ScholarJet Founder, Tuan Ho, Named Priscilla Chan Postgraduate Fellow, Receives $30,000 Grant

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By Evan J. Cutts

Boston, MA — The CEO and Founder of ScholarJet, Tuan Ho, was recently honored as a Postgraduate Fellow in the Priscilla Chan Stride Service Program. Ho is one of three social entrepreneurs to receive this fellowship.

As a fellow, Ho, will receive a $30,000 grant to support his living expenses while he furthers ScholarJet’s mission to “unleash the potential of every student with action-based scholarships, so they can help create a better future” full-time in the year following graduation.

Launched in 2017, ScholarJet has partnered with notable Massachusetts businesses such as Akamai Technologies, Invoice Cloud, and The Gaisce Group. According to Ho, by June 12th, ScholarJet will have rewarded $22,500 in action-based scholarships, “unleashing the potential” of over 150 students.

ScholarJet has also built relationships with nonprofit organizations The Boston Foundation, uAspire, and City Year, expanding its support of Boston’s youth.

Ho explained that he and Joseph Alim, COO, “founded ScholarJet to offer students, particularly those who speak English as a second language, an opportunity besides essay writing to get the money they need for school.”

As a Vietnamese immigrant who also learned English as a second language, Ho experienced the difficulty of applying for scholarships to pay his tuition at Northeastern University. With help, he submitted over 100 essays and received nearly $500,000 in additional funding.

“But, you can’t expect that kind of work from everybody, especially ESL students,” he remarked. With that realization, Ho decided to create Scholarjet.

ScholarJet charges a fee for organizations to create action-based scholarships on the platform – challenges students compete in by building their portfolio of key skills in graphic design, sales, 3D modeling, video or something else. They submit their work digitally while engaging with employers that align with their core values – connections that facilitate internship opportunities and access to diverse, highly-skills talent early.

In a press release, Ho added, “We are bridging the gap between access to education and the private sector by providing value to businesses who want to generate a lasting impact.”

Ho is excited to provide even more action-based scholarships to challenge, engage, and support every “hungry-to-learn student.”

photographed from left to right: Joseph Alim, COO; Tuan Ho, CEO; Francisco Calderon, CTO

About Priscilla Chan Stride Service Program:

The Priscilla Chan Stride Service Program provides student leaders, engaged in public service, financial support and access to opportunities to put their vision for social change into action. The Program awards three Postgraduate Fellowships each year and is part of a larger $12.1 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for low-income students engaged in public service. Each fellow is awarded up to $30,000 intended to support the fellow’s living expenses as they work on a public interest project full-time in the year following graduation.

About ScholarJet:

ScholarJet, a Public Benefit Corporation, is an online platform that facilitates “action-based scholarships” or company branded competitions that help employers recruit and build a diverse college talent pipeline. Instead of writing essays, students are challenged to showcase their passions and skillsets to earn money for their education.

If you are a company who is looking to build a diverse college talent pipeline for entry-level jobs and amplify your employer brand, feel free to contact [email protected]

If you are an undergraduate college student, who is financially eligible, feel free to make an account on www.scholarjet.com and we will notify you whenever a new challenge is live!