# Jeannie Tarkenton

> Jeannie Tarkenton is the founder and CEO of Funding U (Funding University), an Atlanta-based fintech lender that makes no-cosigner student loans to high-achieving, low-income undergraduates based on grades, grit and trajectory rather than a parent's credit score. A Princeton English major who spent a decade in Atlanta education nonprofits, she built an AI underwriting model that reads transcripts and internships instead of FICO and balance sheets. Since 2018 the company has deployed well over $125 million to thousands of mostly first-generation students, and counts Goldman Sachs and her former college roommate MacKenzie Scott among its backers.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Funding U
- **Organizations:** Funding U (Funding University)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. cum laude, English Literature and American Studies, Princeton University, Secondary (later first alumna trustee, 1994-1996), The Lawrenceville School
- **Known for:** Founded and leads Funding U, described as the national leader in no-cosigner student lending in a $30B+ annual market, Deployed over $125 million in affordable student loans since 2018 to thousands of undergraduates, Built an AI/data underwriting model that assesses behavior, grades and internships instead of FICO scores or cosigner income

## Career timeline

- **1990s** — Founding Board Member, Girls on the Run Atlanta (1998-2001); first alumna trustee of The Lawrenceville School (1994-1996)
- **2000s** — Worked a decade in Atlanta education nonprofits: Director of Development at Literacy Action, Founding Director of Admissions at Atlanta Girls' School, Strategic Consultant at the Rollins Center for Early Literacy (Atlanta Speech School)
- **2016** — Founded Funding U to offer no-cosigner, merit-based loans to low-income undergraduates
- **2018** — Funding U begins scaling loan originations to first-generation and moderate-income students
- **2020** — Launches a platform-as-a-service / income-share repayment product; speaks publicly on fintech's role in student debt
- **2022** — Raises Series A funding (reported $7.5M round); total funding reaches roughly $33.5M-$80M including debt facilities
- **2025** — Featured in Fortune for the Princeton-era connection to MacKenzie Scott, now a Funding U capital partner

## Achievements

- Founded and leads Funding U, described as the national leader in no-cosigner student lending in a $30B+ annual market
- Deployed over $125 million in affordable student loans since 2018 to thousands of undergraduates
- Built an AI/data underwriting model that assesses behavior, grades and internships instead of FICO scores or cosigner income
- Reaches a borrower base that is roughly 60% first-generation college students and 40% from families earning $40,000 or less
- Borrowers see strong outcomes: about 90% graduate on time and over 80% find employment within a year at an average salary of $64,500
- Raised capital from Goldman Sachs, Deciens Capital and MacKenzie Scott, blending bank debt with concessionary junior capital

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Profiled by Fortune for the Princeton-era story behind her friendship with MacKenzie Scott and Scott's role funding Funding U.

## Links

- Website: https://funding-u.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannie-tarkenton-84803656
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/FundingUniv
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op_bi9DRFTY
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fundinguniversity/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jeannie-tarkenton
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-12