Meet the Founder of an App That Simplifies the College Admissions Process for Black Students

Shawntia Lee, a former Admissions and Enrollment Counseling professional, has developed and launched the College Thriver Education app to help facilitate the college admissions process for students of color. Her Orlando, Florida-based non-profit organization aims to help minority students to reach their full potential.

The college admissions process can be very daunting, especially for students do not have access to mentorship and advice. Moreover, research conducted by UNCF found that only 57% of black students have full access to college-ready courses. Sadly, those who are fortunate to secure a place often drop out before completing their course of study.

In fact, a report published by Education Data, statistics revealed that students of color had the highest dropout rate at 54%. The report also revealed that one-third of those students dropped out before their sophomore year, with financial pressure cited as the top reason.

College Thriver Education’s new app is designed to help bridge the gap and increase college readiness retention among students of color. The app simplifies the college admissions process from start to finish by connecting grades 6-12 students to data-driven feedback to help them adequately prepare and meet college admission standards. Students can use the app to find community-based solutions for the resources needed such as housing, funding, testing, tutoring counseling, mentoring, and transportation.

But it’s not just about preparation and retention, College Thriver Education’s new app also caters to life after graduation. According to a report conducted by CNBC, student debt greatly affects black borrowers. The report also found that that 66% of Black borrowers regret having applied for a student loan. To reduce college debt burden among Black students, the College Thriver Education app also offers a debit card rebate program that rewards students with financial savings throughout their college journey. Ultimately, this will help eliminate college debt and reduce long-term stress for students after graduation.

College Thriver Education was founded in 2020 by Shawntia Lee, and offers a range of services including Higher Education Consulting, Internship Placement, Enrollment Management, ACT/Sat Prep, and more. When asked about the motivation for creating the app, she explained: “I became tired of the systemic injustice that is created in higher education for students of color; so I created the app to close the equity gap and offer equality to higher education for all despite their socioeconomic status in life.”

The College Thriver app is available for free download in the Apple and Google app stores.

For more information about the app or the organization behind the app, visit College-Thriver.org.

This story first appeared on Blacknews.com.