Each year, the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) supports students across the state in college exploration and application processes. While this happens over many events and weeks, this support is highlighted during MBRT’s Post-Secondary Success Campaign – College Week in our Next Generation Scholars (NGS) program schools in Allegany, Caroline, Dorchester, Kent and Wicomico Counties.
The timing of and approaches to this week vary by county but share the goal of dedicating time to highlight and celebrate the pursuit of higher education after graduation.
As an example, earlier in October, in Kent County MBRT collaborated with the Kent County High School Counseling Department to offer students a robust itinerary for the week: information sessions, an evening financial aid event for students/families, application support, and a spirit day.
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors were invited to preregister for information sessions from twenty-two Maryland schools: public and private institutions, along with local community colleges, were represented; there were over four hundred sign-ups. These sessions, which were hosted mostly in person with a few virtual sessions, gave students valuable insight into the schools and the chance to personally connect with admissions staff. Regarding the sessions, a junior remarked, “The college informational sessions were very helpful to me and provided me more insight to different colleges I didn’t know much about yet!”
Chesapeake College partnered with MBRT to host “Money for College and Trades” Night with Laura Shahan, Interim Director of Financial Aid, offering her expertise. Over sixty students and caregivers were in attendance at the event, which included dinner, and learned about federal student aid programs, Maryland state scholarship programs, private scholarship sources, cost of attendance and financial need, tips and tricks of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and more.
For other activities in the week, seniors were offered an extended drop-in support session for several hours of small-group college application assistance. Several students submitted applications and rang the bell to celebrate—a new tradition at Kent County High School. The whole school also celebrated with a “College Gear Spirit Day” where students and staff wore a piece of college gear to represent a school they loved.
In Allegany County, the week included FAFSA support, and a visit to Maryland institution University of Maryland, College Park, and College & Career Night.
The Maryland Business Roundtable for Education supports all pathways for our students’ postsecondary success and recognizes college may not be the best immediate path for every student, though college provides a catalyst for socioeconomic mobility. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2024, full-time workers ages 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned a median of $1,543 per week, compared with $930 for workers whose highest education was a high school diploma, resulting in a difference of $613 per week. Additionally, the same BLS report, “Education Pays,” states that workers with a bachelor’s degree had an unemployment rate of 2.5%, compared with 4.2% among high school graduates.
Through the Maryland Post-Secondary Success Campaign – College Week, MBRT, along with high school and higher education partners, helps students envision their futures, navigate the steps toward postsecondary education, and connect with the resources needed to make their goals a reality. We look forward to seeing the rest of MBRT’s Next Generation Scholars programs complete their College Weeks throughout October.
