MENTORING BOOST

The University of Memphis is offering scholarships to high school students who complete a mentoring program to help them through the application process.

Students who participate don’t have to attend the U of M, but if they do, they’ll receive $500 a semester for their first year.

The donor-funded program aims to enroll 30 students from Shelby County each year, with plans for growth, as long as resources continue to be available. The anonymous gift for the program was $50,000.

The Growing, Educating and Mentoring Students (GEMS) initiative is the latest example of a local college reaching into the lower education sector to increase college readiness in Shelby County.

“We just want to make sure we’re doing our part to make sure the students in Memphis are getting what they need to be successful at the next level,” GEMS coordinator Fredrika Cowley said.

The program launched as a pilot at Craigmont High last year.

Students will be enrolled in the program throughout their entire senior year, but the time commitment is only about eight hours a month, including some Saturdays, Cowley said.

The students will receive ACT tutoring to increase their scores so they won’t require remediation courses in college, which eat up tuition dollars without earning any credit. In Shelby County Schools in the 2016-17 school year, just 9.6 percent of students tested high enough on the ACT to avoid remedial classes in all four subjects.

Students in the program will also have the chance to attend U of M sporting events and will have seminars on topics like time management and financial aid.

A U of M faculty member will also teach a career skill-building course either at a high school or online. Students in the program will earn three hours of college credit for taking the course.

Any high school student in Shelby County can apply. Requirements include at least a 16 on the ACT, a recommendation from a teacher or administrator and a minimum cumulative 2.5 grade-point average.

The deadline to apply is Friday. Go to bit.ly/UofMGems to apply.

The University of Memphis is offering scholarships to high school students who go through a mentoring program.

MARK WEBER / THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL University of Memphis students and their parents wait for the elevator as they move into Centennial Place residence hall for the fall semester.