The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (MDHEWD) presented Union High School the 2024 American College Application Campaign School of Excellence Award earlier today during their annual Decision Day celebration. Union High School led the state in the percentage of high school seniors applying to college through the Apply Missouri program.
“We congratulate the students of Union High School for their eagerness to plan for their futures,” said Dr. Bennett Boggs, Commissioner of the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. “We also recognize the care and dedication of the parents, teachers, and administrators to help guide these young people onto pathways that will suite each one best. Projections show that 65 percent of jobs in Missouri will require education and training beyond the high school diploma by 2032, so exploring the education and training pathways they need now will help them secure high-quality, high-paying careers in the future.”
Union’s efforts to ensure students understand the steps of the application process and host events to help students complete their applications earned the national recognition. Through these efforts, 91 percent of Union’s graduating seniors applied to at least one college, and 98 percent of those students have a postsecondary plan as of May. Additionally, Union’s graduating class has been awarded a collective total of more than $5 million in scholarships and grants to date.
The American College Application Campaign (ACAC), which is part of ACT’s Center for Impact and Learning, focuses on increasing the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families pursuing a postsecondary degree.
Only one school in each state is eligible to earn the ACAC School of Excellence Award each year, and Union is one of 26 schools nationally to be recognized. Each year, ACAC works with coordinators across the nation to promote college application events and reach students in their schools and communities, encouraging them to apply to college. Activities in 2024 included career days and fairs, collegiate tailgates, financial aid workshops, and field trips to colleges, where students could take campus tours.
Apply Missouri is one of three Journey to College programs designed to help students plan and pay for college.