College Link

College Link is a Jim Walter Partnership Center program located in the School of Social Work, which is part of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at the University of South Florida. The program is primarily funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.  College Link is a match funding partner to the Hillsborough County School District’s Gear Up grant. This partnership is serving hundreds of youth in grant specific high schools throughout Tampa Bay.

 

The program began in the 2005-2006 school year with a cohort of 6^th and 7^th graders attending Pierce and Ferrell Middle Schools. We have followed the cohort into the 10^th and 11^th grades at Leto High School in West Tampa and Middleton High School in East Tampa.

 

In 2009, College Link received funding from the AT&T foundation to expand into the AVID programs at four additional high schools in the county. College Link also assumed the ENLACE DAR program to streamline tutoring in Hillsborough County Schools.

College Link’s purpose is in its name. We Link high school students to College.  We help high school students graduate and continue onto post-secondary education.

College Link provides technical information, guidance and support to the high school students. We provide tutoring in core subject areas such as Math, English, and Science.  Our tutors help the students learn how to tackle problems, research answers, and organize their thinking. The tutors work in both one-on-one sessions and group tutorials mainly in the AVID classroom settings.

Tutors also serve as positive role models for the students. They present themselves as a solid example of what a successful college student looks like and help inspire the high school students to continue to college.

College Link serves all 10th and 11th grade students at Leto and Middleton High Schools as well as 9th – 12th grade AVID students at Chamberlain, Hillsborough, King and Wharton High Schools. 

Our Services...

Tutoring

Assist students with their academic studies

Mentoring

Serve as a link between the student and college access

University/College Research

Research universities and colleges in order to provide information for the students that include undergraduate majors, requirements, applications, financial aid, tuition, location, etc

Scholarship Research

Research scholarship opportunities for students as well as assisting the students in applying for them

Application Process

Assist students with the college admission process including test preparation, scholarships, financial aid, FAFSA and applications from all institutions such as the University of South Florida and Hillsborough Community College

Essay Review
Assist students with the basic composition of college entrance essays as well as evaluate student essays and provide constructive feedback to the students

Test Preparation
Assist students with FCAT and the preparation for college entrance exams such as CPT, PACT, ACT, PSAT, and SAT

College Link Day...

College Link Day makes college less intimidating by introducing high school students to the college experience. Twice a year, students are brought to the University of South Florida campus where they meet college students, staff, and professors.  The students  participate in an engaging and interactive     
presentation about college living, academics, financial aid, scholarship opportunities and much more!