Grad Support Wraps Up Successful Semester of Programming

At Access, we’re committed to walking with our students through every chapter of their academic journey—from middle school to high school to college. This spring, there were a lot of chapters. And a lot of walking. From ACT Prep and Access 2 High School (A2HS) to college visits and the FAFSA Frenzy, it was a semester packed with programming aimed at ensuring our students are ready for their next step. Here are some of the highlights:

First Year of A2HS Comes to a Close
Our new Saturday A2HS program for 8th graders wrapped up its first year with 25 students from St. Louis Catholic Academy and St. Cecilia School & Academy. The final session takes place this weekend when we’ll celebrate their accomplishments, distribute awards, and hand out high school supplies—including backpacks, graphing calculators, and notebooks.

And the journey doesn’t stop there. Next month, 17 of our rising Access freshmen—including students from Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School—will reunite for our Summer Book Club at Saint Louis University.

ACT Prep Pays Off
From January to March, 31 of our juniors took part in weekly ACT Prep sessions—and their hard work paid big dividends! On average, students improved their composite scores by three points across three practice exams before taking the official ACT on April 5. We’re incredibly proud of their dedication and hard work.

Preparing for College and Career
Through the Access 2 College (A2C) program, our juniors and seniors spent one Saturday a month diving into college research and career planning. From writing admissions essays and exploring possible majors and career paths to learning about scholarships and financial literacy, they covered a lot of ground. We’ll celebrate their achievements next month during our Senior Send-Off—an event where families, board members, and staff come together to honor our graduates and applaud their college acceptances.

Early College Exposure Is Essential
This year, our students visited seven different college campuses to get a real feel for life after high school. In the fall, we explored Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), Illinois College, Truman State University, and the University of Central Missouri. In the spring, our lineup was more career-focused: We visited Tech Day at Southwestern Illinois College–Belleville, Goldfarb School of Nursing, and St. Louis Community College–Forest Park.

FAFSA Frenzy = 100% Completion
Only 46% of high school seniors nationally completed the FAFSA by this time last year. We’re thrilled to share that as of today, 100% of our eligible seniors have completed their FAFSA paperwork! Many of them received one-on-one help during our January FAFSA Frenzy event, which included bilingual support in English and Spanish to ensure every family felt confident and informed.

Fun side note: We register our FAFSA Frenzy with the state of Missouri each year so that any student who attends is eligible to apply for a one-time $500 Journey to College scholarship from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. This year, one of our seniors won!