At Rutgers–Newark, Braven is transforming what economic mobility looks like for first-generation and low-income college students. Their model is rooted in a simple but powerful truth: career readiness and degree completion are among the strongest predictors of lifetime earnings and wealth-building.
And Braven’s results are remarkable.
- Rutgers–Newark’s graduation rate for first-time, full-time students in 2023–24 was 65%, compared to 91% for Braven Fellows.
- Braven Newark Fellows achieve 26 percentage points higher job attainment within six months of graduation than their national peers.
- In 2026, Braven will expand its Accelerator Course to at least 950 Rutgers students, helping ensure they secure strong first jobs or graduate school placement within six months of graduation.
This work matters because a strong first job is often a lifetime turning point.
Take Asare Bampoe-Parry, an undergraduate student at Rutgers University-Newark (RU-N) who went through the Braven Accelerator in Spring 2025. When he started at Rutgers, he wasn’t certain where his academic journey would lead, and he didn’t yet envision a clear career path or see graduate school in his future. However, after participating in the Braven Accelerator, his outlook had shifted dramatically. After graduating in May 2025, he moved forward with both a strong first job and plans to begin graduate school in the fall.
“I give credit to the opportunities offered at Rutgers and Braven for, honestly, being a catalyst in terms of how I turned my life around academically,” Bampoe-Parry shared.
Braven is proof that with targeted support, the path to wealth-building can widen for thousands of New Jersey students.