College Guide Program
The College Guides Program seeks to help more Virginia students attend college or other postsecondary training. Through a generous gift from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, recent U.Va. graduates will be able to serve as college guides in selected public secondary institutions throughout the Commonwealth. Guides will assist students with admission, financial aid, and scholarship applications.
For more information contact: Keith Roots kroots@virginia.edu 434-924-7612
About the Program:
In the fall of 2005, the University of Virginia launched the College Guide Program with the goal of increasing college enrollment numbers for high school students throughout the Commonwealth. Although 79% of Virginians ages 18-24 have high school diplomas, only 53% of Virginians attend college directly out of high school. To address the widening gap in college participation, the University of Virginia is placing recent graduates in public high schools throughout the Commonwealth to assist students with college admission, financial aid, and scholarship applications. Given their idealism and fresh perspective on the college experience, recent University graduates serve as perfect advocates for higher education. During the year, Guides spend forty hours a week working alongside guidance counselors —and in some cases in coordination with other access programs—to motivate and assist students through the college application process. College Guides act as mentors to students and create educational programming for the high school students and their families.
Application Information
- Eligibility: Applicants must be graduating 4th year students at the University of Virginia.
- Term: College Guides will serve for the 2005-2006 school year, with the option of renewing for a second year. Guides will also participate in an 8-week training session during the summer before employment begins.
- Support: Guides will receive a $10,000 service stipend, a $10,000 housing allowance, and $5,000 toward future education or to pay for existing educational debts.
- Application Deadline: Winter 2008, to be announced.