Program aims to boost college grad numbers

Only 21 percent of Philadelphia residents hold college degrees, but a new program aims to help the city boost those numbers.

PhillyGoes2College, which opened its office in City Hall Room 115 (on the Market Street East side) yesterday, will provide students with advice on how to get into college and how to pay for it.

"Philadelphia's future depends on increasing the number of our citizens with college degrees," Mayor Nutter said in a news release. "We know that when we fail to help more people get to college, we fail to create the competitive workforce that's needed for our city and state."

The office - the first of its kind in a major U.S. city, according to Chief Education Officer Lori Shorr - is part of Nutter's goal of improving the educational attainment of city residents.

"Mayors are being leaders on this in other cities, but we're the first one that has an office that's sort of a one-stop office for college-going," Shorr said.

PhillyGoes2College is intended to help not only middle- and high-school students planning for college, but also "comebackers" - people who have completed some college but are short of earning a degree. Besides day-to-day advising, the office will join with local groups to hold workshops for students and families on topics including financial-aid applications and historically black colleges and universities.

A corresponding Web site, www.PhillyGoes2College.org, offers additional college and financial aid resources.

The office is open for appointments with advisers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-in hours are Monday from noon to 2 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 215- 686-0315.