About
The Pennsylvania College Access Program (PA-CAP) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit statewide educational workforce development outreach program, created in June 2000, to increase the number of students attending college, business or technical schools. The program serves students and the community who:
- Will be the first in their family to attend college,
- Are from families of limited income, or
- Are from areas or schools with low eligibility or college participation rates,
- Are from secondary public, private and charter schools, or
In brief, PA-CAP guides students through:
- Applying for admission and financial aid.
- Obtaining financial resources for college.
PA-CAP System
PA-CAP has proven to be tremendously effective in assisting individuals obtaining a higher education. After completing the PA-CAP System, the Wilkinsburg School District in Allegheny County has a college acceptance rate of 98% who were accepted at post-secondary institutions around the country. To date PA-CAP has assisted 6,446 students.
Despite being at-risk students, more than 84% of the College Access students are retained from their freshman to sophomore years, well above the national average of 75%. College Access Program students also graduate at a rate of more than 72%, exceeding the national average of 53%.
PA-CAP can truly be the difference for thousands of students by making college a reality.
Our Vision is to provide individuals, of all backgrounds and abilities a path to succeed in attaining a secondary education.
Our Mission is two-fold: to assist individuals in entering and graduating from a college, university, business or technical school in order to become a valuable component in the changing labor pool, to provide culturally relevant, comprehensive college preparation information and assistance. Although open to the community, the program targets students who are low income and the first of their family to attend postsecondary education programs.
The Need for PA-CAP
All high school students in Pennsylvania need professional guidance and support to complete a post-secondary education. Unfortunately this support is not always readily available. As Dr. Helen S. Faison, Former Pittsburgh Schools Superintendent & Director of the Pittsburgh Teachers Institute stated,
“[Although] all high schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are required to provide professional services for their students, and in most instances the counselors who provide these services are highly qualified. However, the large number of students assigned to counselors due to budget constraints, makes it difficult for counselors to service all students sufficiently. The counselor-student ratio in most schools makes it impossible for all students to receive the help that is needed in a timely manner during a very critical time in their lives.”
The Purpose
The Pennsylvania College Access Program provides direct access to college preparatory services to low-income seniors from financially disadvantaged districts throughout the region. Eighty percent of these students are the first in their families to attend college. The program operates through local high schools, where College Access Coordinators provide comprehensive college readiness services including college and career awareness workshops, individual advising, motivational speakers, and scholarship and financial aid assistance. The College Access Program also helps schools develop their ability to provide comprehensive college assistance and supports a “college going culture” which includes a college preparation course sequence.
The specialized services provided by the PA-CAP System, designed to increase the likelihood of students successfully achieving a post-secondary education, guided students through the admission and financial aid application processes.