About
College Advising Corps (legally National College Advising Corps Inc, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina) places recent college graduates as full-time, near-peer college advisers in under-resourced high schools across the United States. The organization believes every student should have access to the support and guidance they need to achieve their dreams, whether that path leads to a four-year college, community college, trade school, or military service.
Mission
College Advising Corps works to increase the number of students from underserved communities who enter and complete higher education. It highlights the counseling gap in American schools — a cited national average of 408 students to one counselor — and the divide in outcomes: more than 50% of students from high-income families earn a college degree, while for families from low-income communities the figure is just 10%.
What they do
- Partners with universities nationwide to recruit recent graduates and place them as near-peer advisers in under-resourced high schools
- Advisers guide seniors through college search, applications, financial aid, and scholarship processes
- Supports pathways beyond four-year college, including community college, trade school, and military service
- Operates CollegePoint virtual advising, launched in 2015 with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies
History
The organization began in 2005 as the College Guide program at the University of Virginia, founded by Nicole Hurd with support from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, placing 14 UVA graduates in rural communities. It was renamed National College Advising Corps in 2007 and relocated to UNC Chapel Hill. In 2012 it received its first Social Innovation Fund Award as partner programs grew to 22, and in 2013 it became an independent nonprofit working with 19 colleges and universities across 14 states, with over 325 advisers serving 127,500 seniors in 390 high schools. In 2018 the Ballmer Group awarded $20 million toward a goal of helping 1 million students from underserved communities enroll in two- and four-year colleges by 2025. Nicole Hurd led the organization for over 15 years.
Scale and impact
Figures published by College Advising Corps:
- More than 825,000 students enrolled in college
- More than $14 billion in aid and scholarships offered to students
- More than 800 advisers in 2022
- In the 2023-24 school year, over 200,000 seniors served by 760 advisers in 800 high schools, through 33 partners in 16 states
The organization receives strategic support from AmeriCorps, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other foundations.
Financials
Per IRS Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 46-1192687), National College Advising Corps reported total revenue of $25,019,187, total functional expenses of $22,426,717, and total assets of $18,494,062 for fiscal year 2024. In fiscal year 2023 it reported revenue of $21,730,726 and expenses of $15,603,077.