Now that you’re back, let’s get down to business…

I think we can all agree that the first few days of school often pass in a blur. But now that the pep assemblies are over and the syllabi have been handed out, let’s get down to business: We need more middle-schoolers thinking about their plans after high school, because, according to an article in today’s Seattle P-I, not nearly enough are right now.

More than 56,000 Washington middle-schoolers qualify for the state’s College Bound scholarship, which would give them a free ride (including fees and books) to a state college, but only a fraction of them have signed up. As we‘ve written before, the College Bound scholarship is open to any 7^th or 8^th grader whose family income is 65 percent or less than the state’s median, signs a pledge promising to graduate from high school with at least a 2.0 grade point average and demonstrates good citizenship by maintaining a clean record.

Sound good? Well, let’s get that message out. Only 4,000 of the state’s eligible students have made their College Bound pledge—and only about 900 of the 2,400 eligible students in Seattle have applied.

State officials and organizations like our friends at KnowHow2Go are hoping to increase the number of students applying for the College Bound scholarship in the coming year, but they can’t do it alone. Everyone who cares about students achieving a college education needs to do their part and spread the word.

Wondering just how to do that? We have some ideas.

1. Tell students you think may qualify to check out the Higher Educating Coordinating Board’s College Bound website.
2. Direct all the middle school students you know to KnowHow2Go—an organization that offers great tips and strategies for students to navigate their path to college at every grade level. They even have resources and suggestions for students on what classes to take as they prepare.
3. Know some older students worrying about affording college? Get them to the College Success Foundation, which offers tons of information on a myriad of scholarship opportunities.

Heard of another great college-going resource for students? Don’t be shy! Let us know.