Albany - New York's high school students who may be at risk of not attending college and their families have a new tool to build college awareness and find information about applying to and succeeding at college.

The New York Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) has launched GoCollegeNY.org, an interactive website designed to give students at risk of not attending college or even completing high school the skills, encouragement and preparation needed to pursue postsecondary education. HESC developed the site with federal funds provided through New York's College Access Challenge Grant (CACG), which the agency administers. CACG aims to improve college awareness, readiness, attendance and degree attainment through early outreach to high school students and families, particularly those with incomes below the poverty level.

GoCollegeNY.org features videos of college students, who have similar experiences and backgrounds, describing their successful navigation of the college process. High school students, and particularly those participating in CACG sub-grantee programs, can explore careers and find colleges that provide education to match their career aspirations. Additionally, they will be able to find help in tracking their high school course selections to prepare for the rigors of college study. Students can use the site throughout their high school years, finding in each section interactive tools and videos relevant to where they are in their educational career.

CACG administrators have their own portal on GoCollegeNY.org, providing resources for managing their grant and a forum to share best practices, discuss common challenges and work together to improve their CACG programming.

About HESC
HESC is New York State's student financial aid agency that helps people pay for college and a national leader in providing need-based grant and scholarship award money to college-going students. At HESC's core are programs like the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), numerous state scholarships, the New York Higher Education Loan Program (NYHELPs), federal college access grants and a highly successful College Savings program. HESC puts college within the reach of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers each year through programs like these and through the guidance it provides to students, families and counselors. In 2010-11, HESC helped more than 413,000 students achieve their college dreams by providing $991 million in grants, scholarships and federal student loan guarantees, including $855 million awarded through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).