COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND INC

FINANCIAL AID: COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS TO NEARLY 3,400 TRADITIONAL AGE AND ADULT STUDENTS FROM THE NORTHEAST OHIO AREA THROUGH ITS OWN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS THAT IT MANAGES. AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALED OVER $9.6 MILLION IN THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR. COLLEGE NOW HELPS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS TO AND THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR OF POSTSECONDARY ENROLLMENT VIA SCHOLARSHIP AND RETENTION SERVICES AND STRENGTHENS POSTSECONDARY PERSISTENCE AND COMPLETION FOR ITS TRADITIONAL AGE STUDENTS THROUGH ITS MENTORING PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM IS LEVERAGED BY ABOUT 1,500 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. ON AVERAGE, COLLEGE NOW TRADITIONAL STUDENTS ENROLL IN COLLEGE AT HIGHER RATES THAN STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND NEAR THE AVERAGE RATE FOR STUDENTS FROM ALL INCOME BACKGROUNDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. COLLEGE NOW'S TRADITIONAL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES THAN THEIR PEERS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS AND ABOVE THE RATES OF ALL US STUDENTS. SINCE 1967, COLLEGE NOW HAS SERVED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND AWARDED SOME $121 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO NORTHEAST OHIO STUDENTS AND ADULT LEARNERS.

ADVISORY SERVICES: COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND PROVIDED COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCESS ADVISING, STUDENT FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING, SCHOLARSHIP, AND RETENTION SERVICES TO OVER 42,000 NORTHEAST OHIO STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS IN ONE-ON-ONE AND GROUP SESSIONS. DURING THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR, COLLEGE NOW SERVED STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS VIRTUALLY AND IN APPROXIMATELY 200 VENUES, INCLUDING MORE THAN 100 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN CUYAHOGA, GEAUGA, LAKE, LORAIN, MEDINA, RICHLAND, AND SUMMIT COUNTIES. COLLEGE NOW PROVIDES VIRTUAL, IN-SCHOOL, NEED-BASED SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, AFTER SCHOOL, AND DURING THE SUMMER. CORE SERVICES INCLUDE: ACADEMIC ADVISING - GUIDANCE ON HIGH SCHOOL COURSE PLANNING; GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS; COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC COLLEGE MAJORS AND COURSES OF STUDY; AND TIPS ON TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS NECESSARY FOR POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS; CAREER EXPLORATION - GUIDING STUDENTS AS THEY EXPLORE THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND VARIOUS CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND THE TRAINING/EDUCATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A PARTICULAR FIELD, SHARING INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC CAREERS THAT ARE IN-DEMAND IN NORTHEAST OHIO, AS WELL AS EXTENDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIELD VISITS AND VISITS FROM PROFESSIONALS; COLLEGE EXPLORATION, APPLICATIONS AND ENROLLMENT - ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH RESEARCHING POSTSECONDARY OPTIONS, COMPLETING COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, PROVIDING APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS, VISITING COLLEGE CAMPUSES, AND ENSURING THAT STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO COLLEGE ENROLL AND REGISTER FOR CLASSES; AND STUDENT FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING - GUIDING STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE OFTEN-ARDUOUS PROCESS OF SEEKING AND APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS, INCLUDING THE FAFSA (FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID), ASSISTING WITH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE APPEALS AND REQUESTS FOR VERIFICATION, IDENTIFYING OTHER FINANCIAL AID SOURCES, PROVIDING PERSONALIZED STRATEGIES TO SECURE MAXIMUM FINANCIAL AID TO HELP STUDENTS PERSIST TO GRADUATION WITH MINIMAL STUDENT LOAN DEBT, INTERPRETING THE STUDENT AID REPORT AND FINANCIAL AID AWARD LETTERS, AND DETERMINING FINAL COLLEGE COSTS.