Many high school students dream of attending college after high school, but the process of turning that dream into reality can be daunting, especially for a student whose parents and other family members did not attend college. Learning how to apply for and pay for a college education is an important step in that process. A consortium of Mississippi education leaders is launching a new effort, College Countdown MS, that is designed to help more students apply for and enroll in college after high school.
The work in Mississippi will be supported in part by a grant acquired by the Get2College Program of the Education Services Foundation from the National College Access Network. Get2College competed with 118 cities nationwide on behalf of the city of Jackson, winning a $55,000 grant to increase the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rate in Jackson Public Schools. Get2College will partner with JPS in a city-wide, cross-sector campaign to get high school seniors to complete the FAFSA, the first step in acquiring financial aid for college. The FAFSA Challenge Grant is funded by The Kresge Foundation.
Some of the strategies to be employed for the JPS FAFSA Completion Challenge include creating a college culture, partnering with community groups to create an expectation of college, launching a FAFSA marketing campaign and testing an innovative, remote process for FAFSA completion.
"The Jackson Public School District is committed to working diligently with Get2College and other partners to encourage students to complete the FAFSA," said Superintendent Dr. Cedrick Gray. "We look forward to promoting and assisting with the FAFSA Completion Days planned as part of the project. This grant will enable us to assist more students as they begin the journey to obtain a college degree towards a prosperous future."
Some of the activities planned for students include Application Day, FAFSA Days, and College Signing Day, which is designed to replicate the excitement of athletic signing days. Many of the activities will occur during the school day and focus on students who might not otherwise apply to college.
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| The Jackson Public School District participated in a press conference and workshop with other consortium members in June 2016. Participants included (from left) Dr. Freddrick Murray, Chief Academic Officer for High Schools, Jackson Public Schools; Mayor Tony Yarber, City of Jackson; Dr. Andrea Mayfield, Executive Director, Mississippi Community College Board; Heather Morrison, P-20 Projects Coordinator, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning; Dr. Casey Turnage, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning; Dr. Kim Benton, Chief Academic Officer, Mississippi Department of Education; Jim McHale, President and CEO, Education Services Foundation; Joe Watts, Senior Fellow, American Council on Education; and Cale Golden, Director, K-12 State and District Partnerships, College Board. |
College Countdown MS is part of a national effort, the American College Application Campaign, that shares the goal of easing the admissions, financial aid and enrollment process for students, particularly first-generation and low-income students, and ensure that they apply to at least one postsecondary institution. Informational meetings and training sessions were held in Jackson and Greenville to kick off the campaign in Mississippi. High school counselors and administrators, along with community college and university admissions officers, participated in the meetings.
"Helping more students graduate from college begins with helping more students enroll in and understand how to pay for college," said Dr. Glenn Boyce, Commissioner of Higher Education. "College Countdown MS is a great example of collaboration and demonstrates a strong commitment to helping more students get to and succeed in college."
Partners in College Countdown MS include the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the Mississippi Community College Board, the Mississippi Department of Education, State Office of Student Financial Aid, the College Knowledge Project, Mississippi Association of College Registrars and Admission Officers, the Get2College Program of the Education Services Foundation, and The City of Jackson’s I Need You To Make It Youth Initiative. The target areas for 2016-2017 include Jackson Public Schools and schools in the Mississippi Delta.
"The City of Jackson fully supports this project to get more of our young people enrolled in college and on an academic path to success," said Jackson Mayor Tony T. Yarber. "Education and economic development go hand-in-hand. Investing in our youth today helps to ensure a brighter future for them and Mississippi’s capital city."
More information on College Countdown MS is available online: http://collegecountdownms.com.
More Coverage:
- College Countdown MS, JPS ITV, June 8, 2016
