Dive Brief:

• The nationwide student-to-counselor ratio is double what the American School Counselor Association recommends, but a number of organizations have stepped in with virtual guidance to fill the gaps.
• The Hechinger Report writes College Possible is among the many college advocacy groups offering remote support to low-income students, connecting them with trained counselors who can send important reminders and tips about the application process, edit essays and be there by phone or video chat.
• College Summit and iCouldBe are two others hoping to increase the percentage of Americans from the lowest income quartile who earn a college degree by age 24, a portion that moved only from 6% to 9% between 1970 and 2013.

Dive Insight:

The Civil Rights Data Collection from the 2013-14 school year found that 1.6 million students attend high schools that have a police officer but no guidance counselor. These schools are not in the wealthiest neighborhoods, where students are groomed for college practically from birth and surrounded by a strong network of adults who know how to get them there. They are in high-poverty districts that often have predominantly black or Latino student populations.

Administrators in cash-strapped districts have been creative in their attempts to get low-income students the support they need, and some schools share counselors. Partnerships with virtual counseling services might be worth exploring as another tool. Students can still get individual support that, while remote, makes a difference.

Recommended Reading

The Hechinger Report: E-Counseling 2.0: Can a new wave of virtual guidance help?