We were lucky to catch up with Tiffany Eggleston recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tiffany thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

When I was a high school student and applied for college admissions, financial aid was also a part of the process. Although my parents and I had no experience with financial aid we applied anyway, but with the assumption that since I came from a middle class family, I probably wouldn’t be eligible for financial aid, especially any free money. One of the colleges I applied to, was USC and when we received the FAFSA back, it indicated that I was not eligible for the Pell grant (which is only one financial aid resource). We assumed that was an indication that I wouldn’t get any financial aid. My parents could not afford to pay for USC out of pocket, so I wound up attending another college that they did pay for themselves. We had no idea what the options were and because we felt overwhelmed by the process and not knowing what questions to ask, we stopped there.

Fast forward five years, ironically my first “real job” after graduating college was in a financial aid office. Here is where I learned financial aid inside and out and realized there were families, similar to my parents and I, who didn’t understand the process and felt intimidated by it.

Throughout my fifteen year career as a financial aid professional working for several undergraduate and graduate universities and two of the largest student loan lenders (Citibank Student Loan Corp. and Sallie Mae Student Loan Corp.), I was committed to educating families on how to understand and navigate financial aid as well as make them aware of the millions of dollars of free money that is available for students and how to access it.

During the COVID Quarantine I decided to build and launch my own business to serve families in this way. Applying for college can be one of the most stressful times in their lives. Parents will typically do whatever they can for their student(s) to help them through this process, but when you add the additional layer of applying to financial aid, they are naturally concerned about the cost and potential subsequent debt for them and their student(s). The Scholarship Code fills that gap. We not only assist with locating free money for college, we help families understand financial aid. We want to empower them as our mission states, “To guide students to make sound financial decisions regarding their student aid awards,” so when they are working with the financial aid office at their schools they feel more confident about making the best choices for themselves.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When I started my career in financial aid, I assumed at the time, it would be a “place holder” job for about a year and then I’d move along. Little did I know that I would continue building a professional career in the industry for over fifteen years. I was blessed to have two amazing mentors (Germaine Graham and Celestia Williams who guided me, teaching me the fundamentals of financial aid, but more importantly, showing me with their actions, the sensitivity and understanding financial aid administrators should possess as they assist families. I grew exponentially, gaining experience and working with thousands of students and families.

As my career advanced, I gained memberships with professional financial aid organizations which ultimately led me to attend and participate in workshops and conferences. Here is where I discovered my love for speaking to my colleagues and families, delivering keynote speeches.

When building The Scholarship Code, I knew I wanted to continue doing what I had done throughout my career, educating families about financial aid, providing strategic insight on how to locate unique scholarships, assist students with editing their scholarship essays and preparing them for their scholarship interview(s), but I also wanted to “talk” to the families.

I have partnered with some colleges and organizations and have delivered keynote speeches, conducted presentations and hosted Q & A’s. I have a unique perspective that sets me apart. I am a former seasoned financial aid administrator, I’ve been a judge on six scholarship panels, I was a student who earned my Bachelor of Arts degree debt free, I was a student who earned my MBA who borrowed student loans (having taken approximately 35K more than I probably should have which has since been paid off) as well as being a recipient of scholarships. I am transparent, sharing the knowledge I have as well as what I’ve experienced.

I’m most proud of the approximately 20K+ families that I have impacted. I have worked directly with students who have attended all levels of higher education (trade school. community college, state universities, private universities, law schools and medical schools). I am passionate about helping families “figure it out” and realize that it can be done. These are real people who deserve having a plan and not just being pointed in the direction of a financial aid office or a website and wished good luck. The Scholarship Code authentically serves students and their families.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I decided to launch The Scholarship Code, I secured the initial “must haves,” setting up my business entity, getting my EIN, opening a business checking account, etc. and I assumed that running a business would be relatively easy because I know the basis of my business. I know financial aid and scholarships.

I quickly realized that running a business consists of so much more than that. I didn’t have a website, know what systems I needed to have in place, how to reach my target audience, how to create a marketing strategy or create consistent content. I grew frustrated. I felt overwhelmed and to be frank, I probably considered quitting at least 100 times. Instead of quitting I decided to hire a business coach (The StartupIsta) to give me some direction on how and what I should do. Dinn (the owner and founder) has been instrumental in providing the framework that I am building upon. There is value in learning how to run your business, but what I value the most is understanding that in order for my business to scale, it’s okay to seek help and hire people who can guide you or do some of the tasks that take time that I can spend talking to and helping clients. I am a brand new, small business so I don’t currently have a lot of capitol, but the money I’ve spent in educating myself and hiring part-time work has been so helpful.

I am in the final stages of updating the most current draft of my strategic plan for The Scholarship Code for 2023, feeling the most confidant I have throughout this first year. I wouldn’t change any of the challenges that have come or those that are sure to come. I know that they have and will continue to make me a stronger leader and CEO.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson that I have had to unlearn is you can not control every aspect of the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. You have to be committed, flexible and not take things personally.

I focus on my “why.” This is what keeps me motivated and committed to building my business. I know my reason for being in business, so when challenges arise, instead of thinking of quitting, I lean into who and why I serve.

I’ve learned to be flexible and to pivot when necessary because no two days, two clients or even two social media posts will be the exact same or yield the exact results. I’m Identifying what works best and finding my sweet spot.

I haven’t had to unlearn this necessarily because it’s something I’ve always felt, but I encourage entrepreneurs to not take it personally if you feel as if your family and friends don’t support your business. Remember, this is business, not personal.
They probably aren’t your target audience anyway, so focus on those who are, continue to educate yourself, take stock of your experiences and serve your clients in a way your competitors don’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thescholarshipcode.com
• Instagram: thescholarshipcode
• Facebook: The Scholarship Code
• Twitter: Officially_TSC

Image Credits
Myself Charles R. Drew University of Sciences and Medicine