Macon Times

Middle Georgia State University (MGA) is partnering with an Atlanta-area nonprofit that works to ease the path to college for high school students.

The nonprofit is called “College AIM.” The program’s purpose is to provide college and financial aid counseling to under-resourced students in the Atlanta area, mostly in DeKalb County, in an effort to help them overcome racial and economic barriers that may otherwise limit their access to higher education. As part of the collaboration, MGA is establishing a group of academic advisors specifically for students who enter the University through the program.

Representatives of MGA and College AIM formalized the relationship at a signing ceremony held on MGA’s Macon Campus on Wednesday, Aug. 17.

“By partnering with College AIM, we’ll work closely with DeKalb County teachers and guidance counselors to make them aware of Middle Georgia State’s strengths and what we can offer to their students to help them gain access to college and succeed,” said Dr. Stephen Schultheis, MGA’s vice president for Enrollment Management. “We want to be on their radar and show that MGA can be an excellent choice because of our degree programs and our success at providing access to and supporting first-generation college students.”

Schultheis already has an established relationship with College AIM, which he worked with when he was vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Success at Clayton State University.

“Postsecondary partners play a vital role in helping College AIM guide our students to and through college,” said Dr. Corey Sheffield, College AIM’s program director. “We are excited to add Middle Georgia State University as a partner, knowing that they will educate, encourage, and support our students to achieve their goals.”

Schultheis said he is pursuing partnerships with other nonprofit organizations that share College AIM’s goals of easing access to higher education for more high school students. He said the University’s proximity to the Atlanta area makes MGA an attractive choice for students who want to ‘go away’ to college but still be able to make convenient trips home.

“By partnering with as many of these organizations as we can Middle Georgia State can become a ‘top of mind’ school as these students start to consider their college choices,” Schultheis said.

According to the organization’s website, College AIM was founded in 2013 at Towers High School in DeKalb County. The program’s effectiveness rests on quality college counseling for high school students, personalized college financial planning, extensive college-exposure opportunities, and the support of mentors on college campuses.

Original source can be found here.