Aspen Presidents Fellowship

To be eligible for the Aspen Presidents Fellowship, community college presidents should meet the following criteria:

• Have served as a community college president for a minimum of two years
• Lead an institution that is ready for scaled and sustainable change to improve student outcomes
• Fall into one of the following categories:
  • Presidents whose institution is nearing the conclusion of an existing strategic plan and seeking to embark on the next significant reform
  • Presidents serving in their second presidency at a new institution who are eager to collaborate with experts and peers nationwide to advance their reform agenda
  • Presidents with an ongoing reform agenda who are seeking expert guidance to bring their initiatives to fruition

Alumni of the Aspen Rising or New Presidents Fellowships who fulfill the above criteria are strongly encouraged to apply and further contribute to our community of change-makers.

Presidents whose colleges joined the Unlocking Opportunity network in Summer 2025 and are beginning to engage in the network this fall are not eligible to apply to the 2026-27 cohort of the Presidents Fellowship. 

Presidents whose colleges were in the pilot cohort of Unlocking Opportunity (selected Fall 2022) are eligible and encouraged to apply.

If you have any questions about the fellowship or eligibility, please message our team at CEP.fellowship@aspeninstitute.org.

Click here to nominate someone for the fellowship. Nominees will be contacted on a rolling basis and encouraged to apply. Please note that nominations are not required in order to apply; this is a way to share the opportunity with leaders in your network who may be interested in the fellowship. 

• A yearlong commitment involving interactive engagement with peers and facilitators, including participation in two immersive, multi-day in-person seminars led by esteemed Aspen Institute staff, seasoned community college leaders, and prominent experts in the field of higher education; regular structured calls with facilitators and peers; and independent activities focused on data analysis and reflection
• Opportunities for collaborative work within small groups, facilitated by peers and experts
• Dedicated support for analyzing your college's student outcomes, designed to foster a comprehensive understanding of your institution's strengths, areas for improvement, and opportunities to advance student success outcomes at scale
• Customized data reports and dashboards that include labor market and demographic data for your service area, institutional and transfer outcomes data benchmarked against Aspen Prize finalists, and program enrollment data classified by post-completion value of each program
• Structured guidance and assistance to propel each college’s agenda for student success reform
• Access to a robust network of innovative peers, fostering both support and constructive challenge as fellows collectively pursue transformative change in the higher education landscape

Applications for the next cohort of Presidents Fellowship (2026-2027) opened on August 12, 2025, and will close on October 13, 2025.

Applicants will submit an intent to apply form to gain access to the full application through the fellowship’s online application system. Applications will be reviewed and scored by committees of current and former presidents, other higher education leaders, and Aspen senior staff. Virtual interviews will take place in January 2026. Selected fellows will be announced in Spring 2026.

Cohort 3 will be onboarded in the Spring 2026 with residential sessions in Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. Fellows should be prepared to attend two residential sessions that will each include three full days of learning and engagement. The exact dates and locations will be provided once accepted into the program.

Thanks to the generous support of JPMorgan Chase, the cost of participating is fully subsidized for selected fellows. Fellows are responsible for covering all expenses related to travel to/from residential sessions.