Empowering students to achieve success in higher education.

Mission

Increase the college-going rate among the region’s high school students with specific focus on those students who are first generation college-bound, underserved populations and who are academically talented.  Our goals are to offer opportunities through our curriculum-based program to build awareness of and preparedness for the college admissions and financial aid process with the intent to build a local workforce.

 

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Financial Aid Events –

       See events tab for detailed information.

URGENT MESSAGE - The Calvert Local Scholarships Application is due on March 15, 2013

 

 

We held Financial Aid Infromation Nights at each of the public high schools in the month of October.  If you missed these information sessions you can download the slide show and the handout by clicking on the two documents below.

       Financial Workshop Slide Show October 2012

       Financial Workshop Handout – newsletter – Web resources on page 9

High School Program

During our five years in operation, we have reached over 800 academically talented and economically challenged, underserved and/or first-generation college bound junior and senior high school students through weekly sessions involving the SoMD CAN curriculum based program which is rich in resources and tools to help students navigate the intricacies of the college admissions and financial aid process.  We have programs at all 4 high schools in Calvert County with a Pre-College Advisor who works closely with the Guidance Office and Administrative staff.  Weekly sessions are conducted during the one hour lunch throughout the junior and senior years.  Personal consultations for participants and their families can be arranged with the Pre-College Advisor.

In the Community

Our community outreach includes no cost:

  • Financial Aid Nights at each high school (over 560 individuals and families served throughout Calvert county this year alone!),
  • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Line by Line workshops,
  • College Goal Sunday event,
  • One-on-one counseling for participants,
  • You CAN early awareness program for 8th grade students at Calvert Middle School,
  • “How Education Changed My Life” in-school assembly provides discussions with committed community leaders about their pathways to success propelled by education.
  • Our fourth year of coordinating the Calvert Local Scholarships Application provided high school students with the opportunity to apply to 32 scholarships offered by local providers who believe in our youth and want to provide financial assistance to help them achieve success in higher education.

 

We Need Your Help

SoMD CAN is a non-profit organization which relies on the generous investments from the community we serve.  Your investment is 100% tax deductible.  It costs $215 per student annually to provide a weekly curriculum and community outreach.  Your support develops our youth, builds an educated and skilled local workforce and provides a means for our youth to give back to our community.

Please donate to support our county youth by clicking on the “Donate” button at the top of this page.

 

The Southern Maryland College Access Network (SoMD CAN) is a nonprofit organization initially funded by a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation grant. SoMD CAN was founded in 2005 by experienced and committed leaders in education and community service.