This is a prime time to help connect your under-represented students, schools, and community with free college access programs. Some are for individual students while others serve school sites. Several deadlines are coming up (Sadly, one just passed). Several organizations are looking for volunteers and paid staff (CSULA Upward Bound and College Spring).
While this list is focused primarily on LA, it does list programs that have counterparts around the country. Please look for similar programs in your region. We also include some new nationwide programs, including College Green Light, a new free program to help students manage the college access and application process.
Please let us know if you would like to add any programs to this springtime list.
Winter-Spring 2015
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund runs College Camps for low-income Latino college bound high school students in five areas—around the country. Find the dates. They are coming up. http://www.hispanicfund.org/programs/hyi
http://www.hispanicfund.org/programs/hyi
February 19, 2015
College Week All College Access Day
Rebecca Joseph is presenting a transfer readiness session for College Week Live’s February All College Access Day. This entire day is free for all participants. http://www.collegeweeklive.com/event-schedule/all-access-february
All year round.
Student Smart is a free program offered by the Los Angeles Public Library that provides free SAT and ACT test prep along with many college readiness workshops. Free diagnostic tests SAT and ACT tests are offered as well. These programs are offered all spring, summer, and fall at library branches all around Los Angeles. Princeton Review is a sponsor.
http://ya.lapl.org/events/studentsmart.php
Scholarship and College Readiness Scholarships and Programs For Individual Students
March 15
The deadline for NACME’s Pre-Engineering Student Scholarships is March 15. Students must have attended a college prep program and attend one of the many partnership colleges. Follow the link for more information. http://www.nacme.org/scholarships
March 25
With its College Prep Scholarship, Questbridge links top under-represented juniors with summer college access program across the country.
http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/cps-who-should-apply
Late March 2015
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholar Program. This tremendous program takes top 7th graders from around the country and provides ongoing mentoring and college readiness programming. The foundation also provides scholarships for top transfer students, masters students, and next fall a scholarship for top college bound seniors.
http://www.jkcf.org/scholarships/young-scholars-program/
April 1
South Central Scholars Program provides high achieving under-represented juniors in LA with an intensive summer wide program at USC. Applicants need to complete an intake form. This deadline may be earlier this year.
http://www.southcentralscholars.org/scholar_center-summer_academy
April 2015
Increasing Access Via Mentoring (I AM) at USC for top LAUSD college bound juniors.
Summertime program. http://www.uscrossier.org/pullias/research/projects/i-am-mentoring/#!prettyPhoto
First consideration will be given to students from our partner high schools, including: Belmont, Crenshaw, Downtown Magnets, Foshay Learning Center, Bravo Medical Magnet, Locke, Manual Arts, John Marshall, Roosevelt, and Roybal Learning Center.
Spring 2015
Motivating Our Students Through Experience (M.O.S.T.E.) mentors under-presented Latinas beginning in 7th and 8th grade. This program follows young ladies from middle school through college.
http://www.moste.org/scholar-application/
Spring 2015
Upward Bound
CSULA’s Upward Bound programs are looking for eighth graders interested in four years of college access mentorship and academic readiness programs.
Here is link to CSULA’s four programs that serve Garfield and Wilson High Schools in LAUSD and Blair IB, Marshall Fundamental, Muir High School, and Pasadena High Schools in Pasadena Unified School District.
http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/stuaffrs/ubp/
CSULA’s program is looking for summer instructors, tutors, and more.
Volunteers of American Upward Bound programs serve seven areas in the LA area. http://www.voala.org/services/youth.htm
Spring 2015
Posse is a nationwide scholarship and college access program in several key cities across the country. Teachers and counselors can nominate juniors for Posse Scholarships. It’s a competitive process that starts in the spring and ends in the fall. Please become a nominating school if you are not currently.
http://www.possefoundation.org/about-posse/locations/
May 18
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Institute is held in conjunction with annual WACAC conference. This year’s daylong institute for college access professions and volunteers is focused on “Undocumented: Understanding and Navigating the College Process.”
Late Spring-Fall 2015
College Match provides help to top under-represented juniors and seniors at 12 schools in LA area.
http://www.collegematchla.org/
These 12 schools are Ouchi H.S., The King Drew Medical Magnet, The International Studies Center and Animo Inglewood H.S. in South Los Angeles, Bell H.S., Franklin H.S., Oscar De La Hoya H.S., the Environmental, Science and Technology Academy, and Garfield H.S. in East Los Angeles, the Downtown Magnets H.S. and Camino Nuevo H.S. in Downtown Los Angeles and the Environmental High School in South Bay
Spring-Summer 2015
Step-Up Women’s Network serves low-income teenage girls in New York, LA, and Chicago. They only work with specific public schools in those cities. Principals interested in connecting their school can contact, the organization at http://www.suwn.org/.
Free College Access Programs-Services Provided At School Sites
College Spring prepares under-represented students for the SAT and college applications. They work at school-sites in the in Bay and LA areas. Contact them to come to your school. They provide summer workshops and year-round programs at school sites across the areas they serve.
Currently hiring summer instructors and program coordinators for summer training and leadership of workshops.
http://collegespring.org/uncategorized/now-hiring-summer-instructors-and-program-coordinators/
LA Fulfillment Fund provides mentoring and scholarships at specific schools in the LA area.
http://www.fulfillment.org/high-school-program
Online Free Programs
College Green Light helps under-represented kids and programs manage the college access and application process through a unique online management process.
http://www.collegegreenlight.com/
I’m First links under-represented students with colleges that welcome them and provide ongoing support.
http://www.imfirst.org/colleges/
