ARCADIA, Fla. — The DeSoto County School District is launching a new partnership to help students apply for college.
The Florida College Access Network (FCAN) said it's working with the district, nonprofits and businesses to launch the DeSoto Local College Access Network.
WATCH: DeSoto County School Board chair talks about new partnership, how she hopes it will help students
FCAN is a statewide organization that encourages students to get a college education, according to its website. The group runs similar local access networks around the state.
In DeSoto County, the program will be led by United Way Suncoast. First, the program will help students and families fill out FAFSA forms, according to Kelly Mercer, the DeSoto County School Board chair. The board approved the partnership at it's last meeting on Aug. 12.
FAFSA is the federal form that helps determine financial aid eligibility. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Education released a revamped version of FAFSA that was plagued with technical issues, making it difficult for families to complete.
FCAN said the program will later offer bilingual workshops, peer-led outreach and family engagement activities. Other partners include South Florida State College, nonprofit Links2Success, and the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce.
16.7% of DeSoto County adults between the age of 25 and 64 have a high-quality college degree, according to FCAN. Although that is up from 12.2% in 2015, it is still one of the lowest in the state.
23.1% of people DeSoto County experience poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, making it one of the poorest counties in Southwest Florida.
"So, I think with us being one of those counties that has more of a rural population, more of a poverty stricken one," Mercer said. "This will help those students realize that they can be just as successful and they can reach those college goals as well."
The program will be staffed by United Way, Mercer said, and should be ready for the upcoming college application season.
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