[2026-2028] College Success Fellow, KIPP Forward (Multiple Regions)

Position Overview 

The first quarter of each year, KIPP Forward accepts applications from exceptional recent or soon-to-be college graduates to join our two-year, near-peer College Success Fellows program. The College Success Fellows program is led by the Director of College Success, and Fellows report directly to a College Success Manager based on regional placement.

As full-time employees, Fellows work passionately and diligently to ensure that recent graduates of our partner high schools receive outstanding support through their first two years of college, with the ultimate goal that they persist and accumulate 60 credits to stay on track for on-time degree completion. Throughout their two-year commitment, Fellows engage in regular training led by skilled college and career success practitioners and engage in yearlong professional development cycles, ensuring that they become exceptional advisors and are prepared to transition professionally after two years.

Fellows provide transformational coaching, mentorship, and direct support to alumni in college through 1:1 advising sessions in person on college campuses and virtually via video, calls, and texts in between campus visits. Fellows assess the progress of our alumni towards college completion through frequent benchmarking and prioritization of their caseloads based on key persistence indicators that include financial health, academic habits and planning, socio-emotional health, and career planning. Through these consistent touchpoints and assessments, Fellows perform transformational coaching interventions to ensure our alumni make positive progress in all areas.

Given college and career success work involves meeting with our alumni at their respective colleges, Fellows are required to live in their assigned placement region for the two-year term. This position is a field position and requires frequent travel. Fellows will be assigned to a placement region for the length of the two year fellowship and will visit a set of schools typically within 3 hours driving distance of that region (all work-related transportation costs will be paid for by KIPP Forward). When applying, 2026 College Success Fellows will have the opportunity to indicate their regional placement preferences, and our program will seek to meet preferences when possible:

• NY: Albany, New York City, or Western NY (Syracuse/Rochester/Buffalo)

• NJ: Newark or Camden/Philadelphia

• PA: Philadelphia/Camden

• CT/RI: Hartford/RI or New Haven

The 2026 College Success Fellowship is a two-year commitment from July 13, 2026, through June 30, 2028. At the end of the Fellowship, employment with KIPP NYC terminates.

Duties and Responsibilities:

General responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

College Advising: 

• Manage a caseload of approximately 125-150 college students, meeting at least once, but in some cases two to four times per semester based on student priority level, in addition to regular video/calls/texts, to provide advising services focused on college persistence and credit attainment
• Become an expert on your assigned campuses through research and exploration, with the goal to be able to direct alumni to their campus offices, resources, and supports early and often
• Connect, collaborate, and maintain relationships with key campus staff and support offices in order to best support our alumni and address challenges that arise efficiently and effectively
• Conduct routine follow-ups to ensure successful registration and completion of coursework and drive registration for the summer term for students who are under-credited
• Assist students in writing and submitting financial aid and enrollment letters of appeal when needed to maintain enrollment status and/or financial aid
• Assist students with FAFSA/TAP renewals and loan counseling completion when necessary.
• In Year 2, recruit for and progress monitor students’ participation in KIPP Forward’s Wayfinders Career Programs, which includes completing a career assessment, resume and mock interview workshops, engaging in networking practices, and applying for a sophomore year internship or career exposure opportunity.
• In Year 2, prepare alumni for a successful transition to NERA, the Y3+ alumni support program.

Data Management: 

• Track Persistence Benchmarks with every student contact on four key indicators of Persistence: Financial, Socio-Emotional, Academic, and Passion/Purpose/Plan (Career Readiness)
• Utilize KIPP Forward’s Caseload Engagement & Advising Management System (CEAMS) to analyze student academic data and progress towards goals,  prioritize campus visits and outreach, and focus your 1:1 meetings on transformational coaching
• Drive the submission of transcripts in January and May
• Drive completion of our annual satisfaction survey from your caseload
• Track and maintain key student data points in our centralized data systems, including detailed notes of every student communication, enrollment changes, campus visits, and updated contact information

Collaborative Learning and Planning: 

• Attend mandatory New Fellows Training held full-time from July 13 – August 7, 2026 (week 1 in NYC, week 2-4 virtual). Ongoing professional development will be required quarterly, and may require travel to NYC for those placed in other regions (paid for by KIPP Forward).
• Engage actively in our continuous and intensive training program, which is intended to quickly build Fellows’ skills in coaching and content knowledge. Training includes workshops, team meetings, 1:1 weekly meetings with managers, observations and debrief cycles, webinars, and team step-backs. 
• In Year 2, participate in KIPP Forward’s Wayfinders Career Program and other career training programming to support Fellows’ professional development.
• In Year 2, support the training of first year Fellows through active participation, coaching, and mentoring during shared campus visits 
• Plan and participate in weekly one-on-one meetings with the College Success Manager
• Regularly and openly communicate with the College Success Manager to seek guidance and support to navigate complex challenges alumni may be facing
• Collaborate with our Marketing and Communications associate to leverage social media to promote our programming and deliver critical information to students

General Administration: 

• Submit all receipts for travel expenses on a weekly basis via our finance platform
• Maintain travel schedule on team calendar
• Collect FERPA waivers and other documentation required for successful coaching and interventions
• Respond to emails, calls, and texts from staff and students within 24 hours