How to make more Charlie Kirks: Inside TPUSA's gap-year alternative to the 'college scam'

Turning Point USA's Prep Year Program Graduates Its First Class, Fulfilling Charlie Kirk's Educational Vision

FORT WORTH, Texas — A first-of-its-kind educational program backed by Turning Point USA has graduated its inaugural class of students, marking the completion of what its leaders describe as a bold experiment in classical education modeled after the late Charlie Kirk's vision for American youth.

The program, known as "Prep Year," launched on September 2, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas, welcoming 18-year-olds who had just completed high school. The inaugural cohort of 34 students spent nine months immersed in a curriculum rooted in classical liberal arts, Christian teachings, and Socratic methodology. The program concluded on May 22, 2026, with its graduates dispersing across a range of paths — roughly one-third heading to college, another third entering vocational trades, and the remainder pursuing other directions.

Dr. David Arnott, dean of the program, said the initiative was designed to give young people a year of reflection and foundational learning before they commit to the significant financial and personal investment that higher education demands.

"This is not about discouraging anyone from going to college," Arnott said. "We want students to be prepared — whether that means college, the trades, or something else entirely. The problem, frankly, is that the government distorts the marketplace by heavily subsidizing college costs and forgiving debt, which makes other paths harder to see as legitimate options."

The idea for the program traces back to Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, who articulated his critique of higher education in his 2022 book "The College Scam." According to Arnott, Kirk's concept centered on offering young Americans a classical education experience that prioritized wisdom and character over the mere accumulation of facts or credentials.

Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025 — just eight days after the program's first class convened at a Utah State University campus. Arnott said the program was already underway when the tragedy occurred, and that completing the first year has been an emotional and defining moment for everyone involved.

"He realized there would be something coming along like AI that could answer all the technical questions of life, but it wouldn't answer the important questions," Arnott said. "Wisdom is what we want these students to have. It's hard to teach wisdom, but that's what we're attempting to do."

Arnott emphasized that the program's educational philosophy is not new — drawing on centuries-old traditions of classical, Christian liberal arts education and the Socratic method of questioning and dialogue. Students study foundational texts, including the Bible as well as works by authors such as Dante, Virgil, and Homer. The program also focuses on practical life preparation, equipping students with skills and perspective for navigating adulthood.

For the fall of 2026, the program plans to expand, enrolling between 35 and 50 students — and potentially as many as 80 — across locations in Fort Worth, Texas, and Elgin, Illinois.

The interview with Arnott took place at FreedomFest in Las Vegas, where he discussed how the program embodies Kirk's conviction that the country's most pressing challenge is not economic policy alone, but the cultivation of character and purpose in the next generation.

"Charlie Kirk's ideas are really old ideas," Arnott said. "They encompass Christian values, classical education, the liberal arts, and the Socratic method. And what makes this unique is the environment itself — being around 35 to 50 other committed, highly intelligent 18-year-olds who share those values. They learn from each other in ways that are truly remarkable."

When asked to summarize the program's mission in a single sentence, Arnott was succinct: "Make more Charlie Kirks."

Turning Point USA's Prep Year program represents one of the most direct efforts yet to translate Kirk's educational philosophy into a tangible, year-long experience for young Americans — one that its leaders hope will prove that the gap between high school and college can be filled not just with more coursework, but with character, wisdom, and a clearer sense of purpose.