Nonprofit to receive $10 million grant to fund college advisers

College Advising Corps, a North Carolina nonprofit, was recently awarded $10 million in a three-year grant to help high school students, especially low-income and first-generation students, in rural areas of the state plan for college.

With the help of the grant, the program will partner with UNC, Davidson College and N.C. State University to place college graduates in 60 rural N.C. high schools as advisers.

The graduates serve as college advisers for two years in under-served high schools to help students navigate the ins and outs of applying to and attending college.

“We saw that there were a large number of highly qualified low-income first generation college students who were having a hard time navigating higher education,” said Nicole Hurd, founder and CEO of the College Advising Corps.

“Who better than recent graduates and other young people to help them pursue college?”

The John M. Belk Endowment grant recipient was announced at the White House two weeks ago during a college education summit hosted by President Barack Obama and First-Lady Michelle Obama. UNC Chancellor Carol Folt attended the event.

“The White House was the real catalyst,” Hurd said.

“When the President and First Lady reached out to non-profits and universities and said, ‘How can you make a commitment in this area,’ we were just really excited that because the Belk Endowment had seen our work, they were willing to step up and make this mutual commitment at the White House.”

Within the next year, Hurd expects her team to grow to 500 advisers serving 155,000 students.

Kevin Anselmo, spokesman for College Advising Corps, said the average high school student in the country spends only about 20 minutes a year with a college counselor.

Emily Simpson, who works as an adviser at North Surry High School and graduated from UNC in 2012, said she has seen a shift in students’ attitudes toward college since her arrival at the school a year and a half ago.

“They’re being more proactive,” she said. “And the teachers and the community are on board with what we’re trying to do and the culture toward college is slowly starting to shift, which is great.”

Simpson said she is excited about the grant because she believes the advisers are an invaluable resource in connecting students to the college application process.

Lynne Garrison, a senior vice president of North Carolina New Schools, said she applauds the Belk endowment for its commitment to helping students graduate from college, a mission that her organization shares.

“This announcement provides a new level of support for young people in rural North Carolina to help them prepare and advance to college and earn that important degree,” she said.

Staff Writer Olivia Lanier contributed reporting.

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