kml scholarships

The KML Scholarship Program exists to create space for BIPOC (black, indigenous, & people of coloR) students to enroll in KML classes at no cost to them, and is part of KML’s larger value set of impacting a generation of funny people whether they are comedians or not, and creating a more inclusive and equitable comedy industry in the Bay Area and beyond.

WHEN TO APPLY: Scholarship students are accepted on a rolling basis, year round. Interested applicants can fill out the short application forms linked below at any time to be considered for a KML Scholarship. Once an application is completed, a KML representative will respond within two weeks about the status of their application.

WHAT KML SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS RECEIVE:

• Placement in the type of class for which they applied, at no cost.

• As with all KML students, there is no guarantee a scholarship student will be accepted into KML’s acting or writing pool from which we cast and staff our professional productions, though they will have the same opportunity to apply to the writing pool and/or audition for the acting pool as any student. More info on that here.

• If you’re looking for deeper involvement, check out KML’s New Voices In Comedy Fellowships, available for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ writers and performers, which accepts applications each fall.

RESTRICTIONS & OTHER INFO:

• KML Scholarships are designed to create space for BIPOC students specifically.

• There is no larger commitment or expectation from the student (such as volunteering) in exchange for acceptance into the KML Scholarship Program.

• Scholarship students must apply separately for each type of class they’re interested in taking. For example, if a scholarship student wants to take both Sketch Writing 1 and Sketch Writing 2, they should first apply for Sketch Writing 1, complete that session of classes, and then apply for Sketch Writing 2.

• Scholarship students, just like all other KML students, cannot skip levels. For instance, a student cannot apply for Writing 2 if they have not first taken Writing 1.

• Classes are currently being held in-person. If a COVID surge deems it necessary, we may move a writing session to Zoom. Unfortunately, an Acting class cannot be held over Zoom, and would thus be cancelled if it is determined to be unsafe to move forward with in-person sessions.

• If a scholarship student is enrolled in a class and has the need to transfer out of that session before the class starts, they’ll be placed on a scholarship waitlist for their next available session.

• KML cannot guarantee placement in a specific session, as classes frequently sell out, and may be at capacity before the form has been filled out by the applicant. The form will list each upcoming session of classes of a given type, and applicants are encouraged to mark all upcoming sessions for which they are available, to have the greatest possible chance of being placed in a class.

• If a class is sold out/at capacity, scholarship applicants may be placed on a waitlist for that session. In the event that a student transfers to another session or drops out of the class, we will reach out to the waitlist in order of when the applications were completed.

• As with any student, Scholarship Students will be dropped from a session if they miss more than one class, and must reapply in order to take a future session. This is to ensure that both the scholarship students and their classmates have a full and uninterrupted class experience.

• All other regular class rules and guidelines apply.

BEFORE APPLYING: Please read all the information on the class you’re interested in taking: Click here for Writing Class Info. And here for Acting Class Info.