THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996 TAG: 9604120564
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
A local group that helps students in Norfolk and Portsmouth find financial aid for college will host a national conference exploring ways to offer more urban youth the dream of higher education.
Since 1989, the Tidewater Scholarship Foundation's ACCESS program has linked more than 7,600 students in Norfolk and Portsmouth to $27 million in financial aid.
Next Thursday and Friday, ACCESS will bring the National College Access Network to the Omni Waterside hotel. Representatives from ACCESS programs in eight states will share expertise on such issues as working with urban youth, finding financial aid on the Internet, involving parents and gaining financial support from the community.
Among the cities represented will be Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami and Charlotte.
The programs are designed to encourage high school students to stay on track academically. Many of the programs, including the Tidewater ACCESS, require students to maintain a C-plus grade average, stay drug free and attend school regularly.
A study by Brandeis University of Access programs in six cities concluded that ``the payoff includes a higher likelihood of employment for graduates, greater lifetime earnings and . . . benefits to society.'' by CNB