College Night is back after being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. However, instead of going to the James Brown Arena, high school juniors and seniors can now participate from home.
This year’s College Night will be Thursday, Nov. 4 from 5 – 8:30 p.m.
The event brings together representatives from colleges, universities and technical schools. There will also be information about financial aid.
“They will have financial aid experts there to help guide parents and students through the FAFSA application, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process,” explained Sharon Worley, Coordinator for Counseling & Career Services for Aiken County schools. “That can be overwhelming and a little intimidating if you’ve never filled it out before. So, I highly encourage people to take advantage of the resources available on Thursday night.”
North Augusta High School senior Kadence Adams will be joining the virtual event this year.
“It’s nice to have people who are going to be able to talk to me about the future,” said Adams. “This is a big part of our life. As seniors, we’re making that next step and choosing where we’re going to go off to college. You want to make sure you’re making the right decision and know you’re at the right place.”
She’s interested in the University of South Carolina-Aiken, as both a student and member of the women’s softball team.
“If that doesn’t work out, I’m also looking at USC-Columbia. In the past, I was also committed to North Greenville University, but that just wasn’t right for me. I think that having these opportunities to learn more about the colleges will help you realize that something might not be right for you before you get there,” she said.
Beginning in 1993, more than 100,000 students, parents and educators have attended College Night. Due to on-going concerns about COVID-19, the decision was made to hold the event virtually.
Said Gladys Moore, SRNS Education Outreach, “It’s a different world now. For the first time, we decided to host college night virtually. SRNS is diligent to keep safety at the forefront of all we do. So due to COVID-19 constraints, the decision to offer a virtual College Night was an easy one.”
“We are very grateful for our partnership with Savannah River. They bring over 60 colleges and universities to this event, which is a monumental task. And all that they do to put on this event every year, whether it’s in person, or virtual, is a tremendous amount of work,” said Worley.
More than $300,000 has been given to area students who have attended in the past. Up to $15,000 in scholarships will be up for grabs during this year’s event.