Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc. is an American for-profit corporation that provides educational and training services to colleges, universities, businesses and individuals around the world. Founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan, the company offers a variety of test preparation, certifications and student support services. The company is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company. History. Kaplan, Inc. was founded in 1938 by Stanley H. Kaplan, who started the business by tutoring students for the New York State Regents Exam in the basement of his parents' Brooklyn home. He eventually opened locations around  the country. In 1984, Kaplan sold the company to The Washington Post Company. The company grew significantly in the 1990s by expanding its business and purchasing other test preparation and educational companies. In 2017, Purdue University announced the acquisition of Kaplan University, and the sale was completed in 2018. The new institution became known as Purdue University Global, and provides accredited distance learning to students throughout the world. Kaplan continues to provide non-academic contractor support for services such as recruitment, marketing, admissions, human resources, and IT support. Products and services. Kaplan offers a variety of educational and training products  and services, including tutoring, on-site classes, live programs, print books, online products and others. For businesses and educational institutions. Kaplan offers support for technology, admissions, help-desk, marketing, human resources, financial aid processing, recruiting, corporate training, and other business functions. Kaplan's educational and training include several enterprises: Corporate overview. According to the company’s website, Kaplan has more than 12,000 employees in more than 30 countries, and reaches more than 100 countries through its online courses. Its partners include more than 14,000 businesses and more than 4000 educational institutions. The company’s chairman and CEO is Andrew Rosen , and its 2020 revenue was $1.3 billion. Kaplan operates through two major divisions: Kaplan North America and Kaplan International. A third division, Kaplan Corporate, manages investment activities in education technology companies. Kaplan North America (KNA). Kaplan North America encompasses two segments: Higher Education and Supplemental Education. KNA higher education provides operations support services for online pre-college, certificate, undergraduate and graduate programs to various educational and training institutions, including Purdue University, Wake Forest University and others. In its support agreement with Purdue University Global, which operates largely online as a public university affiliated with the Purdue University system, KNA  provides support for technology, admissions, help-desk, marketing, human resources, financial aid processing, recruiting, and other functions. KNA supplemental education products include test preparation, data science education and training, healthcare simulation businesses, publishing, professional licensure training and preparation, corporate training and continuing education. KNA’s test preparation services are branded through Kaplan Test Prep, Manhattan Prep and Barron’s Educational Series. In total, KNA test prep prepares students for more than 233 standardized tests, the large majority of which are U.S. focused. Kaplan also sells admissions consulting, tutoring and other student advising services. Kaplan Publishing focuses on print and digital  test preparation and reference resources. Kaplan International (KI). Kaplan International is based in London and operates educational businesses in North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East. KI Pathways was founded in 2005, and serves 20,000 students per year, according to its website. KI Languages offers instruction in English, Spanish, French and German, and deliver content to countries around the world. KI has offices and operations in more than 30 countries. For example, KI United Kingdom provides training, test preparation and degrees for accounting, financial services and legal professionals. In the Asia Pacific region, Kaplan operates businesses  primarily in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and South Korea: Lawsuits and investigations. In 2007, a class-action lawsuit was settled for $30 million by Kaplan and BarBri, a company offering bar exam preparation. Among the allegations was a federal antitrust violation claiming that Kaplan had agreed not to compete in the bar review business while BarBri agreed it would not compete in the LSAT business. Both West Publishing Company (parent of BarBri) and Kaplan denied the allegations and the matter was resolved without any findings of wrongdoing. In 2012, the North Carolina Attorney General determined Kaplan lied  to students about the credentials they would earn in the Dental Assistant program. Following the investigation Kaplan College Charlotte campus surrendered its license to operate a school. Kaplan refunded students the cost of tuition, books, and fees, and agreed to pay the program’s graduates $9,000 stipends. Students claimed they were told the school would soon obtain ADA accreditation. The program had never been accredited by the American Dental Association, and had never been scheduled for the initial site visit required for accreditation. In 2014, Kaplan settled with the Florida Attorney General regarding claims of using misleading marketing to  enroll students. Kaplan was investigated for violating Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Under the terms of the settlement, Kaplan agreed to “clearly and conspicuously disclose true and accurate information relating to the school’s accreditation, program costs, financial aid, and the scope and nature of employment services they provide.” Specifically, Kaplan cannot claim a program is “fully accredited,” can’t say that an interview or recommendation is required, can’t use artificial or arbitrary enrollment deadlines, can’t say a course is in “high demand” or has limited availability if it does not, can’t say  that federal grants are “free money,” and can’t enroll a student with regular internet access. Further, Kaplan agreed to retrain to students who asserted claims against the school. During the course of the investigation Kaplan waived $6 million in tuition and fees for more than 2,400 Florida students, and reimburses the Florida Attorney General’s office for attorney costs. A year later, Kaplan paid $1.375 million to the Massachusetts Attorney General's office to resolve complaints that Kaplan engaged in “unfair or deceptive practices designed to induce enrollment of students” including “harassing sales tactics and false and  misleading representations” in the operation of the Kaplan Career Institute campus in Boston, Massachusetts. Also in 2015, Kaplan paid $1.3 million, with $1 million going toward tuition refunds to 289 students, to resolve allegations that it hired instructors who were not qualified. The United States Department of Justice began investigating Kaplan following a Qui tam suit filed by a whistleblower under the False Claims Act. The whistleblower alleged Kaplan employed unqualified instructors to teach Medical Assistant courses at its San Antonio campuses and knowingly requested, received, and retained federal funds for courses taught by individuals who did not  meet the minimum requirements established by Texas law. Kaplan Educational Foundation (KEF). The KEF is a 501(c)(3) charity that offers undergraduate and graduate educational scholarship opportunities and other assistance to students in the New York City area who are traditionally overlooked or under-served, including African American, Latino, and Native American students. Kaplan scholars receive a comprehensive array of financial and academic support, transfer admissions advising, and leadership skills development. The foundation partners with dozens of higher educational institutions around the United States. In addition to support from its partners and benefactors, the foundation is supported through sales of its  guide to college transfer. The guide profiles top U.S. schools and their transfer policies, and is a resource for students and school administrators to navigate the complex transfer process, including credits and graduation requirements. The guide provides specialized advice to non-traditional students, including veterans, students raising families, and students with unique immigration needs. Private citizens may donate these guides to deserving students, and all proceeds from sales are used to support the foundation. Awards, rankings and honors. Kaplan has been received numerous awards and recognition for its businesses, products and services, including: