1 / 17

Taking the Next Step: Helping Students on Their Own Succeed in High School and Beyond

Taking the Next Step: Helping Students on Their Own Succeed in High School and Beyond. MTSU, in conjunction with the Department of Children’s Services and the Tennessee Youth Advisory Council, presents…. OUR MISSION. ENCOURAGE EMPOWER ENABLING.

emlyn
Download Presentation

Taking the Next Step: Helping Students on Their Own Succeed in High School and Beyond

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Taking the Next Step: Helping Students on Their Own Succeed in High School and Beyond

  2. MTSU, in conjunction with the Department of Children’s Services and the Tennessee Youth Advisory Council, presents…

  3. OUR MISSION ENCOURAGEEMPOWER ENABLING • To and former foster, homeless, and independent youth as they strive to attain higher education while them to sustain and succeed in becoming productive members of society.

  4. HOW IT BEGAN • Former VP of Student Affairs and the Director of the University College Advising Center wanted to form an outreach program for these populations • Began as an effort to pull together the resources already at the university and package them in a way that better serves the needs of this population.

  5. WHO QUALIFIES? • Youth aging out of foster care • Former foster youth • Homeless and at-risk of homelessness youth • Independent status youth *Note: Most are identified through our community partnerships and FAFSA reports.

  6. OBSTACLES • Lack of familial support or adequate mentor • Need for Financial Aid • Need for year-round housing • Counseling support • Employment concerns • Need for individual attention • Need for healthcare

  7. Therefore… • Office of Admissions • Housing and Residential Life • Financial Aid • Academic Advising • Student Support Services …joined forces to help ease the transition.

  8. OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS • The first place to start the quest for higher education is the Admissions Office. • Students self-identify or are referred by academic advisors to Next Step liaisions. • Process of Financial Aid and Housing begins here. • Campus tours can also be arranged.

  9. HOUSING & RESIDENTIAL LIFE • Available to enrolled students continuously throughout the year, including semester breaks and holiday periods • Payment plans/waivers • Priority placement

  10. FINANCIAL AID • Grants, loans, scholarships, pay for housing? Work study program

  11. ACADEMIC ADVISING • Encompasses many different tasks • Course selection • Troubleshooting • Mentor assignments • Career counseling • Overall open-door policy

  12. STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES • Participants qualify for application into this grant-funded program • Services offered include: • Free tutoring • Cultural events • Computer lab access • Free workshops/seminars • Food pantry • Counseling services • Scholarship/Grant Assistance

  13. COMMUNITY PARTNERS • TN Department of Children’s Services • Youth Villages • R-Connection • CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) … Just to name a few.

  14. MENTOR PROGRAM • Mentors are current students from similar backgrounds • Many made the transition on their own before the program began • Students seem to identify and relate more to our mentors

  15. ISSUES ENCOUNTERED • Little to no operating budget • A program within an advising center • Rely on donations from other campus offices • Low student involvement • Resistance to a “program” • Low retention rates among new students • Consistent with research

  16. CONTACT INFO Kim Snell ATLAS Liaison Rutherford County Schools 615-893-5812 snellk@rcs.k12.tn.us Becca Seul, MS, CFLE Middle Tennessee State University Next Step Program coordinator 615-898-2339 rseul@mtsu.edu

More Related