Seeing Higher
The Challenge
Research has shown that one of the biggest obstacles for low-income students applying to a selective college is the college campus visit.
At Seeing Higher, we hope to change that.
79%
of students reported that they were more likely to apply to the college they visited with Seeing Higher funds
(excluding students who had applied before the visit)
COVID-19:
We are excited to announce the relaunch of in-person college visits beginning in January 2022! Please consider donating now to support these efforts.
What It Takes to Fund a Trip
Transportation
$1 or more / mile
Often adds up to $200+ for a rural high school visiting a distant college
72%
of students on Seeing High visits would be
first-generation college students
(as reported in the post-visit survey)
Who We Are
Seeing Higher was founded in 2018 with a mission to make college visits more accessible, particularly for students from low-income, rural, or first-generation backgrounds.
We recognize that a college visit is one of the most influential parts of the college process and that no student should be expected to make a college decision without having the opportunity to visit a campus.
Our hope is that students who participate in these college visits will gain additional knowledge about college opportunities and make more informed decisions about their future paths, including but not limited to college.
What We Do
We provide funds to college advisers to cover the direct costs of a field trip, including transportation, meals, substitute teacher fees, activities, and accommodations. We currently partner with the Duke College Advising Corps to support 16 college advisers serving low-income high schools in eight North Carolina counties:
Caswell, Durham, Johnston, Lee, Orange, Person, Sampson, and Wake.
Our typical grant range is $250 - $500. We specifically encourage:
1. Bringing more students on a college visit
2. Visiting a more distant college
3. Bringing younger students (9th and 10th grade)
4. Innovative and unique visits
April 2019
Bartlett Yancey High School visit to UNC Charlotte and Johnson C Smith
November 2019
Smithfield-Selma High School Students visit UNC Charlotte
285
students have completed a
Seeing Higher visit since 2018
Adviser Feedback
What's Next
We need your help.
Our immediate goals are to support our existing advisers and facilitate future college visits. To do so, we need your help raising awareness and funds so these students can attend college visits.
Over the next two years, we are expanding our network. If you or someone is interested in organizing a college visit with the help of Seeing Higher, please contact us.
