Home
March 26, 2021 2025-08-04 12:53Home
Learn. Grow. Succeed.
Transforming Rural Communities One Student at a Time
Our mission
The Ayers Foundation Trust is dedicated to improving the quality of life of rural Tennesseans through education, conservation, and social welfare. We help students remove barriers, access quality education, and earn a degree or credential leading to a prosperous life.
An Ayers Success Story
How We Serve:
Learn. Grow. Succeed.
Through our signature Ayers Scholars Program, we have embedded counselors in 40 rural high schools across the state. We begin working with students in the 8th grade to ensure every student develops a plan to reach their individual goals — whether it be attending a community college, technical school, university, or joining the military after high school.
As our Scholars move through high school, we offer ongoing support with applications, financial aid, and identifying career pathways. But our encouragement doesn’t stop at high school graduation. Our counselors stay in touch with our Scholars throughout college to support their continued success and completion.
Our Come Home Tennessee initiative works to recruit employers, businesses, and remote work opportunities to rural counties, connecting them directly with Ayers Scholars Alumni and other Tennesseans. Our goal is to create a rural revival in Tennessee so our 23,000 Ayers Scholars Alumni have the opportunity to remain or return home to live, work, and raise their families if they so choose.
A Model for Student Success
The Ayers Scholars Program is a nationally-recognized, highly effective college access and counseling program now working in and delivering outsized results for students in 40 high schools across 28 rural Tennessee counties.
By providing schools with full-time, trained advisors, counselors can give students the guidance and support they need, from 8th grade through college or another postsecondary path.
The Ayers Foundation Trust is also a designated partnering organization to Tennessee Promise that guides students across the state through the transition from high school to college.
STUDENTS SERVED
93% FAFSA Submission Rate
19 Percentage Points Higher Than the Statewide FAFSA Submission Rate
5x Increase
in College-Going Compared to the State
$186 Million
in Scholarships and Grants
82% RETENTION RATE
Class of 2022 Postsecondary Retention Rate for Ayers Scholars at Legacy High Schools combined
Rural Initiatives
Come Home Tennessee
Creating a Rural Revival
Building from a skilled talent pool of over 23,000 Ayers Scholars Alumni, Come Home Tennessee actively works to revitalize rural communities so Tennesseans from small towns have the opportunity to return home to live, work, and raise their families if they so choose.
Parsons, Tennessee
Ayers Entrepreneur Center
Regional Co-Working Facility
Offering co-working space, training, and support, the Ayers Entrepreneur Center in Parsons Tennessee serves the local region as a growing entrepreneurial center and central employment hub, and as a key driver in connecting more Ayers Scholars Alumni and others who want to remain or return back home with the employers and remote work opportunities they need to succeed.
