HEI is proud to provide evaluation support to the Woodward-Hines Education Foundation (WHEF), whose mission is to help more Mississippians obtain postsecondary credentials, college certificates, and degrees that lead to meaningful employment.
WHEF’s flagship program, Get2College, was recently featured in the Washington Post for its innovative efforts to help Mississipians fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), such as online tutorials, phone consults, and an upcoming drive-through advising event. Through services like these and others, Get2College provides counseling on college admission and financial aid, and supports grants to increase college access and success, to 45,000 Mississippi students each year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided additional barriers to many students trying to access Get2College services. From the Washington Post:
“People are very concerned about so many other things right now, especially those from underserved communities,” said Shannon Grimsley, outreach program director at Get2College….“We want them to know we’re here to get them over the finish line.”
While technology is essential for college advising this year, it can also be a formidable barrier. Poor broadband access in some of the rural parts of Mississippi has made virtual FAFSA workshops tricky as students get kicked off or screens freeze up, Grimsley said.
Read the full article here, and learn more about Get2College here.