Given the difficult economic times, fewer state and local funds are going into college admissions counseling at public high schools. As a consequence, less admissions counseling is available to many students, especially those who need it the most.
adMISSION POSSIBLE® is committed to providing underserved, low income and/or minority students with the highest quality information and best resources available right now. Here is a list. If you have a source you would like to recommend, send it to us at info@admissionpossible.com.
BOOKS
Rubinoff, Matt and Joseph Tavares, Center for Student Opportunity. 2012 College Access and Opportunity Guide, Bethesda, MD, Center for Student Opportunity, 2011
This is a wonderful resource book for underserved, first generation students. You can order directly from:
http://www.csopportunity.org/order/
ORGANIZATIONS
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
Avid is an elementary through postsecondary college readiness program offered throughout the country to least served students–the B, C and even D students–who want to go onto college.
http://www.avid.org/abo_whatisavid.html
Center for Student Opportunity (CSO)
A wonderful non-profit group that promotes higher education opportunities for first-generation and other underserved college-bound students.
http://www.csopportunity.org/index.aspx
College Center’s Programs in Practice, Center for Student Opportunity (CSO)
A list of community based organizations and college access programs around the country that promotes college attendance for first generation and traditionally underserved students.
http://www.csocollegecenter.org/programnp.aspx
KnowHow2Go
Sponsored by the American Council on Education and Lumina Foundation for Education, this is a colorful, interactive website that offers low income students excellent advice about how to plan for, do all the right things in school to get admitted to college and receive financial aid. Advice for middle schoolers through senior year.
http://www.knowhow2go.org/
Questbridge
An organization that offers exceptionally talented low-income students assistance in navigating the college admissions process, college and first job opportunities
http://www.questbridge.org/about-questbridge/mission-a-vision
SPANISH LANGUAGE RESOURCES
Educacion a Tu Alcance
A Sallie Mae sponsored guide for preparing for and paying for higher education (pdf)
http://www.uofiparentprograms.uiuc.edu/Feature%20Stories/Educacion_a_Tu_Alcance.pdf
Una Guia de Bolsillo Para Escoger una Universidad: Preguntas a hacer en tus visitas universitarias
A National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) pocket guide to chossing a college and questions to ask while visiting colleges
http://nsse.iub.edu/html/pocket_guide_intro.cfm (In English)
http://nsse.iub.edu/pdf/PocketGuide_Spanish.pdf (In Spanish)
UNDERSERVED, MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
American Indian College Fund
The American Indian College Fund funds and creates awareness of community based Tribal colleges and universities and also offers 6000 scholarships annually to American Indian students.
www.collegefund.org
The Black Excel 200 Free Scholarships for Minorities
http://www.blackexcel.org/200-Scholarships.html
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)
HSF offers scholarship opportunities for Latino students, as well as helps high school students prepare, get into and graduate from colleges.
http://www.hsf.net/
Sallie Mae Fund First in My Family Scholarship Program
Developed in partnership with the Hispanic College Fund, this program offers need and merit based scholarships for first generation Latino students
http://www.thesalliemaefund.org/smfnew/scholarship/first_family.html
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS
Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC)
A group of Latino educators who support immigrant students in their pursuit of college and citizenship
http://www.e4fc.org/ourteam.html
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
A Los Angeles group based dedicated to providing a variety of legal, civil rights and better educational opportunities for Latinos
http://www.maldef.org/about/index.html
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
A group dedicated to protecting and promoting the civil rights of Asian Americans, as well as support educational equity for Asian American students.
http://aaldef.org/
For general Financial Aid information, go to
http://admissionpossible.com/financial-aid/
for information about
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
A form required by most public colleges and universities
CSS PROFILE
A form required by most private colleges and universities
EARLY PLANNING FOR FINANCIAL AID COSTS OF COLLEGE
FINANCIAL AID CALCULATORS
A system for estimating how much a college will cost and how much financial aid you might get
DEVELOPING A SCHOLARSHIP STRATEGY
FINANCIAL AID FORM TIMELINES
MYTHS ABOUT FINANCIAL AID