The mission of the Missouri College Advising Corps (MCAC: http://mcac.missouri.edu) is to “Empower Missouri Students to Go to College and Succeed.” MCAC partners with 47 high schools across the state to increase college enrollment among students most underrepresented in postsecondary education, particularly black students, students from low-income households, and students from rural communities. MCAC college advisers, who are recent college graduates from similar backgrounds as the students we serve, provide the information and support necessary for students and their families to navigate the college admissions, financing, and planning processes. College advisers provide one-on-one advisement, presentations and workshops on college-going processes and postsecondary pathways, assistance with identifying and applying to a “best fit” postsecondary institution, support with financial aid and scholarship processes, college exposure activities (e.g. campus tours, college fairs, and college rep visits), parent outreach, and other activities that foster a college-going culture within partner schools.
Many advisees have explained that they would not have attended or completed college without the assistance of a MCAC college adviser. Ryane Boyd is one such example. Ryane recalled wanting to attend college but being unsure about how to choose the right one. Her high school partnered with MCAC and she was able to receive assistance from a college adviser with campus tours, ACT preparation, and financial aid. Ryane enrolled in Mizzou in 2014 and became the first in her family to attend college. She would later become the first (of many) former advisees to become a MCAC college adviser.
A postsecondary education is strongly linked to students’ ability to be economically independent and actively engaged in their communities. By donating to MCAC, you can help students discover their postsecondary pathway and receive the support necessary for a brighter future.