22 students of the Kenya Scholar Access Program (KenSAP) have been offered American university scholarships worth USD 7.5 Million (Ksh. 980 Million) for 2024 entrance to top Ivy League universities and colleges.
The 22 scholars present at the 5th KenSAP Annual Charity Dinner Gala held in Nairobi have been admitted to prestigious global universities and colleges. They include Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Amherst, Brown, Claremont McKenna, Colgate, Dartmouth, Davidson, Hamilton, Middlebury, Northwestern, Smith, Tufts, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, Wellesley, and Williams.
The scholars comprise the top performers from the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Class of 2023, selected from all 47 counties in Kenya, and come from underprivileged backgrounds. KenSAP pays for students to participate in its free residential university access program for nearly six months, guiding them through the American university application process and teaching them the skills they will need to excel in American universities.
The universities provide scholarship packages that cover a comprehensive range of expenses, including tuition fees, accommodations, meals, travel costs, and other costs of attendance. KenSAP continues to provide students with guidance, mentorship, and support while they are studying at university. This financial assistance ensures that the scholars can focus on their academic pursuits without the burden of financial constraints, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in their new educational environments.
Speaking during the dinner gala to celebrate the scholars, the Principal Benefactor and Chairman of KenSAP’s Board of Directors, Charles Field-Marsham said “KenSAP is a testament to our commitment to nurture the brightest minds in Kenya from disadvantaged backgrounds. By providing these exceptional students with the resources they need, we are not only investing in their futures but also in the future of the country and bringing bright Kenyan minds to places all across the world.
“To the scholars, Congratulations! Your hard work has paid off – you have secured your spot at a top university, standing out from the hundreds of thousands of international applicants applying to the same schools from around the world. This achievement shows the potential of a true global citizen within you but there is still much hard work ahead of you to achieve your potential. Always remember that your success carries the hopes of your families, communities, and Kenya as a whole,” added Mr. Alan Davidson
KenSAP provides access to higher education for high-achieving Kenyan high school graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds who would otherwise have no chance to pursue such opportunities in global institutions across the world.
The selected students spend 20 weeks in residential training free of charge, with KenSAP covering all of their costs of attendance. In this training program, they prepare for university entrance exams, attend American-style seminar courses, learn about America and its universities, and are guided through the university application process. Since 2006, every student taken into the program has earned admission, with full financial aid, to an American college or university.
Once KenSAP students are admitted to university, KenSAP continues to support them. KenSAP places students into pre-university internships in Kenya and conducts a college readiness and college orientation program for its students. Once the students are in the United States, the program conducts an orientation for new arrivals, organizes reunions that combine career-oriented seminars with social networking and offers academic counseling and alumni mentorship programs.
Since its inception in 2004, more than 80 KenSAP beneficiary students have returned to Kenya to work at companies and institutions.
The program was launched when Kenyatta University Professor Mike Boit and American journalist friend John Manners (Founding Executive Director) initiated a successful pilot scheme with a group of five students. With an annual budget of USD 300,000 (Ksh. 39.3 million), KenSAP has unlocked more than USD$87 million (Ksh 11.4 billion) in financial aid, enabling 295 Kenyan students to date to study in universities across North America.