October is Florida College Application Month

Press Contact: Ashley J. Martinez, (813) 974-8606 amartinez@floridacollegeaccess.org

October is Florida College Application Month Statewide Initiative Helps Students Apply to College Tampa, FL—This month, over forty schools and organizations from eleven school districts across the state of Florida have made the commitment to help students navigate the college application process. Florida College Application Month is part of the American College Application Campaign (ACAC), a national initiative aimed at increasing the number of students pursing a postsecondary degree or other high-quality credential.  Schools dedicate time and space during the normal school day for graduating seniors to fill out at least one college application with the support of trained volunteers from the school and community. Schools and communities can designate any week in the fall for their event, but many events occur during the month of October to coincide with the application deadlines for some state universities. While the initiative is primarily geared toward graduating seniors, schools and communities also take advantage of this opportunity to build a college-going culture for all students through activities and awareness-building that inspire younger students to aspire to continue their educations beyond high school. The 2015-16 academic year is the first year that Florida College Access Network (Florida CAN) is serving as the statewide coordinator of the program. “Students who are the first in their families to go to college often don’t understand the application process or know of the resources available to them,” said Laurie Meggesin, Executive Director of the Florida College Access Network.  “Florida College Application Month helps students overcome this obstacle with the support of caring and knowledgeable adults.  We are grateful that so many schools and communities are supporting their students during this initiative’s inaugural year.” To help communities decide how to plan and hold a College Application Week event, Florida CAN has released the Florida College Application Week Toolkit, a “how-to” guide for educators, counselors and community members interested in hosting a College Application Week event.  It is free and available to the public. After the program’s pilot year, Florida CAN will expand College Application Week to include all interested schools and organizations throughout Florida for the 2016-17 school year.  Schools and organizations that would like to bring Florida College Application Week to their community next fall are invited to complete this form.           To see what schools and communities are doing for College Application Week throughout the state and nation, search the hashtags #ApplyYourselfFL, #CollegeAppWeek and #IApplied on social media.   About Florida College Access Network The mission of the Florida College Access Network is to create and strengthen a statewide network that catalyzes and supports communities to improve college & career preparation, access, and completion for all students. Our Big Goal is to increase the percentage of Florida residents who hold a high-quality postsecondary degree or credential to 60% by the year 2025. For more information, visit http://www.floridacollegeaccess.org.                                                                                             ###