. Students from all grade levels have the opportunity to benefit from this generous award.
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These initiatives have support from all across Class 101, including its founder.
“Aiding more than 8,500 high school students successfully navigate through the college planning process over the past 25 years is as much of an achievement for the students as it is for Class 101, and we’re honored to have been part of all their journeys in entering their next stage of education and growth,” said Tom Pabin, founder and president of Class 101.
“When originally founding Class 101, I knew I wanted to help students find their greatness and couldn’t have imagined that in 2022, we’d be celebrating these efforts on such a grand scale. As a special ‘thank you’ to our students and families, we’ll be awarding them with even more scholarships and planning packages than ever before to deepen our commitment in helping provide access to higher education.”
Here’s to even more years of empowering students, serving families, and inspiring greatness…the Class 101 way!
January 25, 2026
Remember: the college decision timeline lists May 1 as College Decision Day for most colleges and programs. Receiving acceptances is a relief, a sign that your work and accomplishments have been recognized, but choosing among college offers can create new uncertainty. And today’s seniors feel pressure to make decisions much sooner. With a decreasing population […]
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January 25, 2026
At Class 101-Dayton, we promote a smarter scholarship search for our students. Although there is no single source for scholarship information, there are strategies to find and apply for scholarships successfully. Here are a few tips from Class 101-Dayton. Institutional Scholarships First, check your applicant and accepted student portals to search for competitive scholarships at […]
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January 25, 2026
Nearly 70% of colleges report “demonstrated interest” (DI) as a significant or considerable factor in admissions. We encourage DI with our Class 101 students for two reasons. First, a student should be actively engaged in their college research, leveraging every tool available to better understand and connect with colleges. This includes signing up for emails, […]
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