The Kenyon Access Initiative was launched in 2021 with a $25 million grant from the Schuler Education Foundation to allow us to remain focused on enrolling the most talented students, regardless of their resources. Already, alumni, parents and friends made gifts — ranging from $5 to $50,000 and beyond — to meet the match and the first cohort of students to receive the scholarship enrolled with the Class of 2026.
We aim for these students to be the first of many.
We believe it is essential to enroll a student body reflective of our nation and the world. We have made strong progress in recent years; however, each year we turn away outstanding students simply because Kenyon cannot afford to admit them. This new scholarship is creating new permanent pathways for highly qualified students each year, as part of Kenyon's broader goal to increase the number of Pell-eligible or Dreamer students at Kenyon by more than 50 percent. It also provides an unprecedented opportunity to focus our outreach on the crucial importance of supporting these students through systems Kenyon already has in place.
Note: In January 2024, the Schuler Education Foundation informed the five partner schools that they are unable to fulfill their financial commitment at this time. Students who were enrolled at Kenyon through this initiative will be unaffected, thanks to Kenyon’s own generous donors as well as budget contingency planning.
“We want Kenyon to be open to as many people as possible who would thrive here.”
See how alumni, parents and the campus community are responding to support this vital effort.
“My experience has taught me that when we include and welcome new voices, we transform our conversations, culture, and outcomes for the better. I believe that the Kenyon Access Initiative will help the college do this, and as soon as I learned about this opportunity, I knew I both wanted and needed to support it.”
“While always looking for the best and brightest students to attend Kenyon, having the financial aid at the ready to bring the best and brightest from diverse backgrounds that are in need of financial assistance is what the Kenyon Access Initiative is all about. Supporting the KAI is just the right thing to do.”
“Some people may find it odd that I contribute back to the institution that pays my salary, but I was inspired by the opportunity to help make sure that Kenyon can bring students of tremendous potential to the campus regardless of ability to pay. I am proud to have contributed to this initiative, even in a small way, that resulted in meeting the challenge grant four years ahead of schedule.”
“In the classroom, having students with different life experiences is critical to a first-rate education for all Kenyon students. Class dynamics, as well as content, are enriched when students with different backgrounds and experiences participate. Not only are the dynamics and content enriched, the classroom is a more exciting and enlivening space, for students and faculty alike.”
“From my first day in Gambier in 1982 through my daughter’s graduation, the Kenyon community has enriched my life in so many ways. With the KAI, my hope is that future students will have the same educational opportunities at Kenyon regardless of their financial means.”
“The Kenyon Access Initiative was presented just as I was considering how to best honor my parents and their combined 80th birthdays. My parents not only instilled in me a love of learning, but gave me the gift of four years at Kenyon; therefore, an exceptional liberal arts education. Their names will forever be associated with a scholarship that will allow students, who may not have had the opportunity otherwise, to live and learn on The Hill.”
Support programs for Kenyon students
Kenyon has long prioritized diversity and access programs.Kenyon Educational Enrichment Program (KEEP) KEEP is a selective program aimed at underrepresented students of color and first-generation college students.
More about KEEPCamp 4 is a three-week summer immersion program on the Kenyon campus for roughly 50 rising high school juniors and seniors from across the country.
More about Camp 4The STEM Scholars Program empowers aspiring scientists to seize challenges, persist and succeed.
More About STEM ScholarsThe Kenyon Academic Partnership offers opportunities for Ohio high school students to participate in Kenyon-level coursework from their home institutions and to earn college credit.
More About KAPKenyon Educational Enrichment Program (KEEP) KEEP is a selective program aimed at underrepresented students of color and first-generation college students.
More about KEEPCamp 4 is a three-week summer immersion program on the Kenyon campus for roughly 50 rising high school juniors and seniors from across the country.
More about Camp 4The STEM Scholars Program empowers aspiring scientists to seize challenges, persist and succeed.
More About STEM ScholarsThe Kenyon Academic Partnership offers opportunities for Ohio high school students to participate in Kenyon-level coursework from their home institutions and to earn college credit.
More About KAP“Kenyon changed my life. It enabled me to become the first in my family with a college degree and the first with a professional career. But I couldn’t have attended without a scholarship. I am happy to say that through the resources Kenyon opened up, I am the first in my family to obtain a graduate degree and will be attending Stanford Global School of Business.”
Kenyon Education Enrichment Program
Jonathan Hernández ’21 shares how the Kenyon Educational Enrichment Program (KEEP) supported him during his time at Kenyon and provided him with the access and connections to succeed at Kenyon.