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Our Programs
USC Summer Residential Program
NAPCA hosts summer residential programs where students stay on campus to: experience college life, learn about the admissions and financial aid process, strengthen their academic skills for college success, and learn how to become a better NAPCA peer college advisor in their school community. This program will be held at prestigious colleges/universities (such as USC, UCLA, BERKELEY, PRINCETON, YALE, HARVARD and STANFORD) across the country and will be open to non-NAPCA participants. In 2011, we launched the summer residential program at our home campus, University of Southern California. Additionally, students who attend our summer programs will have the opportunity to gain peer college advisor certification. Click here for more info.
High School Chapter Program
NAPCA’s core services are key to the organization’s success and to establishing a college-going culture within the high schools we serve.
College "A-G" Coursework Peer Advising
Individual and Group Peer College Advising
NAPCA peer college advisors are trained to provide individual and group peer college advising to all grade levels at their high school. Peer college advisors help students stay motivated and on track to complete the “A-G” course requirements required for four year college eligibility. The specific courses approved to meet “A-G” requirements are unique to each high school and navigating the course offerings can be daunting. Peer college advisors support students through the college process. They educate students about where to find and how to use their school’s specific “A-G” course list, which can be found on the UC Doorways website at: https://doorways.ucop.edu/list/
College Preparation Planning (CPP)
Every NAPCA student participant completes and maintains a College Preparation Planner that Peer College Advisors use to help their peers stay on track to complete college coursework required for college eligibility (A-G requirements).
College Knowledge Workshops and Presentations
NAPCA chapters provide students and families with college information to help them successfully navigate the path to college. Services include:
- Group Workshops to High School Students and Families
- Group Presentations to Middle School Students
College Admissions Presentations
NAPCA chapters will bring college admissions officers from several colleges and universities across the U.S. to their high school campus. Admissions officers will meet with students school-wide to expose them to their college admission requirements, degree programs, financial aid, and campus life.
NAPCA College Application Month
At this annual event in November, NAPCA Chapters will provide seniors with individual, hands-on assistance with completing their College Applications for Undergraduate Admission. Chapters will provide workshops on the admissions process and on writing an effective personal statement/admissions essay.
College Application / Essay Workshops
These workshops clearly explain to students how to write an effective personal statement and fill out the UC, CSU, and private/independent four year college/university applications.
NAPCA Cash for College Financial Aid Week
At this annual event during January or February, seniors and their families will receive individual, hands-on assistance with completing the FAFSA at our annual Cash for College financial aid event. Chapters will also provide their school community, specifically seniors, with workshops on completing the FAFSA and financial aid on each day of the designated week. There will be several workshops covering topics such as Grants, Scholarships, Work-Study, and Loans.
School-Wide Financial Aid Workshops
Research shows that a student’s perception of financial aid availability plays a critical role on college related decisions. This could be: Whether to apply at all, the choice of institution and ultimately whether to enroll.
Therefore, NAPCA Chapters will:
- Partner with financial aid offices at local colleges and other financial aid professionals to bring volunteer financial aid professionals to the campus to deliver financial aid workshops and to assist families with the financial aid process throughout the year. Chapters will organize financial aid events at various times, dates, and in languages culturally relevant to the school community. Volunteer presenters will be asked to provide relevant financial aid information for special populations such as undocumented or foster care students.
- Share financial aid, and scholarship information as early as the ninth grade, so students know that college can be affordable. Students will also learn about how to complete the FAFSA, state grant applications such as California’s Cal Grant Application, and how to search and complete Scholarship applications
Students in the 11th and 12th grades will receive specific information about financial aid such as type of aid available and application deadlines.
- Special student populations such as undocumented students and foster care students will receive financial aid information that is specific to their needs.
- Provide early notification information for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch programs about their potential eligibility for federal and state student aid.
- Bring high school graduates back to the campus to explain that college is affordable, how they made their college decisions, and how they manage their college costs.
- Distribute print materials school-wide that are readily available to promote the types of financial aid available, important deadlines, and relevant financial aid websites.
Research confirms that group seminars and workshops on financial aid information can be helpful but have limited effectiveness without individual follow up assistance with the attendees. Students who attend large financial aid events in their area left with many unanswered questions about the FAFSA. Students reported that their financial situations were too complicated to be handled by the group session presenter at these events.
Therefore, NAPCA Chapters will:
- Provide professional presenters and volunteers to provide one-on-one interaction with families before, during, and after these financial aid events. Volunteers will answer complex questions for non-traditional families (i.e., a student who lives with a grandparent or sibling, students with divorced or single parents) and special students populations such as undocumented and foster care students.
- Promote to students and their families ahead of time to bring a list of questions to ask and necessary financial information for application workshops.
- Provide informational handouts from the financial aid sessions.
- Provide names and contact information of financial aid professionals who can offer individual financial aid assistance. Students will be encouraged to follow up with financial aid representatives with any questions that come up during the financial aid application process.
Research also shows that once students have applied for college and financial aid (completed FAFSA), they require individualized attention and support. They do not know how to navigate through the remainder of the process, including decisions about college choice, financial aid awards, and paperwork such as acceptance and award letters, student loan forms, and college enrollment deposit requests. Students reported that they made mistakes on their initial FAFSA submissions and they were not sure how to fix them. Students did not know how to receive information about their FAFSA. They did not understand how the FAFSA linked to their institutional aid offers. Students did not understand how to interpret the Student Aid Report (SAR) or the Financial Aid Offer letter. The result was that students made uninformed decisions about where to attend and how to pay for college.
Therefore, NAPCA Chapters will:
- Provide information so students can understand and articulate:
- The details of their financial aid package
- Their Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
- Federal Aid Programs – Grants, Loans, Work-Study, Scholarships, and Tax Credits/Incentives
- State Aid Program- Grants and Scholarships
- How financial aid works once in college
- Key options and deadlines specific to their situation (i.e.-AB-540, state grants, foster care scholarships, private scholarships, CSS Profile, and college options according to GPA)
- Provide students and families with a contact list of specific financial aid professionals who can offer accurate and individualized assistance to help students/families fill out the financial aid paperwork throughout the process.
College Campus Visits
NAPCA student participants visit college campuses such as USC, UCLA, and Cal State Long Beach, where they meet current undergraduates, graduate students and faculty, explore campus facilities, and learn about campus life and academic majors.
College Presentations to Middle School Students
This annual presentation for middle school students educates middle school students about the college course work requirements required for college eligibility. Students will also discuss the transition from middle school to high school and provide effective tips for a successful transition.
NAPCA’s National Go to College Celebration Day
Every year, NAPCA Chapters plan and implement a NAPCA National “Go to College” celebration day at their school to recognize high school seniors going on to pursue their post-secondary plans.
Parent Conference and Family College Planning Workshops
These local events bring parents and educators together to help families navigate the pre-collegiate years successfully.
SAT/ACT Test Preparation
Admissions Eligibility for public and private colleges and universities requires the completion of college entrance exams such as the ACT or SAT Reasoning test. NAPCA student participants take the SAT and ACT exams at substantially higher rates than non-participants attending the same schools. NAPCA provides the following services to help students successfully complete all required examinations:
Test Preparation Workshops
NAPCA chapters organize one-day workshops to familiarize students with the tests and with study strategy and test-taking tips.
Test Preparation Classes
NAPCA chapters bring test preparation professionals to their school to provide test-taking strategies and extensive practice with verbal and mathematics questions.* *Not every NAPCA high school chapter will provide this service.
Online Test Preparation
NAPCA chapters provide online test preparation which will reach all students in their school who desire to prepare for the SAT or ACT Exams.
SAT/ACT Fee Waiver Assistance
NAPCA Chapters help financially eligible students and families receive fee waivers for college entrance exams.
Academic Skills Development
NAPCA conducts academic skills workshops on study skills, time management, goal-setting, and several others, to help students strengthen their academic skills for college success.
- Study skills
- Time management
- Research skills
- Reading comprehension
- Note taking
- Memorization
- Public speaking for academic presentation
Academic Enrichment
NAPCA’s enrichment activities are designed to provide supplemental learning opportunities, fundamental knowledge, academic proficiency, and scholastic enhancement to students. Through NAPCA, students can participate in:*
- NAPCA Summer Programs
- Peer Tutoring During & After School
- NAPCA Concurrent Enrollment and Community College Program
- *Offerings vary by High School Chapter.
Peer College Advising Certification Training Program
NAPCA trains hundreds of student leaders each month of the year on high school and community college campuses across the nation through our on-campus course, webinar training course and online training videos. Note: NAPCA chapters must have at least 8 members, 2 per grade level, who have completed the training program before they become officially recognized and start chapter activities. More information about our training program will provided directly to all active NAPCA chapters.
For more information, contact us via email: info@napcaonline.org
One Day Peer College Advising Conferences
One Day Conferences
Year after year, we count on our NAPCA certified peer college advisors to help guide and encourage their peers as they move through the college selection and application process. NAPCA holds several one-day conferences each year. These student-run conferences are typically held on a Saturday on the campus of a major university. Our Conferences offer students a great opportunity to get professional development training, meet students from nearby high schools, and receive the latest information about college admissions and financial aid for American colleges and universities, particularly the University of California, California State Universities, Private colleges, HBCU’s, State Universities, Community Colleges, and For Profit Colleges and Universities. Anyone who advises students about higher education, from community college transfer counselors to high school guidance counselors, principals and teachers; are welcome to attend. The conferences usually take place in November and December at several locations across the nation where there are active NAPCA Chapters.
NAPCA TV: “College Preparation” Online TV
NAPCA will offer college knowledge and academic skills for college success workshops in a DVD video format to help students nationwide learn the college admissions and financial aid process. NAPCA TV will provide students with college admission and financial aid info on a state by state basis. For instance, California will have its own NAPCA TV station to help students interested in attending a college in California -prepare for admission to California colleges.
