EMPOWERING OUR YOUTH
THROUGH EDUCATION
The Advocates for Youth Education (AYE) Scholarship Program helps pave the way for young African-American students in the Greater Cincinnati-area to attain their college dreams and develop as professionals. Our dedication and work are based on the belief that when we invest in our youth they will continue to invest in future generations.
"The purpose of AYE is to help students be able to accomplish their educational goals and to be inspired to give back to others when they are able."
-The Founder, Merri Gaither Smith
Our Mission at AYE
AYE’s mission is to provide scholarships to high-achieving African-American high school seniors in the Cincinnati-area who have enrolled in a four-year accredited college or university.
Advocates for Youth Education Incorporated is comprised of a predominantly African-American, but diverse membership of more than fifty professional women who are invited to join the organization and who agree to contribute to the scholarship fund annually, to support AYE’s core mission.
History of AYE
In July 1989, Merri Gaither Smith invited Rosa Blackwell, Agnes Parker, Myrtis Powell, and Lee Etta Powell to her Cincinnati home to discuss their interest in starting an organization to provide college and university scholarships to high achieving minority high school students. By August 1989, twenty women expressed interest in supporting and joining AYE.
Today, AYE is comprised of a diverse group of more than 50 professional women, a majority of whom are African-American. Together these women have contributed to the educational advancement of local youth from throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.
Our Impact
35+ YEARS
Providing Scholarships Since 1989
460+
SCHOLARSHIPS
Over 460 Scholarships Have Been Awarded
Over
$1 MILLION
AWARDED
In Excess of 1 Million Scholarship Dollars Have Been Awarded
How The AYE Scholarship Program Works
Eligibility
Graduating African-American high school seniors in the Cincinnati-area are eligible to apply for the AYE Scholarship. Our scholarship supports students with demonstrated financial need who have applied to and plan to enroll in a four-year accredited college program.
Timeline
| Application Available | January | ||
| Applications Due | February | ||
| Applicant Interviews | April | ||
| Scholarship Banquet | May |
Awards
Scholarships awards vary from year-to-year but typically range from $1,000-$3,500 per student. Confirmation of actual enrollment at a four-year accredited program is required before funds are released by AYE.
AYE Scholarship Application
Our 2026 scholarship application closed on March 7, 2026.
If you have any questions about your scholarship application, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Messages from Our Scholars
Congratulations to our 2025 Scholars!
HIGH SCHOOLS ATTENDED BY OUR AYE SCHOLARS
| Aiken High School | Fairfield High School | Mason High School | Oyler High School | Shroder Paideia High School | Talawanda High School | Wyoming High School |
| Cincinnati Christian High School | Finneytown High School | Mercy/McAuley High School | Princeton High School | Seton High School | Ursuline Academy High School | |
| Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy | Gamble Montessori | Moeller High School | Purcell Marian High School | Seven Hills High School | Walnut Hills High School | |
| Clark Montessori High School | Hughes /Hughes STEM High School | Mt. Healthy | Reading High School | St. Ursula High School | Western Hills Univ. High School | |
| Colerain High School | Indian Hill High School | Mt. Notre Dame High School | Riverview East Academy | St. Xavier High School | Winton Woods High School | |
| Dater High School | Lakota | North College Hill High School | Roger Bacon High School | Summit Country Day School | Withrow High School | |
| DePaul Cristo Rey High School | LaSalle High School | Northwest High School | School for the Creative and Performing Arts | Taft/Taft Information Technology High School | Woodward Career Technical High School |
COLLEGES ATTENDED BY OUR AYE SCHOLARS
| American University | Georgia Institute of Technology | North Carolina A&T University | University of Georgia |
| Auburn University | Goshen College | Northeastern University | University of Louisville |
| Baldwin-Wallace College | Hampton University | Northern Kentucky University | University of Manoa |
| Berea College | Heidelberg University | Northwestern University | University of Michigan |
| Berklee College of Music | Hocking College | Notre Dame College | University of Missouri |
| Bluffton University | Howard University | Oberlin Conservatory of Music | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Bowling Green University | Indiana University | Ohio State University | University of Notre Dame |
| Butler University | Jackson State University | Pepperdine University | University of Rochester |
| Capitol University | Kalamazoo University | Purdue University | University of San Diego |
| Carnegie Melon University | Kent State University | Shawnee State | University of Toledo |
| Case Western University | Kentucky State University | Spelman College | Vanderbilt University |
| Central State University | Kettering University | Temple University | Virginia State University |
| Christ College of Nursing & Health Sciences | Lee University | Tennessee State University | Washington University |
| Clark Atlanta University | Loyola Marymount | Tennessee State University | Wheaton College |
| Cleveland State University | Merrimack College | The College of Wooster | Wingate University |
| Coastal Carolina University | Miami University | Tiffin University | Wittenberg University |
| College of Mount St. Joseph | MIT | Transylvania University | Wright State University |
| Davidson College | Morehead State University | Truman State University | Xavier University Cincinnati |
| Duke University | Morehouse College | Tufts University | Xavier University New Orleans |
| Eastern Michigan University | Mount St. Joseph University | Tuskegee University | Yale University |
| Emory University | North Carolina A&T University | University of Akron | |
| Fisk University | University of Cincinnati | ||
| Florida A&M University | University of Dayton | ||
| Georgetown College |
HIGH SCHOOLS ATTENDED BY OUR AYE SCHOLARS
| Aiken High School |
| Cincinnati Christian High School |
| Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy |
| Clark Montessori High School |
| Colerain High School |
| Dater High School |
| DePaul Cristo Rey High School |
| Fairfield High School |
| Finneytown High School |
| Gamble Montessori |
| Hughes /Hughes STEM High School |
| Indian Hill High School |
| Lakota |
| LaSalle High School |
| Mason High School |
| Mercy/McAuley High School |
| Moeller High School |
| Mt. Healthy/Clark Montessori |
| Mt. Notre Dame High School |
| North College Hill High School |
| Northwest High School |
| Oyler High School |
| Princeton High School |
| Purcell Marian High School |
| Reading High School |
| Riverview East Academy |
| Roger Bacon High School |
| School for the Creative and Performing Arts |
| Shroder Paideia High School |
| Seton High School |
| Seven Hills High School |
| St. Ursula High School |
| St. Xavier High School |
| Summit Country Day School |
| Taft/Taft Information Technology High School |
| Talawanda High School |
| Ursuline Academy High School |
| Walnut Hills High School |
| Western Hills Univ. High School |
| Winton Woods High School |
| Withrow High School |
| Woodward Career Technical High School |
| Wyoming High School |
COLLEGES ATTENDED BY OUR AYE SCHOLARS
| American University |
| Auburn University |
| Baldwin-Wallace College |
| Berea College |
| Berklee College of Music |
| Bluffton University |
| Bowling Green University |
| Butler University |
| Capitol University |
| Carnegie Mellon University |
| Case Western University |
| Central State University |
| Christ College of Nursing & Health Sciences |
| Clark Atlanta University |
| Cleveland State University |
| Coastal Carolina University |
| College of Mount St. Joseph |
| Davidson College |
| Duke University |
| Eastern Michigan University |
| Emory University |
| Fisk University |
| Florida A&M University |
| Georgetown College |
| Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Goshen College |
| Hampton University |
| Heidelberg University |
| Hocking College |
| Howard University |
| Indiana University |
| Jackson State University |
| Kalamazoo University |
| Kent State University |
| Kentucky State University |
| Kettering University |
| Lee University |
| Loyola Marymount |
| Merrimack College |
| Miami University |
| M.I.T. |
| Morehead State University |
| Morehouse College |
| Mount St. Joseph University |
| North Carolina A&T University |
| Northeastern University |
| Northern Kentucky University |
| Northwestern University |
| Notre Dame College |
| Oberlin Conservatory of Music |
| Ohio State University |
| Pepperdine University |
| Purdue University |
| Shawnee State |
| Spelman College |
| Temple University |
| Tennessee State University |
| Texas Southern University |
| The College of Wooster |
| Tiffin University |
| Transylvania University |
| Truman State University |
| Tufts University |
| Tuskegee University |
| University of Akron |
| University of Cincinnati |
| University of Dayton |
| University of Georgia |
| University of Louisville |
| University of Manoa |
| University of Michigan |
| University of Missouri |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| University of Notre Dame |
| University of Rochester |
| University of San Diego |
| University of Toledo |
| Vanderbilt University |
| Virginia State University |
| Washington University |
| Wheaton College |
| Wingate University |
| Wittenberg University |
| Wright State University |
| Xavier University Cincinnati |
| Xavier University New Orleans |
| Yale University |
AYE Gallery
Help Spread The Word
If you know of a well-deserving African-American high school senior in the Cincinnati-area who could benefit from our scholarship, please encourage them to apply during the annual scholarship application period from January-February.
