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Many colleges and universities offer a variety of student support services. Some are
federally funded, others are supported entirely by private donations. All are dedicated to helping students adjust to going back to school. These services can be very helpful for new students. And they're particularly helpful for adults, who have been out of school for years.
Student centers provide orientations for prospective students to learn what's available to them, and for newly-enrolled students to help them navigate the system. Services typically available: counseling, advising, tutoring, financial aid information, campus and community resource information, group support, child care services. The first thing you should do on campus is find out if there's a student center. . .and go there! Selected Student Centers Women on the Way (WOW) Challenge Center WOW is a college supported program established in 1981 at St. Petersburg Junior College, Clearwater Campus. It serves 300 students each semester - both men and women, despite the name! After attending just one class session, students are eligible to apply for a scholarship through WOW to be applied towards tuition, child care and transportation. Other WOW services include: Students also have their own study lounge with a refrigerator and microwave. It's a place to study, scan the bulletin board, or just sit and chat with friends. The "Lunch Bunch" gathers weekly to hear speakers give helpful tips to keep students focused on success. WOW members also have a chance to get involved and develop solid leadership skills through the Positive Directions Association (PDA), a campus club/student interest group associated with WOW. PDA embodies the WOW guiding philosophy: the three Rs - no, not reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic - but respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for your actions. Pima Community College Some student centers have taken to the web to serve their members. Pima Community College in Tucson AZ is one example. Students can contact a Pima adviser by email through the Virtual Advising Center. (They can get information here on how to apply and register, class schedules, course descriptions and prerequisites, too.) Penn State University Penn State University provides student services online through the Student Affairs Center for Adult Learner Services. It offers information on where to go to find out about financial aid, campus services, child care resources, schedule of seminars and workshops on topics ranging from introduction to campus resources to life planning. And it helps you locate physical Centers. Child Care Services Many adult students face the daunting task of raising young children while going to school. They're often holding down jobs, too. The availability of child care facilities can make this juggling act a lot easier. It can even make the difference between being able to return to school and putting it off. It has been shown that parents who receive campus child care generally have higher GPAs than those who don't. They're also more likely to complete their studies. To meet the need, some student centers have set up child care services. And some schools have opened up their faculty child care facilities to students. The federal government does have a program to help schools provide services: Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS or CAMPUS, for short). This program awards grants to institutions of higher education for the purpose of providing subsidized child care to low-income students. The number of awards granted is expected to double this year over the past two years. That means more schools will soon be able to provide affordable child care to their students – either by opening new facilities or enhancing existing facilities. Where can you look for child care information and sources? First, check on campus. But if your school doesn't offer child care services, here are a few resources: National Network for Child Care (NNCC) This comprehensive site, presented by the government's university-based Cooperative Extension Service, provides information about how to choose quality child care and where to find it, plus newsletters, email discussion list and links. Child Care Aware A program of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, Child Care Aware helps parents find local child care providers. Just enter your zip code in the Child Care Connector to get the contact information for a Child Care Resource and Referral organization near you. The site also provides guidelines for choosing child care providers. National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) The NCCIC is a project of the Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children & Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You can find contacts and links to state child care websites. Zero to Three An excellent resource for parents, Zero to Three offers general information about raising young children. |
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