The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) is partnering with nonprofit College Advising Corps to increase higher education opportunities for low-income and first-generation students in rural communities across the state.
The university will engage recent graduates to serve as full-time counselors to high schoolers who need help navigating the college admissions process. Having the assistance of UNCW alumni will help students to gain a valuable perspective on the college experience, the school said.
Beginning in the 2021-2022 academic year, counselors will work in rural high schools in Beaufort, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Jones, and Pasquotank counties to help students with admissions, financial aid, and matriculation.
“By placing recent UNCW graduates in this adviser role, we hope they will also highlight the opportunities these students might have at UNCW and encourage them to consider us in their plans,” interim director of admissions at UNCW, Lauren Scott said.
Further Plans
Linda Coudhill, a counselor at Whiteville High School said the initiative will also help with her workload. Last year, Coudhill assisted 134 seniors in going to college.
The counselor said she appreciates the help by UNCW. “They say it takes a village to raise a child. And so having as many as we can to help these students. It is very needed,” she told WWAY.
UNCW said it will recruit a program director to supervise counselors and release detailed information, including specific schools they plan to partner with, in coming weeks.