Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship
The Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship aims to develop the next generation of community college presidents to lead colleges to higher levels of student success, both in college and after graduation.
Introduction
The Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship is a year-long executive leadership experience that brings together a reform-minded group of up to 40 aspiring community college presidents. The program includes three residential sessions, mentoring from accomplished veteran presidents, and opportunities to apply learning from the seat of the president.
The curriculum is organized around three themes drawn from Aspen’s research into how excellent community colleges have achieved excellent and improving student outcomes: (1) prioritized collegewide student success strategies that deliver results, (2) external partnerships with employers, universities, and K-12 schools that improve student outcomes at scale, and (3) institutional capacities (including finance and data use) that enable student success strategies and partnerships to succeed.
Across the year, fellows:
- Learn from Aspen’s curriculum, including frameworks and models of excellence for scaled reform leading to improved graduation rates and post-completion student outcomes, grounded in nearly 15 years of research.
- Participate in a structured mentorship experience with a current or former president that helps fellows develop a focused, scaled reform strategy from the seat of the president.
- Join a network of forward-thinking peers committed to supporting and challenging one another in the pursuit of collegewide reforms.
- Apply what they learn through a comprehensive presidential strategy lab experience, in which fellows practice analytic processes, practical application of Aspen's frameworks, strategy development, and data-informed communication from the seat of the president.
- Analyze data and apply conclusions to the development of scaled, prioritized strategies to meet student success challenges at their home colleges.
Funding is made possible by the Burton Family Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, the College Futures Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation.
Applications Closed
We are not currently accepting applications for the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship. Please check back for updates on the next application cycle.
Nominate a Leader
If you know outstanding leaders who would benefit from this transformative opportunity, please nominate them. Nominees will be notified on a rolling basis. Nominations are not required, so whether you’re a potential applicant or know someone who is, we welcome all expressions of interest.
FAQs
Applications for the next cohort of Rising Presidents Fellowship will open in August 2026. Please check back for updates.
The fellowship application typically begins with an intent-to-apply form and includes committee review and virtual interviews.
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.
Ideal candidates for the Rising Presidents Fellowship demonstrate:
- a commitment to achieving high levels of access and success for all students
- a willingness to take risks to lead transformational change.
- the ability to create lasting institutional change, as appropriate in their current role.
- the capacity to build strong external partnerships to support student success or have the desire to develop this capacity.
- a growth mindset and are interested in learning Aspen’s approach to how presidents lead major student success reforms.
- an interest in assuming a community college presidency in the next 3-5 years and the necessary professional experience.
The Rising Presidents Fellowship program is committed to identifying and developing talented leaders who reflect the wide array of communities that the nation’s community colleges serve.
Cohort 12 will be onboarded in the Summer of 2027 with three residential sessions scheduled from Fall 2027 through Spring 2028. Each session will include three full days of learning and engagement. Exact dates and locations will be shared upon acceptance into the program.
No, you are not required to be employed at a community college in order to apply for the Rising Presidents Fellowship. While the majority of fellows serve in senior-level roles in community college, we encourage applicants from a variety of professional backgrounds, including: campus presidents, provosts, or vice presidents at community colleges; senior administrators in other higher education institutions or K-12 systems; and executives from outside of education with a deep commitment to ensuring students’ success.
Due to the generous support of our funders, the Aspen Institute subsidizes about 90% of the program costs for fellows, which includes lodging and onsite meals during each residential session. Fellows are responsible for paying a $7,000 program fee and covering all expenses related to travel to/from residential sessions. Limited financial aid is available to offset the fellowship fee and travel costs; applications are available after selection.
Meet the 2026-2027 Class
Aspen Presidential Fellowship Network
As of May 2026, over 500 leaders have completed the Aspen Presidential Fellowships, 225 of whom are serving as community college presidents. The Rising Presidents Fellowship (RPF) started in 2016, and the New Presidents Fellowship (NPF)—now known as the Presidents Fellowship—began in 2020. This growing cadre of change-makers advance student success at their institutions, support each other, and influence the entire sector, working at colleges that educate millions of students
Funders
Contact Us
For more information, please contact: Alison Quint, Associate Director