Oasis College Connection
Overview
The Oasis Center believes that access to higher education is a critical pathway out of poverty for the young people we serve. Oasis College Connection (OCC) is an intensive college-counseling program providing individualized admissions and financial aid expertise to meet the needs of the students, their families, and the community.
OCC provides college resources to students, ages 14 - 23, traditionally without them, and who are underrepresented on college and university campuses, by working collaboratively with organizations across the community and the non-profit partners serving students and their schools. But most importantly, OCC is designed to assist a student in finding their most appropriate “fit” in order to be successful and attain a college degree.
Oasis College Connection harnesses the many relationships that the Oasis Center has established with local organizations to provide the following resources:
- College Access Resource Center – housing staff, resources, and information. The center acts as a clearinghouse and is open to any student or family in the community.
- Classic College Access Program – providing direct services and expertise in the fields of admissions and financial aid. These services can come in the form of group activities or one-on-one services between professional staff and a student/family.
- Community-based Paraprofessionals – providing training and services to organizations and mentors currently offering college access services to youth and creating a common communications platform/referral service between the organizations and mentors.
Oasis College Connection’s mission is to provide comprehensive and individualized admissions and financial aid expertise to support and increase students’ college acceptance rates, retention, and successful degree completion.
Memberships
Funding and Support
Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC)
Reynolds Family Foundation
