The Black College Expo will return to Los Angeles celebrating 14 years of helping more than 375,000 students get into college and giving away more than $500,000 in scholarships. The expo will take place on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with a celebrity-hosted entertainment segment from 3-5 p.m., which includes a scholarship presentation, high school and fraternity step show, and a surprise artist performance to culminate the day’s event.
This year’s mission is to get more than 5,000 students accepted into a college and provide resources to help students fund their education and become successful students. Students and their families will learn about “Hot Careers”, “Financial Literacy”, “Finding Money for College”, “Preparing for College”, “411 for the Student Athlete” and “Owning Your Own Business”. Students will have the opportunity to meet with close to 100 college recruiters from all over the U.S., including 40-plus of the most prestigious historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The 11th- and 12th-grade students will have the opportunity to get accepted into college on the spot and apply for scholarships. Also, students who play an instrument are encouraged to bring and play their instrument for the opportunity to win scholarships.
The Black College Expo is a program of National College Resources Foundation (NCRF), a nonprofit organization functioning daily as a full-service student outreach program geared towards underserved and underrepresented youth and their families to help curtail the high school dropout rate, and to increase college enrollment and the graduation rate (dropout rate is currently at 28 percent nationally, and 43 percent among Blacks and Hispanics, according to Education Week, June 2011). The Black College Expo visits five cities annually throughout the year, including Los Angeles, Oakland, Atlanta, New York and Washington, D.C./Maryland. The organization provides free services to connect students directly to college, scholarships, tutorial support, student athlete assistance and resources, financial literacy, and connect students to internship and career opportunities. “Our goal is to do all we can to make college a reality for more of our youth and guide them toward positive career choices,” says Founder, Theresa Price.
For additional information about tickets, group sales, vendor booths and sponsorship opportunities, call (877) 427-4100 or visit www.thecollegeexpo.org.
