CV College Access Advisor, Dionna Jenkins, has been published in the Chicago Policy Review!! Please check out: “It’s More Than Admissions: Rethinking NYC’s High School Diversity Problem” at the link below. It is an amazing contribution to education policy and equity that offers an abundance of insight, critical thinking, and robust propositions.
bit.ly/dionnacpr
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse at College Visions
College Visions was proud to host Senator Sheldon Whitehouse as he highlighted the upcoming Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver deadline (Oct 31). Thank you Senator for being an advocate for access and affordability! And, thank you to the speakers who shared their personal PSLF stories!
Established in 2007, the PSLF program provides a path to loan forgiveness for people working in public sector and non-profit jobs in fields such as education, healthcare, and social work. After making 120 payments, PSLF participants can have the balance of their student loans forgiven.
For low-income, first-generation college graduates like CV’s alums, the PSLF program provides an important option. CV alum Jennifer Recinos (Brandeis University Class of 2013) spoke at the event and shared that participation in PSLF has allowed her to pursue a career where she can give back as Associate Director of First Generation Experience at Rhode Island School of Design.
For more information about the event and to find out to get help with PSLF applications, click here: Press Release
College Visions Names Executive Director
Providence, RI—Lamont Gordon has been named the next Executive Director of College Visions, effective August 15, 2022. The announcement follows a six-month national search by executive search firm Eos Transition Partners.
Deborah Obalil, Chair, College Visions Board of Directors states, “I am delighted to announce that Lamont Gordon is the new Executive Director of College Visions. Lamont brings a depth of knowledge and experience in the fields of college access and success, a strategic vision for the future of College Visions, and a strong connection to the work. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the founding of College Visions, we are excited to have Lamont lead the next phase of College Visions’ development. As first-generation, low-income students continue to navigate challenges associated with COVID, the services provided by College Visions have never been more needed.”
College Visions Statement of Solidarity
College Visions works to combat a racist educational system, but CV students face many structural oppressions that we cannot fix. We exist to support students who want to earn college degrees and face a multitude of challenges due to the structural systems that tell them they are unworthy and not enough. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, 3 Black individuals whose deaths were at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them. It is no question that racism and police brutality affect our Black community at disproportionately high rates. It is no question that still to this day, there is work that needs to be done to demand justice for Black Lives. College Visions stands with our Black students, families, and community in demand of that justice. We see you, we hear you and we will fight with you.
COVID-19: How the Pandemic Impacts Low-income College Students
Abrupt campus closures have brought national attention to the plight of low-income college students. For many CV students, financial aid provides not only tuition support but also food and housing. CV is working to provide for the emotional, academic, and basic needs of RI youth. This spring and in the coming years, young people and their families may need extra help to stay focused on college and the longterm benefits that I degree can bring to individuals, families, and communities. CV is committed to providing that help!
For more information on the state of low-income college students, please check out the articles below:
College Made Them Feel Equal. The Virus Exposed How Unequal Their Lives Are.
The Coronavirus Class Divide: Space and Privacy
No Emergency Aid for DACA Students
The Real Lesson of the College Closures
Pandemic Has Forced Graduating Seniors to Reconsider College Choices