A college education has historically been out of reach for a number of American ethnic groups. Things have changed drastically in the last century or so, but it is far from perfect. Higher education is still hard to come by for many of the nation’s minority groups. Historically black colleges and Hispanic-serving schools have been providing access to higher education for years. Now, tribal colleges are presenting the same opportunities to Native American students.

Tribal colleges

“Students in a handful of big-city school districts have a less than 50-50 chance of graduating from high school with their peers, and a few cities graduate far fewer than half each spring according to researcher Christopher B. Swanson.”

The study estimates the likelihood that a ninth grader will complete high school on time and with a regular diploma. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored the study.
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Today’s high school students spend a lot of time online. Whether they are socializing on the many social networks such as myspace.com or xanga, or conducting research for their homework, teens are internet savvy. To capitalize on students’ connectedness, many colleges and universities are now recruiting their future student bodies online.

Blogs are one of the leading web-based recruitment tools used by colleges and universities. Students can log on to read about the day-to-day activities of current students, or get a behind-the-scenese peak at the school. The school’s web site is also a valuable for providing prospective students information about the school.

College sites now rank higher than high school visits from campus representatives and direct mailings in importance as recruitment strategies, said Steve Kappler, an executive director of Stamats Inc., a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, firm that providees consulting services to about 100 colleges and universities a year.
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Now that you have received your acceptance letter, sent in your housing application and accepted your financial aid package, you are probably wondering what comes next. If your financial aid package is a little on the low end, revisiting your game plan might be in order.

To jump start your search, FastWeb has created these 10 tips to help you pay for college.

Tip 1: Prioritize your efforts, starting with the federal government. Then turn to the private sector for additional assistance. Visit FinAid.org to learn about all your funding opportunities.

Tip 2: Learn all you can about the college financial aid process. Be sure to meet your financial aid administrator and establish a relationship.

Tip 3: Submit a FAFSA, even if you don’t think you qualify for aid. Being rejected for federal aid is sometimes a prerequisite for private awards.

Tip 4: Apply for aid as soon as possible after January 1. At many schools, funds are limited; the sooner you get your application in, the better.

Tip 5: Inform financial aid administrators about atypical expenses and special circumstances. Certain allowances may be made to assist you.
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“The Kalamazoo Promise” provides scholarships to any student who has attended Kalamazoo Public Schools for four years or more and lives in the district. The program will distribute an estimated $2 million to $3 million its first year to about 310 of the 380 eligible graduates, according to Executive Administrator Bob Jorth.

Amidst rising tuition cost at state universities across the nation, many students are slowly being priced out of a college education. Private programs such as the Kalamazoo Promise are springing up to help in many cities to help students cover the costs of college tuition.

Do you know of a similar scholarship program in your city? Share that information with the staff at Counselor Companion, so we can get the word out! To learn more about the Kalamazoo program visit their web site.

North Carolina has made aggressive efforts to combat years of disastrous job losses as key industries moved overseas. The target is the state’s public education system. The first step was a focus on preschool through eighth grade encouraging better teacher training, setting standards and making the curriculum more rigorous. The next step looks at high school.

“What we’re trying to provide is the best work force in the world,” says North Carolina Gov. Michael Easley. “Not just in the country

For the last few years, high school guidance counselors have been asked to address the self-abusing practice of cutting. Mostly believed to be a behavior displayed in disturbed or troubled teens, many colleges and universities are now reporting a culture of cutting on their campuses.

Cnn.com reports that, “nearly 1 in 5 students at two Ivy League schools say they have purposely injured themselves by cutting, burning or other methods, a disturbing phenomenon that psychologists say they are hearing about more often.”

Guidance counselors have been reporting increased numbers of cutting in colleges, high schools and middle schools across the nation.
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