Nathan Schwausch, a second-year adviser serving Hutto High School in  the UT Advise TX College Advising Corps, was selected by the National College Advising Corps (CAC) to host a webinar on how to read financial aid award letters titled “Mo Money Mo Problems.” The webinar was a recreation of a workshop that he delivered at the College Advising Corps’ Forum West conference held in Los Angeles, California last December.

Based on the adviser feedback surveys completed by the more than 700 advisers attending the CAC’s Forum West and Forum East conferences,  three workshops—including Schwausch’s—were named the most popular . They were selected out of a total of 40 workshops (20 at each forum).  The top three presenters were then asked to, convert their presentations into a webinar format.  The webinars were recorded so advisers across the country will be able to access them at a later time if they were unable to tune in for the live session.. This is the first time the College Advising Corps has presented adviser-led webinars.

 About Advise TX: Housed within the Longhorn Center for School Partnerships, the UT Austin chapter of the Advise TX College Advising Corps is part of the national College Advising Corps, an ever growing consortium of 29 partner institutions around the country that have committed to recruit and train talented, enthusiastic recent college graduates to serve as college advisers within designated high schools in 17 states.

Through this nationwide consortium of colleges and universities, the program aims to increase the number of low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students entering and completing higher education. By placing recent graduates of partner institutions as college advisers in underserved high schools and community colleges, the programs work in communities across the country to provide the advising and encouragement that students need to navigate college admissions.

Advisers work full-time to help students plan their college searches, complete admissions and financial aid applications and enroll at  colleges and universities that will serve them well. The University of Texas at Austin chapter manages 21 college advisers who serve in selected high schools within 12 school districts in Central Texas, Houston, Dallas, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley.  These advisers serve in their high schools for a maximum of two years.

For more information, contact: Cheryl Sawyer, Advise TX program director, at 512-471-6173 or cheryls@austin.utexas.edu.