For many students, college can seem like an unattainable goal. Students struggling with finances or whose parents didn’t go to college can face major difficulties navigating college admissions and coursework.
For Biluge Ntabala, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, college was always the goal, yet she wasn’t sure how she could make it happen. That was until she found help from College Possible - an organization that helps students in Milwaukee access and navigate college.
"It's kind of like that middle ground where it's not too intrusive, but at the same time, they're just great times almost all the time. I think that's what helped me and my older siblings as well with navigating college and having somebody who's like mentoring you throughout the way," says Ntabala.
She recounts how being on a college campus alone can be scary and how much College Possible helped her overcome that fear.
The organization checks up on scholars, makes sure they're signed up for classes and helps them pick their majors.
Kellie Sigh is the executive director of College Possible. She explains that 94% of the scholars that College Possible partner with are the first in their family to attend school, and most identify as people of color.
"We really are focused on helping support and partner with those scholars that come from primarily limited income backgrounds, and that identify as people of color because our work is about closing the degree divide," says Sigh.
She explains that to take part in the program, students must meet three criteria. First, they have to attend one of College Possible's parented high schools. Then, the student must have a GPA of 2.0 or above. Finally, a student has to qualify to be a Pell Grant recipient.
Ntabala wants other immigrants considering college to know that it gets better over time. Everything will work out despite the financial barriers, she says.
"Yes, the finances for college is really, really difficult but that's where these kinds of programs and scholarships come in. You can do it, you can actually achieve your goals and actually go to college and help your family," says Ntabala.
