Elon becomes part of an effort by more than 100 colleges and universities to make higher education more accessible.
Elon University has joined more than 100 colleges and universities as part of the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, a collaborative effort launched last year to improve the process of preparing for and applying to college.
Members of the coalition are dedicated to providing affordable tuition or meeting a student’s full demonstrated need. Learn more about the criteria for membership here.
“The Coalition provides a pathway for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to better connect with a broad range of schools like Elon that are committed to access and success for all students,” said Greg Zaiser, vice president of admissions and financial planning at Elon.
Elon’s Center for Access and Success coordinates and sustains many of the university’s programs that support students from a wide range of backgrounds and resources. The center includes Elon’s Odyssey Scholars Program, which supports first-generation college students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the Elon Academy, a college access and success program for academically promising high school students in Alamance County who have a financial need or have no family history of attending college.
Using the Coalition’s platform of tools — the Locker, a Collaboration Space and an Application Portal — students can gather the resources they will need to apply for college throughout their high school years and receive feedback from counselors and teachers on their applications.
Through the Coalition application, students can more easily complete the admissions applications for member schools. The mobile-friendly Coalition application includes a suite of online college planning tools that are offered free for all high school students and support collaborative early engagement outreach efforts by member colleges. As a member, Elon will accept the Coalition application for admission beginning this fall.
Elon joins Davidson College, Duke University, N.C. State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University as North Carolina members of the Coalition.
“Expanding our membership creates the potential for outreach efforts to have a broader impact,” said Annie Reznik, executive director for the Coalition. “We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with Elon University to improve college access.”
The Coalition was founded on principal values, beliefs and extensive research to improve the college application process for all students. Members of the Coalition include a diverse group of public and private universities that provide substantial support to lower-resourced and underrepresented students, offer responsible student financial aid support and demonstrate a commitment to student graduation.
More information about the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, including a complete list of members, can be found at http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/.