UNCA Creates Pilot Program to Encourage College Enrollment

UNC Asheville will kick off an innovative pilot program Friday to inspire high school students from populations traditionally under-represented on campuses to go on to college. The program, called Camp College, will help students and their parents view college as a viable and achievable educational option and advise them on college selection, scholarships and financial assistance processes.

John White, UNCA's admissions director, created the pilot program and received partial funding through grants from the National Association of College Admission Counseling and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC). UNCA is paying the remainder of the cost; camp sessions are free to students and their parents. The session for Asheville students is co-sponsored by the local Communities in the Schools Program. The Charlotte session is co-sponsored by THINKCOLLEGE, part of Charlotte's Communities in the Schools program.

White, who chairs the SACAC's Human Relations Committee, said SACAC plans on expanding Camp College to New Orleans and Atlanta next year. Among nine Southeastern states, only Tennessee has a similar program. "It's my hope that after completing these pilot programs there will be at least one similar program in each of the states in the Southeast," White said.

UNCA will hold two Camp College workshops this summer, one June 23-25 for 20 Asheville and Buncombe County rising seniors, and a second July 13-15 for 50 Charlotte area students. The students, all of whom have racial or ethic backgrounds that are under-represented at colleges and universities, were recommended for the program by their high schools. The majority of students participating are African American. Several students are Latino, Asian and American Indian, White said.

"We want these students to have the opportunity to get into the college of their choice and to seek out the financial assistance that will help them support those choices," White said.

Jerome Hughes, Communities in Schools Site Coordinator for Asheville High School, said, "Camp College's proactive approach will equip students with the skills necessary to do well on the SAT or ACT and to apply to college. The students and their parents have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to receive the focused college application training which Camp College offers."

Victoria Valle, vice president for Human Relations at the National Association for College Admission Counseling and dean of admissions and financial aid at Elmhurst College, is pleased with the venture, stating that UNCA's program will be among the best. "Our country is becoming increasingly diverse and if we seek equality in the workforce, we must strive for diversity in educational settings," said Valle. "Camp College promotes the possibility of higher education for all students and clarifies the admissions process for families with first generation college students."

Faculty for the camp include professional admissions staff from across the Southeast, including UNCA, the University of Virginia, UNC-Chapel Hill, Davidson College, A&T State University, Winston-Salem State University, the University of New Orleans and East Carolina University. Students and their parents will attend sessions on essay writing, resume building, SAT/ACT preparation, interviewing skills and financial assistance.

For more information, call UNCA's Admissions Office at 251-6481.

Media Contacts:

• John White, UNCA Admissions Director, 828/251-6481

• UNCA Public Information, 828/251-6526