The American College Application Campaign®
(ACAC) this fall expects to reach hundreds of thousands of students in
nearly 6,000 high schools across the country, focusing on
first-generation students and students from low-income families who
otherwise would not apply for college.
ACAC has joined forces with the ACT Center for Equity in Learning
as it works to assist high school seniors in navigating the college
admissions process. The Center advances ACT’s nonprofit mission to help
people achieve education and workplace success through partnerships,
research, and initiatives aimed at closing gaps in equity and
achievement for underserved learners.
In addition to increasing the number of participating high schools, ACAC is working with ACT on two other initiatives:
- Operating a pilot program in two ACAC state networks, Maine and Mississippi, that will explore ACT Profile,
an education and career planning tool, as a way to support the student
application process and enhance the effectiveness of the college
application campaign in those states.
- Developing a 9th and 10th grade pilot project, in 10 Iowa high
schools, that creates material and tools to support college awareness
and application.
Launched in a single North Carolina high school in 2005, ACAC was
transformed into a nationwide initiative in 2010 when ACE convened a
national steering committee of government and nonprofit education
leaders to guide the effort. By 2014
ACAC had expanded to all 50 states, and last year it helped about
355,000 students in nearly 5,000 high schools apply to college. Since
its inception, ACAC has assisted more than one million students in
completing approximately 1.7 million college applications.
Individual state application assistance events occur throughout the
fall at high schools, most in October and November, during the school
day. The goal is to create the opportunity for all seniors to submit at
least one application.
After submitting their admissions applications, students also
register for their FAFSA identification number and are provided with
information about the federal student financial aid process.
These collaborations will help elevate ACAC in new and exciting ways.
Through the work with ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning, ACAC will be
better able to advance the college readiness and achievement of
underserved young people in the United States.