FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2014 – Norfolk, VA The reason many qualified high school seniors cannot attend college is the failure to complete a simple form, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.
To remedy that, the Norfolk-based Access College Foundation, which has helped 45,000 students attend college since 1988, has announced a major commitment to partner with Tidewater Community College to train 170 high school counselors and college access advisors in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk to complete and file the FAFSA on behalf of every student in their caseloads.
At the same time, Access is also announcing an expansion of its service area to Northampton County on the Eastern Shore. Thanks to a $1.6-million investment from an anonymous donor, Access will endow a college access advisor and services at Northampton High and Northampton Middle Schools, the only secondary schools in that county.
On Thursday December 4, in Washington, Access College Foundation President Bonnie B. Sutton joined representatives of several dozen other colleges, universities and organizations across the country who likewise have committed to increase opportunity for young people needing financial and administrative assistance to achieve post secondary education. “It was a thrill to be with the President, First Lady and so many others that share our passion and belief that college is essential to success in life,” said Sutton. “We are eager to start working on both of these commitments for students and counselors in our area.”
Sutton says that in Northampton County, 78% of the population are high school graduates; yet only 18% have achieved at least a bachelor’s degree. The new services Access College Foundation will finance will complement the College and Career Readiness (CCR) goals in that district, which Northampton’s School Superintendent Eddie Lawrence and its elected School Board are vitally interested in expanding. Access will pay for up to two college entrance test fees and four college application fees for low-income students as well as provide the opportunity for $5,000 scholarships for qualifying students over four years to encourage their enrollment. “We also intend to invest the donated funds to train a new Advisor to help middle and high school students take the SAT, complete a FAFSA and apply to at least three colleges,” says Sutton. “ We will measure results of these efforts, and assign our College Success Advisors to monitor those students progress while they are in college.”
The FAFSA training initiative in South Hampton Roads, says Sutton, is also greatly needed. “Last school year, there were 12,639 graduates in the Class of 2014 from the 29 public high schools in our region,” she says. “FAFSAs were completed by 51% of these families and half of those were done by the Access College Foundation. With FAFSA training for school counselors, there will be six times more professionals available to ensure the forms are filed for all who need aid.” Sutton expects that will result in 60% of the 2015 graduating class qualifying for financial aid with many more students then able to afford college.
About Access College Foundation: Founded by local philanthropists Frank Batten, Sr. and Joshua P. Darden, Jr. the Access College Foundation (www.accesscollege.org) provides a path for students who may not have the opportunity to attend and complete college. Access College Foundation, with offices at 7300 Newport Avenue in Norfolk, has leveraged over $400-million in financial aid and scholarships, as well as offered guidance and support, to help over 45,000 students achieve their higher education goals for over 26 years. Access President Bonnie Sutton can be
