The BIG mission behind VU
VU (pronounced “view”) exists to encourage, support, and guide high school students to a future they never knew existed – changing lives with a view into new possibilities.
Our goal is to evoke inspiration and wonder in the minds of students by showcasing college scholarship possibilities early, allowing students to dream bigger and recognize the value and potential inside every one of them.
"I created this to show students there is hope. People will notice your efforts, and you can be rewarded for it."
- Edward Márquez, Inventor
The Story So Far
In 2014, Edward Márquez, a Kansas City native and education innovator, had an idea…
For college sports fans, it’s common knowledge that student athletes are pursued by college athletic recruiters while still in high school. When students show potential in their sport, recruiters come to their games and offer them an opportunity before the student even thinks about applying to that college.
For Ed, something clicked. Why not make this same model for academics?
Ed grew and implemented this scholarship model while working for the Kansas City, Kansas Public School District. Other local districts noticed the impact, and he freely shared it with them to help as many students as possible.
Mission On The Move
As word spread about Ed’s scholarship model, the Shawnee Mission School District was all-in and hired Ed to implement the model, allowing him to focus his energy on this new way for thousands of students to receive scholarship offers. Each student enrolled in the model at Shawnee Mission received between $100,000 and $2.4M in package scholarship offers.
Ed dedicated his entire career to helping students dream bigger and building systems that enabled students to turn those dreams into reality. VU Scholarships was founded based on Ed’s model and vision. His gentle heart, mission-oriented personality, and inspirational passion were foundational and continue to push VU forward every day.
Continuing A Legacy
What started as Ed’s vision in a single school district has become a model that’s changing how entire districts and communities view college opportunity. After seeing the impact of his work, Ed’s son, Andrew, co-founded VU Scholarships to carry that vision forward and scale it nationwide.
As CEO, Andrew leads the VU team in partnering with districts and post-secondary institutions across the country, bringing the same student-first scholarship model to new regions and thousands of additional students each year. The heart of the work hasn’t changed – it’s still about giving students a clearer view of what’s possible and helping families see college as financially within reach.
What VU is TODAY
VU is how Ed's model comes to life at scale.
VU is a platform that matches high school students with scholarship offers from colleges and universities, so students can view real offers before they apply.
- • A platform where high school students view scholarship offers from participating colleges, universities, and technical schools before they apply.
- • A way to make college affordability visible earlier, especially for students who might not otherwise see college as possible.
- • A partnership model with districts and post-secondary institutions, not a direct-to-consumer app.
Our CORE Values
Partnership
We work side by side with parents, schools, and post-secondary institutions to change students’ lives – because VU only works when we all believe students deserve to view every scholarship awarded to them early.
Curiosity
We ask “what if?” and “why not?” to keep improving how students view their options, helping them discover their strengths and dream bigger about what’s possible.
Trust
We follow through on what we promise, building trust with students and partners so they can trust the process – and ultimately, their own abilities.
Passion
We show up every day with a deep commitment to students, combining head and heart to help more of them view a future they never thought was possible.
Want to Bring VU to Your COMMUNITY?
VU's model is already changing how students and schools view college opportunity. To see real results from partner districts and students, explore the success stories on our blog.
Whether you're a district leader, university partner, or parent – we'd love to talk.
Years In The Rear - VU
VU has made a big impact in a short amount of time. But, we are not surprised because every student has so much potential, and that's what we are here to showcase! Every year VU continues to grow, and we can't wait to add milestone after milestone, year after year.
Give Us A Shout!Expansion into Texas
Helping multiple districts and their schools bring scholarship offers to their students.
Mobile App Launched
An iOS app launched in the fall, giving students an easy way to keep updated with latest opportunities.
75+ High Schools
Begins to expand outside of Kansas City and continues to rapidly add college and university partners.
VU Launches Automated Platform
Now allowing more high schools and colleges to be included without hardly any effort on their end.
$1.77B Awarded in Scholarships
Shawnee Mission School District sets a new record for scholarship awards.
12 High Schools
Two additional Kansas City districts adopt the scholarship model.
Scholarship Model Launches
The year Ed dreamed up this life-changing scholarship model. In year 1, this district awarded 6x in scholarships from the previous year.