Kansas State College Advising Corps
Who We Are
The Kansas State College Advising Corps is a program within the Office of Enrollment Management, and aims to increase the number of first-generation, low-income and underrepresented high school students entering and completing higher education. KSCAC hires recent college graduates to serve as college advisers full-time in select high schools across the Kansas City Metro, in Southwest Kansas and Wichita areas. The college adviser assists by providing guidance and encouragement needed for the students to navigate the college admissions and financial aid processes.
The Need
The need for this program stems from a shifting workforce development landscape. According to the Mid-American Regional Council, 34 percent of adults over the age of 25 in the Kansas City region have at least a bachelor's degree. In the last 10 years, 40 percent of new jobs created in the Kansas City region require a bachelor's degree.
Simultaneous to this evolving workforce landscape is the changing demographics of the U.S. and Greater Kansas City. The U.S. Census Bureau projects a significant shift in demographics. By 2050, the bureau projects black, Hispanic and Asian populations will comprise half of the U.S. population, while the number of white households is projected to decrease. Individuals in these diverse groups are often first-generation college students and unfamiliar with the application and scholarship processes needed to enter higher education.
What We Do
Specific services provided by college advisers include:
- one-on-one and group advisement
- workshops for students and families surrounding college topics and issues
- college and career exploration
- college application completion assistance
- ACT/SAT test fee waiver distribution and test registration
- FAFSA completion assistance
- scholarship assistance
- campus tour planning and coordination
- plan and coordinate college representative visits
College advisers teach students how to be resourceful and empower students to be self-advocates. Advisers work full-time in select partner high schools with 9th-12th grade students and occasionally provide early awareness outreach to middle school students. Advisers aim to help students find a “best-fit” post-secondary opportunity to increase the likelihood of persistence and completion rates. Additionally, advisers create and foster a college-going culture that engages administration, teachers, and staff that helps build an environment that encourages and supports college attendance and completion.
Interested in becoming an adviser?
KSCAC is currently accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year!
Individuals interested in serving in the Kansas City region can apply at this link.
Individuals interested in applying for the Wichita/Southwest Kansas regions can do so at this link.
Want more information?
You can find out more about our program on this page, or can find us on Instagram and Twitter at @KSAdvisingCorps.