The CAPP FUND helps high school seniors with college application costs, adds new scholarship

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Have you heard of The CAPP FUND? Back in 2020, a month before the world shut down, the CAPP Fund made its debut. A small, all-volunteer nonprofit located in South Lake Tahoe, the CAPP Fund intends to increase access to higher education by helping local high school seniors with the costs of 4-year college application fees. The goal is to give more young adults the opportunity of a college education by taking away the small barrier of the application fees.

Within a month back in 2020, the community stepped up with donations totaling just over $5000. Then with a matching grant from LaTrobe Fund, the CAPP fund was up and running.

The process is easy...students complete a simple application between September and January, submit receipts for their costs of applying to up to two colleges, and CAPP Fund reimburses them those costs.

Over the past four years, with a few more donations from amazing community members, the CAPP Fund has continued its mission, each year reaching more and more students. This past school year they reached a milestone, supporting the costs of 100 college applications.


Looking ahead to the 2024-2025 school year, the CAPP Fund has garnered an amazing sponsor, the Marcella Foundation. The Marcella Foundation has committed to covering the cost of all applications requested by the South Shore graduating seniors (from either South Tahoe High or George Whittell High) who may ask for up to two college applications to be covered.

Also for the 2024-25 school year, the CAPP Fund will be making a small change, allowing them to give out a new scholarship...the CAppED (College Application Extra Dollars) Scholarship. Next year, instead of reimbursing students 100 percent for each application, the CAPP Fund will reimburse the college application fee minus $10. They will total up all those ten dollar fees at the end of the application window, January 15, and will then give that total of around $1000 to one of the students who applied to the CAPP Fund as a scholarship for their continuing education after high school at a 4-year university.

The CAPP Fund was formed to serve the students in our community - 100% of all donations go back to the students.

The nonprofit looks forward to helping in its small way with access to education beyond high school.

For more information, please visit www.cappfund.org.

CAPP Fund Board: Bridey Heidel, president, Jennifer Hamburg-Seely, secretary, and Kathy Haven, treasurer.

CAPP Fund donors from 2020-present include:
Kent & Becky Baer 
Michael Bozora
Tyler & Cheryl Cannon
Cristi & Bernard Creegan
Wendy & Kerry David
Gina & Mike DeLoia
Diana & Don Evans
Cherilyn Gilboy & Pat Haven
Sandra & Robert Guebard
Nick & Kathy Haven
Denise Lehman
Marissa Muscat & Travis Feist
Cynthea & Steve Preston
Dooley & Jeanette Riva
Jennifer & Roy Stafford
Britta & Kyle Swanson
Kara Thiel

Bijou PTA
Kiwanis of Tahoe Sierra
South Tahoe Refuse
Pape Family Foundation
LaTrobe Fund
The Marcella Foundation