Educational Talent Search
KU TRIO Talent Search is a federally funded college access program serving approximately 950 students annually across 12 Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, providing free college preparation, advising, summer programs, and the YES Scholars scholarship.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Educational Talent Search does
Educational Talent Search (KU TRIO Talent Search) is a federally funded college access program operated by the University of Kansas's Center for Educational Opportunity Programs. Established in 1988, it serves approximately 950 middle and high school students annually across 12 Kansas City Kansas Public Schools in Wyandotte County, Kansas, targeting first-generation and low-income students pursuing postsecondary education. The program delivers free advising, college preparation, summer programs (Career Horizons, Discover Technology), family workshops, virtual programming, and the YES Scholars scholarship partnership with Kansas City Kansas Community College. All services are provided at no cost under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, funded through a U.S. Department of Education TRIO Talent Search grant. The program is an institutional department within the University of Kansas, a public state university, with no independent ownership structure.
Educational Talent Search firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Educational Talent Search
- Legal name
- TRIO Talent Search - Center for Educational Opportunity Programs, The University of Kansas
- Website
- https://triotalentsearch.ku.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- KU TRIO Talent Search is a federally funded college access program serving approximately 950 students annually across 12 Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, providing free college preparation, advising, summer programs, and the YES Scholars scholarship.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Educational Talent Search industry classification
Industry- Product category
- College Access and Preparation Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Career Readiness & College Prep (In-School) (EDAJAFAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Test Prep & Exam Readiness (K–12) (EDAJALAC), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM), Virtual Test Prep & Online Supplemental Instruction (K–12) (EDAJADAI)
Keywords
Where Educational Talent Search is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Educational Talent Search business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Federal Government Funding: TRIO Programs are funded through the U.S. Department of Education under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The University of Kansas is one of more than 1,200 colleges, universities, community colleges, and agencies that offer TRIO programs in the United States.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Others | Free program for eligible students |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Educational Talent Search product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Educational Talent Search (KU TRIO Talent Search) is a federally funded, free college access program operated by the University of Kansas that serves middle and high school students in the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) system. The program delivers academic advising, career exploration, college preparation, ACT/SAT preparation, financial aid and FAFSA assistance, scholarship search support, college visits, family workshops, and virtual programming, along with specialized summer programs (Career Horizons for 6th graders and Discover Technology for 7th graders) and the YES Scholars scholarship partnership with Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Product overview
TRIO Talent Search is a free college access program offered by the University of Kansas that provides a suite of services to help students in Wyandotte County pursue post-secondary education. The program consists of core services including Middle & High School Student Advising, Senior Services, Family Services, and Virtual Programming. Additionally, the program offers specialized summer programs (Career Horizons for 6th graders and Discover Technology for 7th graders) and the YES Scholars scholarship program in partnership with Kansas City Kansas Community College. All services are designed to support low-income, first-generation students in preparing for and accessing college.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- YES Scholars: A scholarship program for youth who demonstrate potential for academic success and want to prepare for post-secondary education. Partnership between KU TRIO Talent Search and Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC).
- Discover Technology
- Career Horizons
Products and services
- Middle & High School Services
- Senior Services
- Family Services
- Virtual Programming
- Career Horizons Summer Program
- Discover Technology Summer Program
- YES Scholars Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 950 students served annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Educational Talent Search
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Educational Talent Search technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Educational Talent Search partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC)coreThe YES Scholarship Program is a partnership between KU TRIO Talent Search and Kansas City Kansas Community College. Each year, thirty 8th-grade students from KCKPS are selected to become YES Scholars. Upon completion of program requirements (3-day summer program at KCKCC, 100 hours of community service, yearly family engagement activities, advising, tutoring if needed, academic workshops), YES Scholars earn a two-year scholarship to attend KCKCC.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Educational Talent Search competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- College Board (BigFuture / SAT Suite): Operates the SAT and PSAT and runs the BigFuture college access platform. A broader incumbent in the same college-readiness ecosystem, offering complementary but not identical services at national scale.
Direct peers
- TRIO Upward Bound (University of Kansas): Sister TRIO program at the same University of Kansas host institution, also serving KCK-area students through federal Title IV funding. Directly comparable mission, funding structure, and host-organization context.
- TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers (University of Kansas): Companion TRIO program at KU serving adult learners with college access and financial aid support. Shares the same federal TRIO funding framework and University of Kansas CEOP host environment.
- College Possible: National nonprofit providing intensive college access coaching for low-income and first-generation students, with similar advising, test prep, and college application support services. Most comparable private nonprofit peer by mission and service mix.
- Bottom Line: Nonprofit college access and success organization serving first-generation students from low-income backgrounds. Comparable mission, near-peer advising model, and outcome-driven approach to college persistence.
- GEAR UP KCK (University of Kansas): Another federally funded college-access program housed at the University of Kansas, targeting the same Wyandotte County / KCKPS student population. Operates an adjacent but overlapping cohort-prep mission.
- TRIO Talent Search programs (national network): More than 1,200 institutions operate TRIO Talent Search programs nationwide under the same federal framework. These programs offer the closest direct comparison on mission, funding, and student outcomes.
Others
- Council for Opportunity in Education (COE): National advocacy and support organization for TRIO programs. Relevant as the policy and funding voice for the TRIO network that this program depends on, rather than a direct service competitor.
Emerging players
- iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income students with mentors for college readiness. Shares the college access mission and first-generation focus but delivers primarily through a mentoring model rather than in-school advising.
- CollegeSpring: Nonprofit combining SAT/ACT prep with college advising for low-income and first-generation students. Comparable in its dual focus on test prep and college access advising for similar student populations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Educational Talent Search social profiles
Digital presenceEducational Talent Search financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Educational Talent Search leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Educational Talent Search funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Educational Talent Search M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Educational Talent Search
What does Educational Talent Search do?
Educational Talent Search (KU TRIO Talent Search) is a federally funded, free college access program operated by the University of Kansas that serves middle and high school students in the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) system. The program delivers academic advising, career exploration, college preparation, ACT/SAT preparation, financial aid and FAFSA assistance, scholarship search support, college visits, family workshops, and virtual programming, along with specialized summer programs (Career Horizons for 6th graders and Discover Technology for 7th graders) and the YES Scholars scholarship partnership with Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Is Educational Talent Search a public or private company?
Educational Talent Search is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Educational Talent Search founded?
Educational Talent Search was founded in 1988. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Educational Talent Search based?
Educational Talent Search is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Educational Talent Search make money?
One revenue line is on record: federal Government Funding.
Who are Educational Talent Search's main competitors?
College Board (BigFuture / SAT Suite) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are TRIO Upward Bound (University of Kansas), TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers (University of Kansas), College Possible, Bottom Line, GEAR UP KCK (University of Kansas) and TRIO Talent Search programs (national network). Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) is listed as an others. Emerging players are iMentor and CollegeSpring.
Does Educational Talent Search have an API?
No public API is recorded for Educational Talent Search.
What industry is Educational Talent Search in?
Educational Talent Search's product category is College Access and Preparation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAFAM, Career Readiness & College Prep (In-School), with a secondary code of EDAJALAC, Test Prep & Exam Readiness (K–12). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.