The National Scholarship Service (NSS) came to town on September 10 to host its first Jacksonville college fair at the Prime F. Osborn Convention Center.
All of Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) high school juniors and seniors, as well as community college students, were invited to the free event, which took place during school hours to provide students with more flexibility to attend.
The NSS was established in 1946 to assist students in gaining access to and graduate from America's post-secondary institutions, and the organization began sponsoring college fairs (also called Student-College Interview Sessions) in 1963. The NSS also provides scholarships each year to deserving college-bound students.
Duval County School Board Chairwoman Betty Burney, in conjunction with the district’s Guidance Department, was instrumental in assisting fair organizers with their inaugural event in Jacksonville.
"I agreed to join with the National Scholarship Service in sponsoring this event because they have been instrumental in providing a vast number of scholarships to students throughout the country," Burney said. "I want our students to have this same opportunity."
Though this is the first year the fair came to Jacksonville, others have been held in cities across the country, including Atlanta, Washington, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Last year, the fair traveled to 23 cities and reached more than 43,000 students.
The purpose of the fair is to give students the opportunity to visit with the various college representatives in attendance to discuss the admissions process, financial aid information, and ask other general questions about each institution. Before students meet with college representatives, they are coached in an orientation session, offered by NSS, that helps them decide what the most important questions are to ask during the fair.
Because the NSS offers a holistic approach to the college admissions process, organizers also brought television personality Judge Glenda Hatchett to town. Judge Hatchett presented ‘Parent Power,’ a motivational program designed to encourage parents, students and educators, and provide them with an additional forum to ask questions about post-secondary education.
For more information about the upcoming college fairs, or to find additional resources regarding post-secondary education, please visit the
Guidance Department section of the district's Web site.
More 'Spotlight on Education' Articles
