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Community college students walk and talk together between classes

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Getting into a good college or university can be an extremely stressful experience for any young person. 

However, for Black students, the burden can easily intensify due to a lack of information and access to resources. 

UNCF research found that only 57 percent of Black students have full access to college-ready courses and many who do have access to this tool don’t finish the course. Also, the financial weight of preparing for college can have a significant impact on the success of many students of color. According to a report by Education Data, students of color had the highest dropout rate and around 33 percent of those dropouts were correlated to financial pressure. 

This is where the College Thriver Education app comes in. The app was launched by former Admissions and Enrollment Counseling professional Shawntia Lee and it works to help make the college admissions process easier for minority students. 

The College Thriver Education app helps students in grades 6-12 get acclimated with the college admission process by providing them with data-driven solutions to assist these students in meeting college standards for admission. The app is also useful for locating resources that students will need at their college or university. Many students struggle with finding access to much-needed resources such as funding, transportation, counseling and more. The College Thriver Education app works as a bridge for those students. 

“I became tired of the systemic injustice that is created in higher education for students of color,” Lee told BlackNews. “So, I created the app to close the equity gap and offer equality to higher education for all despite their socioeconomic status in life.”

There is no doubt that the need for college assistance is crucial in the Black community. There is so much talent flowing in our communities that are often overlooked because of their circumstances. And for the ones who are lucky enough to get to a four-year college or university, student loan repayments can haunt their adult lives even after they graduate. 

Lee’s app, which is currently available for free in the Apple and Google app stores, is looking to improve the college experience for Black Students from grade school to adulthood. She is even incorporating a debit card rebate program that assists students with financial savings during their time in school to help reduce the burden created by student loan debt. 

Lee is a great example of what it means to give your talents back to your community and through her vision, more students will have the opportunity to do the same. 

 

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