Kean Scholar Academy

By Brittany Fuentes | Published September 30, 2022

The Kean Scholar Academy, a program meant to engage students in a college setting prior to attending college, was initiated by Kean University President, Dr. Lamont O. Repollet Ed.D. in 2021.

The purpose of this program is to ensure that high-achieving students are given the opportunity to continue their education with few obstacles preventing them from doing so. 

Designed to support the participants and prepare them for college, students are given an educational plan that aligns with their academic goals, and allows them to start acquiring college credit. 

However, this program not only allows for students to attend college classes. It also provides them with counseling sessions, workshops, pre-college internship opportunities, and mentorships all personalized specifically for each student. 

According to Jason Lester, the executive director of the Kean Scholar Academy and assistant to the president, “The Kean Scholar Academy is an initiative that upholds the mission of Kean University as well as meets the needs greater of the communities in which we serve.”

The program selects high school students from nearby counties to participate based on their academic standings giving them a head start on higher education. They enter the program at the start of high school and continue until they graduate.

The program starts off with a two-week on-campus summer orientation for students to learn more about the college experience and familiarize themselves with the other students. Following the orientation, students will begin taking college courses during the fall, as they attend their high school classes simultaneously. 

The Kean Scholar Academy program aims to push students to graduate with their high school diploma, but also to continue onto their post-secondary degrees and succeed in obtaining them. 

Students have the opportunity to earn between 48 to 60 college credits while being enrolled in the program, and upon graduating high school. These credits allow students to take the next steps toward a college degree, in accordance with the academic path they choose to fulfill. Of those 48 to 60 credits, students are able to earn 15-18 credits in courses of their selected major. 

“The Kean Scholar Academy provides all stakeholders an opportunity and the resources to engage in a culturally diverse student population and their communities in a financially sustainable manner to meet the challenges of the future,” Lester said.  

The program is funded by federal grants, ensuring that students complete at least half of their college career debt free. 

It is also meant to open up connections for the students as well as prepare them for the workforce. These are just some of the many ways in which students benefit academically from participating in the Kean Scholar Academy program. 

In addition, after completing high school and the Kean Scholar Academy program, students will get a chance to visit Kean’s campus in China, Wenzhou Kean. There they can discover a different cultural setting, while still learning about the different opportunities provided by the campus. 

This continues to meet the goals of the program, “The Kean Scholar Academy provides all stakeholders an opportunity and the resources to engage in a culturally diverse student population and their communities in a financially sustainable manner to meet the challenges of the future,” Lester said.

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