New App Helps Black Students Get Ready for College
The process of getting into college, from the initial college search to sorting out finances, can be very overwhelming, and many incoming Black students can often be left unprepared.
Studies show that more than half of Black students in the country don’t have full access to college-ready courses. Students of color account for 54 percent of the college dropout rate, with one-third of students dropping out before their sophomore year citing financial pressure.
In general, maneuvering through the process of getting into college can be difficult for many students.
That’s why Shawntia Lee, a former admissions and enrollment counseling professional, started a movement in Orlando, Florida. Lee, through her non-profit organization, founded the College Thriver Education app, which helps black students navigate through the admissions process.
I created the app to close the equity gap and offer equality to higher education for all despite their socioeconomic status in life.
Shawntia Lee, College Thriver Education founder
“I became tired of the systemic injustice that is created in higher education for students of color, so I created the app to close the equity gap and offer equality to higher education for all despite their socioeconomic status in life,” Lee said in a statement.
Some of the app’s features include higher education consulting, internship placement, enrollment management, ACT/SAT prep and much more. It also offers data-driven feedback to students in grades from sixth and 12th, helping them prepare to meet college admission standards.
57 percent of Black students don’t have full access to college-ready courses
uncf.org
The College Thriver Education app helps lead the way for students to find community-based resources like testing, counseling, mentoring, transportation and housing. One of the most unique things about this app is that it follows students after graduation.
The app offers a debit and rebate program that rewards students with savings through their college journey. This is used to counter the college-debt burden that has hindered former college students, especially for black borrowers.
The goal of this feature is working to eliminate college debt and relieve the stress for borrowers.
The College Thriver app is available for free download in the Apple and Google app stores.