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by Sarah Saxton-Frump

The What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 2

It’s time for the next episode of The What a Thing Chronicles! Welcome to Chapter 2 – the Good Friday / Passover edition. Let’s start with some milestones: snaps and claps to Kaitlin A, Karen C, and Wendy D who all just hit the 50% mark in their Associate’s, Bethany S and John V who hit 75% of their Associate’s, and April R who finished her transfer coursework and is ready to start her bachelor’s! This is huge! Speaking of transfers: congratulations to Veronica, one of our first associate’s degree earners way back in summer 2016. She just got accepted...
Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
by Sarah Saxton-Frump

The What a Thing Chronicles: Chapter 1

This week, we celebrated our 30th degree earner! 🎉🎉 🎉 On Monday, Esther earned her Associate’s of General Studies with a concentration in Business from Southern New Hampshire University’s CfA program!  Esther, also our resident volleyball player, earned her Associate’s degree in 9 months – and she’s starting her Bachelor’s on April 1st. She promises us it’s not an April Fool’s joke. Her ambition is to make a difference in the lives of families and children in Travis County, “because all of our lives are intertwined.” She’s worked the office for us at both PelotonU locations, welcomes new students with a smile and helping hand,...
Student Stories, What a Thing Chronicles
by Sarah Saxton-Frump

The What a Thing Chronicles: Prologue

Sarah here, kicking off the newly-minted What a Thing Chronicles with a “guilty pleasure” confession: I *love* Grey’s Anatomy reruns. They’re my favorite thing to watch when I can’t fall asleep or when I’m washing dishes to procrastinate a challenging grant proposal or when it’s just been a long day and I need a brain break.  In season 1, Meredith Grey has this line that’s stuck with me since I first watched the episode back in April 2005 when I was (oh goodness) only 20 years old. She’s talking about getting legal power of attorney for her mother, who has an...
Motivation, What a Thing Chronicles
by PelotonU

Wondering How to Submit a FAFSA?

If you’re able to submit a FAFSA, it can be well worth the effort! Here’s how: Go to this website to submit a FAFSA If you want to start college BEFORE July 1, 2018 submit the 2017-2018 FAFSA If you want to start college AFTER July 1, 2018, submit the 2018-2019 FAFSA  Make sure you save your FSA ID, Save Key, and any other log-in information in a safe place. You’ll need this information every year you submit this or make a correction. It’s very important! When you sit down to fill out the FAFSA make sure you have your...
Mission & Vision
by PelotonU

2018 Academic Onboarding Start Dates

We have 10 cohorts starting PelotonU in 2018! Academic onboarding is the first four week trial period at PelotonU. This is when you learn the routines of online classes. Each week you’ll meet with your CCA, complete academic assignments, and spend time in our office. After successful completion of Academic Onboarding, you’ll enroll in college! Here are the official start dates for Academic Onboarding in 2018: February 5, 2018 March 5, 2018 April 2, 2018 May 7, 2018 June 4, 2018 July 9, 2018 August 6, 2018 September 4, 2018 October 9, 2018 November 5, 218 If you’re interested in joining...
Updates
by PelotonU

Mission, Vision, & Values

VISION Our vision is that any student with the will and drive to graduate from college can earn a degree debt-free, regardless of geography or economics.   MISSION Our mission is to provide working students with a pathway and the support to graduate from college on-time and debt-free.   BELIEFS We believe every student should have access to a high-quality college education, but know that a Bachelor’s degree isn’t the only path to a fulfilling life aligned with their goals. We believe our students’ well-being is more important than our organizational outcomes. We believe hard work with the right supports...
Mission & Vision
by PelotonU

The American Dream

This story is by Lakhpreet Kaur, founder and editor-and-chief of Kaur Life. “One of my dreams is to get an American higher education.” Qahtan Mustafa is an Iraqi refugee who, when immigrating to the United States in 2009, realized that his bachelor’s degree from Baghdad University was not recognized in the United States. So, Qahtan went hunting for a way to earn an American degree. But, he came away feeling that it was going to be a very difficult, if not impossible, endeavor. “I never found the resources that were suitable for me,” he said. Each time Qahtan looked into an...
Student Stories
by PelotonU

Media

Press & Media   Can These New Colleges Help Solve Higher Education’s Equity Problem? (EdSurge)   Austin non-profit helping adults earn college degrees (KVUE)   Changing Adult Students’ Lives with Competency-Based Education (E-Learn Magazine)   Charity Chats (Charity Charge)   Meet Higher Education’s Newest Players: Education Sherpas (Chronicle of Higher Ed)   College Built for Non-Traditional Students (OpenIDEO)   Moving Beyond the Grant: Unlocking New Funds to Grow Your Organization (Mission Capital)   Talent Development and Personalization Central to Long-Term Success (The Evolllution)   Student Mentoring, the post-traditional Learner, and Unbundled Education (Moonshot Edu)   New Chances with a New Model for...
Updates
by PelotonU

Why Now?

We’re presenting our two year plan at Mission Capital on September 21st. You can find details and RSVP here. Here’s how we got here — I was between jobs. My first Austin startup had flopped and I was looking for a another chance to build a company. Then, on April 11 2012 an email from Rex Gore, one of my mentors, showed up on my inbox. It just said — Read Academically Adrift. I bought the book on Amazon and began reading. Here’s what I first noticed: The book nagged at me. College was supposed to be an economic equalizer, but what I...
Mission & Vision
by PelotonU

Q2 2016: Students First

Over the weekend on Facebook, I noticed a picture from three years ago. It showed PelotonU’s third enrollment party — back before Sarah, Khan, or our office — when we gathered with 6 new students on the roof of Whole Foods to celebrate their college aspirations. A lot has changed since then. We stopped offering housing, became co-ed, lifted the age cap,and began working with College for America (CFA). What’s remained consistent is that when we make decisions, students come first. Our first priority is to be accountable to you — for finances, student support, communications, and community. You are our most important stakeholder, and it’s in...
Motivation
by PelotonU

2015 Annual Report

  How We Got Here In October 2012, three working college students took a risk and enrolled in college with PelotonU. Since then we’ve learned and grown, and better understood how to serve students in Austin. Our Vision Our vision is that any student with the will and drive to graduate from college can earn a degree debt-free, regardless of geography or economics. Our Mission Our mission is to provide working students with a pathway and the support to graduate from college on-time and debt-free. Our Beliefs We believe every student should have access to a high-quality college education, but...
Updates
by PelotonU

PelotonU’s Board Members

PelotonU has nine board members from the Austin community, including a current student. Our board plays an active role in strategy and governance as we continue improving our support for working college students in Austin and share those lessons with partners in communities outside Austin. Here are our current members, as of January 2019. James Baker Chairperson of the Board Vice President, Greenridge Investment Partners James is a Vice President at the private equity group Greenridge Investment Partners. His experience evaluating investments and supporting management teams through the execution of growth plans yields a strong understanding of the challenges growing...
Mission & Vision