Morgan County Workforce Development Resource Guide
North Alabama Center for Educational Excellence (NACEE) Mission: The Center’s mission is to alert the general public about the educational opportunities available to them, and to encourage individuals to aspire to a postsecondary education. NACEE is funded wholly by grants from the United States Department of Education and operates to cover 13 North Alabama counties. All services are provided free of charge. Website: http://www.nacee.net/ Contact Information: Mrs. Laquinn Richey (Decatur office) Laquinn.richey@aamu.edu Central office: Decatur office: U. S. Postal Building, Room 208 4900 Century Street, Suite B Decatur, AL 35601 Huntsville, AL 35816 Phone: 256.350.6478 Phone: 256.372.4600 Program/Services: • Educational Opportunity Center: The Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) provides counseling and information on college admissions to qualified adults who want to enter or continue a program of postsecondary education. An important objective of EOC is to counsel participants on financial aid options and to assist in the application process. The goal of EOC is to increase the number of adult participants who enroll in postsecondary education institutions. The overall mission of EOC is to serve 7,200 participants living in thirteen North Alabama counties by increasing the enrollment and retention of the target area’s low‐income, first‐generation adults in programs of postsecondary studies, and to improve the target area’s high school persistence and GED acquisition rate. Services offered through the EOC: ‐Financial Aid application assistance: Counselors are available to help those desiring to pursue a post‐secondary education with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This one application covers several grants offered by the Federal government, including but not limited to Pell, as well as grants offered by the state. Many colleges now require that the FAFSA application be completed before institutional scholarships will be awarded. ‐Assistance with college admissions applications and scholarship applications ‐ACT preparatory classes: Classes are offered in our Huntsville office for those wishing to improve their scores on ACT assessment. NACEE is an official ACT testing site and offers an ACT Preparation workshop before each test. NACEE affiliated students attend for free. There is a $100 fee for non‐affiliated students, which includes Instruction, a full ACT Practice Test, and a Workbook/Strategy Guide. The workshops are limited to the first 30 students. Morgan County Workforce Development Resource Guide
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Morgan County Workforce Development Resource Guide ‐GED preparatory classes: Offered to any individual 18 years or older. Also offered to those who are 16 or 17 years old with a notarized letter from their parent giving consent and an official letter of withdrawal from the last school they attended. ‐SAT preparatory testing site: for more information contact Kim Thomas‐Phillips at 256‐372‐4600 ‐Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHGE) preparatory classes: Offered to anyone needing extra study skills necessary to pass the AHGE. o
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Who Qualifies for these Services or Funds? Anyone in North Alabama who is a senior in high school or who is 19 years or older and is eligible to enroll in college.
Veteran’s Upward Bound (offered through the Huntsville office): The purpose of the Veterans Upward Bound Program (VUB) is to provide intensive basic skills development in those academic subjects required for successful completion of a high school equivalency program and for admission to postsecondary education programs. The program will also provide short‐term remedial or refresher courses for veterans who are high school graduates, but who have delayed pursuing postsecondary education. Finally, the program will assist veterans in securing support from available resources such as: the Veterans Administration, State veterans associations, and various state and local agencies that serve veterans. The goal is to develop an individualized program that fulfills the academic and personal needs of each participant. Services include academic, career, and personal counseling, tutoring, short‐term remedial courses, financial aid assistance, and field trips. o
Who Qualifies for these Services or Funds? Veterans interested in the program must: 1) Be honorably discharged and have served more than 180 days of active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, OR a veteran discharged or released from active duty because of a service‐connected disability. 2) Be low‐income AND/OR first‐generation (neither parent earned a degree from a four‐year college or university.) For more information about Veteran’s Upward Bound, contact Mr. Cornelius Howard at 256‐372‐4600.
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