Est. 2026 — United States & Indonesia
“Empowering Educators. Advancing STEM.
Transforming Communities.”
An American-based non-profit foundation removing financial barriers for exceptional undergraduate students in Education and STEM. We are currently working on memoranda of understanding with two universities, and additional program details will be announced soon.
Who We Are
The Scholars and Educators Fund is an American-based non-profit foundation established with a singular and deeply personal mission: to remove financial barriers from the paths of talented students in Education and STEM so they can complete their undergraduate degrees and go on to serve as educators, scientists, engineers, and professionals in their communities.
The Fund was co-founded by two individuals whose professional lives represent, in complementary ways, the very fields the Fund seeks to serve. Together, they bring a rare combination of lived experience in STEM and in Education — across two countries and two academic traditions — that gives the Fund both credibility and authenticity.
“Every great institution began modestly, with a clear conviction and a willingness to act on it. We look forward to a partnership built on shared values, mutual respect, and a common commitment to students who will carry the future forward.”
🇺🇸 USA
Coming Soon
🤝
Partnership
🇮🇩 IDN
Coming Soon
Our Direction
To be a leading catalyst in the transformation of education and STEM by empowering exceptional students and educators with the financial resources, recognition, and community they need to complete their degrees and serve their fields with excellence.
What Drives Us
The Fund operates on three foundational beliefs that guide every decision we make:
Education and STEM are complementary pillars of a flourishing society. Great scientists need great teachers. Great teachers need a scientifically literate society.
Financial need should not determine academic destiny. Talent is distributed equally across economic circumstances; opportunity is not. The Fund exists to close that gap.
Scholarship is most meaningful when it is personal. The Fund does not distribute money — it invests in people. Every recipient is known by name, program, and aspiration.
| Value | What It Means to Us |
|---|---|
| Access | Every qualified student deserves a fair chance to complete their education, regardless of financial circumstances. |
| Excellence | We support students committed to high academic standards and professional development in their chosen fields. |
| Equity | We direct resources toward students who need them most, across two countries and diverse backgrounds. |
| Partnership | We work with universities as genuine partners — not mere conduits — building relationships rooted in trust and transparency. |
| Impact | We measure success not by funds disbursed, but by degrees completed and lives transformed. |
Education is the mechanism by which every other form of human development is transmitted across generations. When we invest in a future teacher, we invest in every student they will ever teach.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics drive economic development and solve civilizational challenges. The Fund directs resources toward students who face the steepest barriers to STEM completion.
The Fund's dual focus reflects our founders' complementary expertise. STEM needs skilled educators to inspire the next generation. Education systems need scientifically literate graduates to remain current and relevant.
2026/2027 Pilot Batch
The Fund is preparing its inaugural pilot across the United States and Indonesia and is currently working on memoranda of understanding with two universities. Detailed information about specific programs, participating institutions, and award structures is coming soon.
Coming Soon
We will share confirmed details on scholarship tracks, eligibility requirements, timelines, funding levels, and participating partners once the memoranda of understanding with two universities are finalized.
Who Can Apply
Eligibility requirements for individual programs and partner institutions are coming soon.
How We Choose
Selection criteria, committee structure, and application steps will be published alongside finalized program details.
Academic Year 2026/2027
A detailed program timeline will be posted once partnership and program terms are finalized.
Program Budget
Funding details for each program and partnership will be shared once the inaugural pilot structure is finalized.
Budget ranges, disbursement schedules, and country-specific allocations are coming soon.
The People Behind the Fund
The Fund is led by two individuals who bring a rare combination of lived experience in STEM and Education — across two countries and two academic traditions.
Travis Plunk
Co-Founder — STEM & Technology
Travis Plunk brings to the Fund a career shaped by the belief that STEM education is among the most powerful forces for individual and societal transformation. His experience spans technology, business, and education, giving him a deep appreciation for the challenges that financial barriers present to students seeking to complete their STEM degrees.
Travis has seen firsthand how transformative STEM education can be — and how devastating it is when talented, motivated students are prevented from completing their degrees not because of ability or effort, but because of money. That conviction is at the heart of his commitment to the Fund.
Gatot Prasetyo
Co-Founder — Education & Teacher Training
Gatot Prasetyo is an educator whose career has been devoted to teacher education in Indonesia. He has spent years training the next generation of English teachers, sitting across from hundreds of students who possess the passion, intelligence, and commitment to become outstanding educators — but face genuine financial barriers to completing their degrees.
For Gatot, the Fund’s work is not abstract — it is the direct extension of what he has been doing throughout his professional life: believing in students, investing in their futures, and fighting to ensure that financial circumstance does not define academic destiny.
Founding Partners
We are currently working on memoranda of understanding with two universities. Confirmed institution details and partnership announcements are coming soon.
Partner names, locations, and collaboration details will be published after the memoranda of understanding are complete.
The Road Ahead
The 2026/2027 pilot is the beginning, not the destination. Subject to the success of the pilot and the availability of resources, the Fund intends to:
These are aspirations, not commitments. The Fund will let the evidence of the pilot guide its growth, and will share its findings openly with partners, donors, and the public.
6
Goal for 2026/2027
∞
Lives they will touch
“Modest beginning.
Clear conviction.
Willingness to act.”
Get Involved
We welcome inquiries from universities, prospective donors, and organizations that share our commitment to access, excellence, and the transformative power of education and STEM.
The Scholars and Educators Fund · American-based Non-Profit Foundation
Serving students in the United States and Indonesia