www.crawfordcollegeconnection.org

What is a "college access" program?

Local college access programs are being formed to address the education deficit in Ohio and increase the number of students in our communities who pursue education beyond high school. These programs help students to overcome obstacles along the path to a post-secondary education. An education beyond high school was once considered a luxury but is now a necessity both for individuals and so that communities can experience the benefits of an educated workforce to improve quality of life and impact economic growth. Some of the basic services that an access program may include are:

• financial aid counseling
• need-based scholarships
• college resource centers
• student and parental one-on-one advising
• early awareness activities during the elementary, middle school and early high school years

Who will be served by this organization?

For the 2001/2002 academic year, programs are being developed and piloted in the Bucyrus City Schools and Wynford Local Schools. We are in the first year of a grant that was approved to provide one-on-one services to only two schools and the KnowledgeWorks Foundation wants us to establish and evaluate programs and services before expanding to other schools Some services will be made available to other Crawford County school districts with the 3-5 year plan calling for expansion to other schools in the county.

Crawford College Connection has offered some programs and materials (i.e. Focus on the FAFSA) that are available to all schools in the county and we will continue to do so.

How is the organization funded?

In May 2001, we applied for and received a start-up grant form KnowledgeWorks Foundation to allow us to plan and implement programs at all grade levels during the 2001/2002 academic year.

Since all services of this organization are provided free of charge, we will base our operating budget on grants (public and private) and collaborative support from existing organizations. Plans are being developed to start fundraising to create an endowment that would eventually fund the budget for scholarship grants. At this time we do not know how many or what type of scholarships we may be able to fund in May 2002 even for the two schools currently being served because we will be relying on fund-raising efforts.

What are the criteria for the scholarship grants?

The intent is to provide grants for students who demonstrate both merit and need. These grants would "close the gap" between the family contribution and the financial aid package of the college or reduce the loan component of the package. Although we value academic excellence, the intent of this aid would be to give a helping hand to those students for whom the extra financial assistance will mean the most. Grant recipients agree to provide at least four hours of service to the organization by returning to their home schools to talk to other students about college.

What are the goals of Crawford College Connection?

Crawford College Connection is committed to:

• Promoting the value of education and encouraging all individuals to meet their highest potential, improve their quality of life and be self-sufficient.
• Motivating students to stay in school, to plan for the future and to carefully consider all post-secondary opportunities.
• Providing opportunities for leadership and career planning and developing role models for achievement.
• Providing financial aid advising, assisting students in locating scholarships and creating an endowment to award organization-sponsored grants, so that no academically qualified student is denied an opportunity for higher education because of lack of information or funding.