For some Mississippi students and families, the road to a college education could soon begin quite literally on the roads of their town. The Get2College Mobile Unit, a state-of-the-art college access and planning center, started rolling this month thanks to a partnership between The Woodward Hines Education Foundation, Entergy and the Walton Family Foundation.

The mobile unit, supported in part by a recent $50,000 grant from Entergy Mississippi, delivers post-secondary planning to rural and underserved communities. In those locations, limited transportation, school counseling and internet might otherwise prevent college enrollment.

“The workforce of the future is going to have to be trained and ready for high-tech jobs in the new economy. Higher education is going to help them compete for those jobs and improve the future for their families,” said Haley Fisackerly, President and CEO of Entergy Mississippi and WHEF Board Member. “This mobile college center is going to help students in rural and underserved communities have opportunities on the road to postsecondary education, which will strengthen communities and our workforce.”

The 17-foot-long Get2College Mobile Center is built on a commercial truck chassis. It features:

• Two full-time Get2College counselors.
• Modern technology, counseling space and Wi-Fi.
• Support for FAFSA completion, financial aid guidance and testing preparation.
• College applications and one-on-one advising.
• Flexible scheduling to meet students at schools, libraries, churches, community centers and even high school football games.

The center will first drive into Carroll, Holmes, Tallahatchie, Coahoma, Tunica and Quitman counties. In those counties, only 21% to 33% of students achieve postsecondary education, compared with the statewide average of 48.7%.

The innovative unit is modeled on bookmobiles and mobile health clinics. It supports Mississippi’s Ascent to 55% goal, which calls for 55% of the state’s working-age population to hold a degree or credential by 2030, and 60% by 2035.

“By taking our services directly to communities, we’re helping remove the barriers that keep too many students from pursuing education beyond high school,” said Jim McHale, President and CEO of WHEF.

The Woodward Hines Education Foundation helps people gain entry to college and finish once they get there. The foundation’s mission supports vibrant communities and a prosperous future for Mississippi. Get2College, the WHEF’s flagship program, offers free, comprehensive help to plan, prepare and pay for education after high school and support students to complete their education. It also supports high school counselors and school leaders in their college counseling work.