New website helps students get ready for college

Monday, April 30, 2007

At a press conference Monday, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education officially launched a powerful, free new website that will help students, parents and school counselors plan for college.

The website, OKcollegestart.org, provides college planning, financial aid resources, campus information, college applications and career exploration.

Chancellor Glen D. Johnson said the website was created to make college information more readily available and to appeal to today’s internet-savvy students.

“Today’s students use the internet as their primary source of information,” Johnson said. “Now, information about Oklahoma colleges has been gathered online in one location. It will make planning for college easier and more efficient.”

The website, offered in English and Spanish, includes information about public and independent Oklahoma colleges and universities. Students can review the college information, bookmark their favorite colleges and build personal portfolios with their grades and applications. Financial aid information, including an online application for Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program, is also available. Information is also available in Spanish.

Counselors and parents can also use the website to help students. Students can choose to give their counselors access to their student portfolios so they can review grades and applications together.

Officials estimate more than 160,000 students will use it within the first three years of operation. Since its application went online in January 2006, more than 4,000 students have used a preliminary page of the site to apply for Oklahoma’s Promise.

After evaluating its success with other state higher education entities, the State Regents selected Xap Corporation to design and implement the site.

“OKCollegeStart.org is a collective and concerted effort among the State Regents, many other educational participants in the state, and Xap,” said J. Michael Thompson, CEO of Xap Corporation. “States have seen tremendous improvements in college-going rates using our comprehensive web systems, which have profoundly empowered students and families with opportunity and resources for success.”

Officials said no state funds were used to develop the website. The start-up costs of nearly $1 million and the yearly upkeep costs will be paid through federal GEAR UP funds and the Oklahoma Guaranteed Student Loan Program.