The Reisher Scholars Program is one of Colorado’s premier scholarship opportunities. While many scholarships help students start college, the Reisher Scholars Program supports students midway through college to help them complete their undergraduate degrees.
Through a partnership that began more than 20 years ago, The Denver Foundation and the Reisher family have collaborated to develop this vital scholarship program — which will be one of the largest in Colorado after a major expansion this year. This is a story about one family’s impact on their community to provide opportunities for generations to come.
Roger Reisher and the Reisher family Roger Reisher came from modest beginnings. He grew up in a sod house in Nebraska, served in the Army during World War II, then became the first in his family to attend college, graduating from the University of Colorado with the help of the GI Bill before starting his finance career. Roger was the founding president of FirstBank in Colorado and worked there for 36 years. His success allowed him the opportunity to give back. In 2001, Roger and his family started the Reisher Scholarship Program at The Denver Foundation.
“He was interested in a solution that moved money into students’ accounts as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said Jack Czarniecki, senior scholarships officer at The Denver Foundation. “They could have started a private foundation, bought a building, and hired staff, but he was more interested in using all that money to give back right away. He saw the value in how the foundation can handle the operations and logistics of it all.”
Despite beginning on a small scale, this program has now grown to be one of the most impactful scholarship funds in Colorado. Since it began it has provided $39.3 million in scholarships and helped nearly 2,500 students complete college. The program is now set for a major expansion.
Planting the seeds and watching them grow
The program’s success inspired the Reisher family to contribute more resources. When it started, the program supported roughly 40 students per year.
“More schools, more students, and more money. It’s a massive increase for any scholarship program, and we still have ways to grow. It’s an investment and our way of telling students, ‘We believe in you.’” - Jack Czarniecki
Now, that number is more than 500 students annually at nine schools across the state. The Reisher scholarship has grown by adding more schools and creating a new partnership for community college students attending any of the 13 Colorado Community College System colleges. The Reisher Bridge Scholarship aims to create a more robust pipeline from two-year to four-year colleges. The program began awarding scholarship dollars to students in the fall 2023 semester before they transfer to a Reisher partner school in the 2024 academic year.
“The community college expansion is us pulling every lever we can,” said Czarniecki, who has 10 years of experience in the scholarship space. “More schools, more students, and more money. It’s a massive increase for any scholarship program, and we still have ways to grow. It’s an investment and our way of telling students, ‘We believe in you.’”
The impact of the expansion on Indigenous students
A school new to the Reisher Scholars program is Fort Lewis College in Durango. “We’re really trying to make our school a place where there are no barriers for any students, and Reisher is helping us close the gap for some of those students and pay for their education,” said Fave Johnston, Fort Lewis College’s Reisher Scholars coordinator and assistant director of Financial Aid.
“What’s really special about the expansion, particularly with Fort Lewis College, is that they also allowed us to include our students who are eligible for the Native American Tuition Waiver, even if they come from out of state,” explained Johnston. Fort Lewis College offers a tuition waiver for enrolled citizens or the child of an enrolled citizen of an American Indian Tribal Nation or Alaska Native Village recognized by the U.S. federal government.
“We’re really trying to make our school a place where there are no barriers for any students, and Reisher is helping us close the gap for some of those students and pay for their education.” - Fave Johnston
The waiver covers tuition costs for undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree-seeking students. Students are responsible for paying other costs associated with attendance, like books, student fees, housing, and meal plans. This Reisher Scholars expansion helps students cover those additional costs.
“A lot of those students are high-need students, so it’s the difference between them wondering if they can afford to go to school and having that security of knowing everything is covered,” said Johnston. “They all work really, really hard, and they all are very humble, and they all want to help others.”
Interested in starting your own scholarship fund? The Denver Foundation will meet with you to discuss your goals and vision, and help you achieve it. Contact us today to start the journey: 303.300.1790.