The KIPP Opportunity Fund (KOF) began as a seed grant of $200,000 from the Louis Calder Foundation to help KTC meet specific educational needs of KIPP NYC alumni. Thanks to the generosity of individual donors, KOF provides alumni with direct assistance in three areas: modest tuition grants, education stipends (for books, travel, sports equipment, etc.), and summer internship/enrichment stipends.
Tuition Grants and Education Stipends. Each year the KIPP Opportunity Fund awards tuition assistance through a college and high school work study program to help our alumni bridge the gap between their ability to pay and their financial aid packages.
Modest supplemental tuition assistance from KOF is often the difference that allows our students to have real educational choices, or even stay in school. Grants for books, sports equipment, and other related needs allow our alumni to fully participate in the lives of their schools. Travel stipends are essential for students attending boarding schools and colleges outside of New York.
Recipients of KOF work-study funds are required to attend study hall, maintain a B average or better and participate in KTC programs. Work-study participants also give back to the KIPP NYC community, tutoring KIPPsters in study hall and reading club, assisting coaches, performing data entry, providing general classroom maintenance, acting as teachers’ aides, chaperoning KIPP NYC trips, mentoring younger students, and helping out during KIPP NYC functions.
Summer Internship Stipends. Summer internships provide an important opportunity for students to build new skills and explore career paths. KOF internship stipends ensure that financial need isn’t a roadblock to experiences that will contribute to the personal and professional growth of our alumni.
