Dream Big
Our scholars defy the expectations that were set for them. They use education to broaden their horizons, transform them as people, and fuel their pursuit of remarkable goals.
Helping underserved students defy expectations
The Kaplan Educational Foundation seeks to eliminate barriers to higher education for overlooked and underserved community college students and develop them as world leaders and advocates for their communities by providing a comprehensive array of financial and academic support, transfer admissions advising, and leadership skills development.
The KEF’s Kaplan Leadership Program works to remove financial, academic, and administrative burdens, allowing you to complete your associate degree, earn a bachelor's degree, and pursue your career goals.
Academic Advising
Advisement on course selection, required coursework for transfer, and maximizing transfer credits
Provide tutoring in Math and English
Develop verbal and written communication skills
Preparation for undergraduate and graduate admissions tests
Transfer Support
College visits to potential transfer institutions
Application and one-on-one essay-writing support
Personalized admissions advisement
Admissions guidance for graduate and professional programs
Resume writing and extracurricular planning support
Financial Aid
Living stipends and scholarships
Funds for books and materials, transportation, and application fees
Provide a new laptop (when necessary), wifi support, and software licenses
Funding for study abroad, summer coursework, and unexpected costs
Funding for application fees, transcripts, and transfer costs
Leadership Development
Provide practical and transformational leadership skills
Lessons on long-term goal formulation and connecting those goals to your community
Coaching on self-advocacy
Programming focusing on enhancing self-worth and self-confidence
The U.S. higher education system has an accessibility problem. While 80% of community college students hope to earn a bachelor’s degree, only 31% of those students will successfully transfer to a four-year school, with a mere 14% graduating with their bachelor’s in six years (see Tackling Transfer to learn more). KEF is working to change these statistics and increase access to higher education, and we’ve shown that our program is effective:
Success Stories
Kaplan Leadership Program Scholars demonstrate that overlooked, underserved students from low-income backgrounds can earn bachelor’s degrees from competitive institutions and embark on meaningful careers or graduate studies