The problem we are trying to solve
A student in Lagos preparing for JAMB has the same ambitions as a student in London preparing for A-Levels. They are working just as hard, often harder. But the resources available to them are not comparable.
Private tutoring costs money most families do not have. Quality prep books and past papers can be hard to source. One-on-one coaching is a luxury reserved for students whose parents can pay for it. The result is a gap in preparation quality that has nothing to do with ability and everything to do with access.
AI tutoring does not solve every inequality in education. But it eliminates one specific barrier: the cost of a patient, expert tutor who is available whenever the student needs them. That is what Meg is. And we think every student who needs her should be able to access her.
That is what the SolversBoard Access Initiative is built to do.
What the programme provides
Accepted students receive a 12-month full SolversBoard subscription - everything included:
- Unlimited sessions with Meg across all subjects
- Full exam prep access (40+ exams including JAMB, WAEC, SAT, MCAT, A-Levels, JEE, and more)
- The Learning Agent - personalised study plans and gap analysis
- Digital whiteboard with AI vision feedback
- XP, streaks, achievements, and Study Groups
- All future features released during the subscription period
There are no feature restrictions compared to a paid subscription. Access Initiative students get the full product.
Who can apply
The programme is open to students worldwide. There are no geographic restrictions. To qualify:
Age and enrollment - you must be a student currently enrolled in secondary school, a university or college programme, or actively preparing for a qualifying exam.
Financial need - the programme is means-tested. The application asks about household income relative to your country's median. We use income brackets rather than fixed dollar amounts because what constitutes low income varies significantly between countries.
Intended use - we ask what you are studying and what exam or goal you are working toward. Preference is given to students with specific, near-term academic goals where SolversBoard can make a direct difference.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We do not have a fixed cohort calendar - accepted students are notified within two weeks of applying, and their subscription starts from the date of acceptance.
How it is funded
The Access Initiative is donor-funded. SolversBoard does not cross-subsidise it from paid subscriptions. Instead, individuals and organisations who believe in educational equity can contribute directly to sponsor student places.
Donors choose their contribution level. Options range from sponsoring a single month for one student to funding annual places for entire cohorts. For organisations - companies, foundations, alumni groups - we can structure larger cohort sponsorships with reporting on the students supported.
Every donation directly funds a student place. There is no allocation to overhead or administration beyond the minimum needed to run the application review process.
If you are an individual who benefited from good educational opportunities and want to pay that forward, this is a direct way to do it. If you are a company with an education or social impact mandate, sponsoring student places is a concrete, verifiable contribution.
What donors see
We take accountability seriously. Sponsors who fund student places receive:
- Confirmation of the number of students enrolled with their funding
- Aggregate data on subjects studied, sessions completed, and exams prepared for
- At the end of the 12 months, an impact summary showing usage and outcomes where students consent to share them
We do not share individual student identities with donors by default. Students can opt in to connecting with their sponsor if they want to, but this is entirely their choice.
Why 12 months
Twelve months is long enough to matter. A student who gets access for one month might use it, but they do not have time to build the habits and depth of preparation that change outcomes. Twelve months covers a full academic year - from the start of preparation to the exam itself - which is the unit of time that actually matters for most students.
We could offer shorter periods at lower cost and reach more students in raw numbers. We chose depth over breadth. Twelve months of consistent preparation with Meg and the Learning Agent is meaningfully different from twelve weeks.
How to apply or donate
Students: Visit the Access Initiative page on solversboard.com to apply. The application takes about 10 minutes. You will need to provide information about your enrollment status, household income bracket, and what you are studying.
Donors and sponsors: Use the donor form on the same page. For corporate or foundation sponsorships above a certain threshold, reach out directly so we can structure the arrangement properly and provide the reporting your organisation needs.
Good tutoring should not be a luxury. We are building toward a world where it is not - and the Access Initiative is our commitment to that in the meantime.