College Access Fairfax

COLLEGE ACCESS FAIRFAX IS COMMITTED TO HELPING FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH THE COMPLEX TASK OF ACQUIRING FINANCIAL AID FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. WE HELP STUDENTS REALIZE THEIR DREAMS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.

ASSIST STUDENTS WITH HIGHER EDUCATION BY OFFERING SCHOLARSHIPS. A COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF COLLEGE ACCESS AND DONORS ARE INVITED TO REVIEW SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS VIA AN ON-LINE PLATFORM (SMARTER SELECT). A RUBRIC FOR EACH SCHOLARSHIP HAS BEEN CREATED TO SCORE VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE APPLICATION. REVIEWERS ARE ASKED NOT TO SCORE ANY APPLICANT WHERE THERE MAY BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND SIGN A STATEMENT ATTESTING TO THAT REQUIREMENT. SCHOLARSHIPS: THE CRAYONS TO CAREERS SCHOLARSHIP WAS NOT AWARDED THIS YEAR AT THE REQUEST OF THE DONOR. THE ENCOURAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIP WAS NOT AWARDED AS A SUITABLE APPLICANT WAS NOT FOUND. AND THE BUBEL SCHOLARSHIP WAS ADDED.

EDUCATE AND GUIDE PARENTS AND STUDENTS THROUGH THE FINANCIAL AID PROCESS, INCLUDING COMPLETING FEDERAL FORMS, SEARCHING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, INTERPRETING STUDENT AID REPORTS AND OTHER SERVICES. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED THROUGH PARENT WORKSHOPS AND BY CAF'S FINANCIAL AID CHAMPIONS AT SELECTED LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS, ALL FREE OF CHARGE. EACH CHAMPION SAW APPROXIMATELY 250 STUDENTS. WORKSHOPS WERE ATTENDED BY OVER 2,500 PARENTS AND STUDENTS. GROUP PRESENTATIONS WERE MADE TO PARENTS AND ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS. DUE TO COVID, ALL PRESENTATIONS WERE DONE VIRTUALLY. ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS WERE DONE TO INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS AT THE REQUEST OF INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS. FINANCIAL AID CHAMPIONS: WE CONTINUED WITH FOUR FINANCIAL AID CHAMPIONS THIS YEAR. AS THE SCHOOLS CONTINUED TO BE CLOSED, WE MOVED TO HELPING STUDENTS AND PARENTS REMOTELY, VIA PHONE, EMAIL AND ZOOM. WHILE WE CONTINUED OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS AT INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS AT ALL HIGH SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THE VIRTUAL NATURE OF OUR SERVICES. WE ARE NOW IN WEST POTOMAC, MT. VERNON, JUSTICE, EDISON, HAYFIELD, MOUNTAIN VIEW, LEWIS, CHANTILLY, SOUTH LAKES, AND HERNDON. CHAMPIONS WORKED IN BOTH THEIR RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS AND AT OUR FAFSA COMPLETION EVENTS. OUTLOOK: WE EXPECT TO RETURN TO FIVE CHAMPIONS FOR 2020-2021."PAYING FOR COLLEGE": COLLEGE ACCESS FAIRFAX MAINTAINED THE "PAYING FOR COLLEGE" PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE, SCHOLARSHIP 101 AND FAFSA LINE BY LINE PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS WERE CONDUCTED AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS, AND INCLUDED EVENTS OPEN TO THE ENTIRE COUNTY AND SCHOOL SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. IN ADDITION, THIS YEAR WE CONTINUED OUR "NEW" PROGRAM OF SPEAKING TO STUDENTS IN BOTH CPP, AVID AND PERSONAL FINANCE CLASSES. OVER 800 STUDENTS ATTENDED OUR STUDENT PRESENTATIONS AND OVER 1,000 PARENTS ATTENDED PRESENTATIONS. OUTLOOK: THESE ARE SIGNATURE PROGRAMS FOR COLLEGE ACCESS FAIRFAX, AND WE ANTICIPATE RUNNING THE PROGRAM AT AS MANY SCHOOLS AS POSSIBLE. "SUPER SATURDAY": THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS TO BEGIN WORK ON COMPLETING THEIR FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) ONLINE, AND IS NOW CONDUCTED BEGINNING IN OCTOBER OF A STUDENT'S SENIOR YEAR. THE PROGRAM IS NORMALLY CONDUCTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FCPS CAREER CENTER SPECIALISTS IN EACH SCHOOL. UNFORTUNATELY, ALL OF OUR IN-PERSON EVENTS WERE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS. "MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS": THESE PROGRAMS WERE ALSO HELD VIRTUALLY THIS YEAR.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VA529 PLAN, EACH YEAR 15-30 10TH GRADE STUDENTS AT EDISON HIGH SCHOOL ARE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SOAR PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM WORKS WITH STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS TO ENSURE THEY HAVE INFORMATION TO PREPARE THEM TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE. FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM IN BOTH 10TH AND 11TH GRADE, THE STUDENTS ARE AWARDED $500 EACH YEAR IN SCHOLARSHIP MONEY AND AN ADDITIONAL $1000 FOR THEIR SENIOR YEAR.