OCAN invests $200,000 in Ohio Programs that Prepare Kids for College

Columbus, Ohio –The Ohio College Access Network (OCAN) awarded more than $200,000 today as part of the competitive Invest in Success process. This grant is designed for community-based traditional members to implement new programs, enhance existing initiatives or build capacity to strengthen their overall operations.

Need for funding is supported by Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs’ recent report that indicates 87 percent of students surveyed in

Appalachian Ohio who reported being in a special program to prepare them for college plan to go on to higher education immediately after high school. This is eight points higher than students who did not participate in a special program to prepare them for college. Many of the students surveyed would be first in their family to attend college.

To further address this need for special services, 11 member programs that serve students who are from low-income families and those who are first in their family to attend college will receive funding from OCAN to implement strategies during the 2008-2009 academic year. The Southern Ohio Center of Excellence (SOCOE), serving a five-county region in Appalachian Ohio, will work with students by building on college awareness activities students completed in eighth grade. Next year, in the ninth grade, these students will identify a career path, research colleges, select appropriate high school courses for transitioning to higher education, create a 10-year plan and build a resume.

SOCOE is just one example of the program services provided to students as a result of the Invest in Success grant. Other recipients include: A Call to College (Newark), ACCESS Ashtabula, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Lake/Geauga Education Foundation, Lima/Allen County CAP, Mahoning Valley CAP, Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education (OACHE), Pickaway HELPS, Summit Education Initiative and UCAN-Richland County.

“While the full study has not yet been completed, data from the Voinovich Center supports the effective work OCAN members are doing in their communities every day. Additionally, it highlights the need for increased services in areas where students require extra assistance. Certainly, Invest in Success funding will impact Ohio students next year and will remain an OCAN priority for years to come,” added Dr. Reginald Wilkinson, OCAN President & CEO.

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The Ohio College Access Network (OCAN) was founded in 1999, by KnowledgeWorks Foundation, in collaboration with the Ohio Board of Regents, the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Business Roundtable.  OCAN works to establish college access programs across the state and is the first statewide coordinating body for college access programs in the nation. The goal of the organization is to help more Ohio students pursue postsecondary education through the work of local college access programs, which provide financial aid advising, last dollar grants, career guidance, and other services.  Currently, 36 college access programs serve nearly 300 of Ohio’s 612 school districts, and 17 private/parochial schools in 46 counties touching over 175,000 students annually.