LaGuardia Student Earns Dual Honors: Kaplan Fellowship and Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (June 11, 2025) — Tabia Tarannum, a Biology major at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, is one of just three CUNY students in the Class of 2025 to receive both a Kaplan Educational Foundation (KEF) Leadership Fellowship and a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF) Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, one of the most prestigious and competitive scholarships in the country.

The JKCF Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship supports top community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year institutions. It provides “last dollar” funding after institutional aid, helping recipients graduate with minimal debt.

Tabia, 20, originally from Sylhet, Bangladesh, is one of only 90 students nationwide selected for the 2025 JKCF Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Chosen from a pool of over 1,600 applicants representing 194 community colleges, she is among the top 6% of applicants overall and 21.4% of those from New York. Each recipient will receive up to $55,000 per year, along with academic advising, career mentorship, and graduate school support.

This fall, Tabia will begin her bachelor’s studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Covenant Scholar—a competitive program that ensures financial need is never a barrier to success. She plans to major in biology and pursue an MD-PhD in anesthesiology, with the goal of conducting biomedical research to advance healthcare equity in underserved communities.

“We’re so proud of our scholars, who reinforce the fact that community colleges are rich with resilient, talented students with leadership potential—when given the opportunity to succeed,” said Nolvia Delgado, Executive Director of KEF. “Their achievements exemplify not only academic excellence but the power of deep, intentional support and cross-institutional collaboration.”

The three CUNY students in the Class of 2025 who are both Kaplan Fellows and Jack Kent Cooke Scholars are:

• Marco Alvarez—CUNY Hostos Community College | A.S. in Liberal Arts & Science
• Liam Lotz—CUNY Kingsborough Community College | A.S. in Liberal Arts
• Tabia Tarannum—CUNY LaGuardia Community College | A.S. in Biology

Established in 2006, the Kaplan Leadership Program helps high-potential, low-income overlooked and underserved community college students complete their associate degree and successfully transfer and go on to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree at the nation’s most highly-selective schools. The program provides stipends for living expenses, extensive tutoring, academic advisement services, leadership and career training, and other resources and support to help them expand their personal goals and eventually attain leadership roles in their professions and communities.

Since KEF’s inception, Kaplan Fellows have been accepted to the country’s most competitive schools, including Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Brown, Amherst, Cornell, Mount Holyoke, Smith and many others. 92% percent of Kaplan Fellows earn a bachelor’s degree. In stark contrast, data from the Aspen Institute shows that while 80% of community college students dream of transferring to a four-year school, only 16% actually earn a bachelor’s degree—even fewer who come from low-income families.

“These success stories aren’t isolated—they’re the result of a collaborative model that champions equity in higher education,” said Tamsin Pargiter, KEF Writing Coach and Program Consultant. “These students are changemakers, and both Kaplan Fellows and JKCF recognize their potential. We’re excited to see the impact they’ll make as leaders in their communities.”

Since 2020, eight Kaplan Fellows have received the JKCF Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded almost $304 million in scholarships to more than 3,400 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising, career pathway counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $136 million in grants to organizations that serve such students.   

The Kaplan Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, was initially established and supported by a generous endowment funded by Kaplan, Inc. executives with the idea of helping a small group of students in a big way. The Foundation provides high-potential, low-income students with academic and financial support and leadership training to raise their expectations for success and open doors to opportunities that will change their lives and communities.

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