This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org.

Find a Mentor

A huge part of creating this support network is the act of finding a mentor. Mentors are adults who can guide you with wisdom and understanding. You could have one or many mentors.

To find one, look at the activities you do in school, through a religious organization, within your community, through an internship, on a sports team, etc. Is there an adult in one of these organizations—a coach, a teacher, a student adviser, a priest or imam, or a community member—with whom you feel connected? Someone you feel you could talk to in a pinch and count on receiving good advice? Someone whose academic or professional paths you admire?

Seek out this person, and let her know that you are interested in going to college; ask if it would be possible for you to ask her questions from time to time, or to go to her for help with certain tasks.  For the most part, people are honored to be asked for help and will be eager to assist an ambitious young person whenever possible.“Mentors are adults who can guide you with wisdom and understanding.”

Work With Your Mentor

It’s important to keep in mind what a mentor can and cannot do for you. For instance, a mentor cannot give you the answers to your homework, give you money (unless you have a job working for this person), or write your college essays for you.

Though a mentor can help you study for tests, apply for scholarships, and edit your essays, ultimately your work—and this process as a whole—must be your own. Your mentor’s job is to help you make yourself the best young adult you can be.

Get School Support

You also should seek help from the guidance counselor at your school. In most high schools, you will be assigned a counselor who will help you through the process of accumulating credits and applying to colleges. Make sure your counselor knows who you are! Go in to ask questions, do not skip meetings, and keep your counselor aware of your plans so that he can help with each step.

If you find that your guidance counselor is unhelpful or discouraging, find out if there is another counselor to whom you can speak, or talk to a trusted teacher or another faculty member and explain your concerns. School staff and community members are eager to support you; they’re just waiting for you to ask.

Find a College Access Program

You also can seek out support from various national and local college access organizations and programs. These organizations provide services such as college admissions advise, financial aid advice (helping you apply for the FAFSA or for scholarships), mentoring, internships, and even support once you are in college. There may be a reputable college access program in your town.

To locate a college access program near you, browse our list of national, regional and state programs below. It’s not a complete list, but it will point you in the right direction.

National Support Programs

Ask your school guidance counselor if your school participates in any college access programs, like a TRIO program (Upward Bound, Talent Search, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program), GEAR UP, National College Advising Corp, College Summit or Project GRAD.

Call the Council for Opportunity in Education at (202) 347-7430 for help locating a TRIO program in your area.

The College Place http://www.ecmcfoundation.org/overview/College_Place.html

The MoveED Directory http://www.moveed.org/
Brand new & improved! A searchable and dynamic online database of college access programs serving students around the country.

Communities in Schools http://www.communitiesinschools.org/about/where/
Select your state to find a program near you.

College For Every Student http://www.collegefes.org/

QuestBridge http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/students-start-here

The Posse Foundation http://www.possefoundation.org/
Sites in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York and Washington, D.C.

Net Literacy http://www.NetLiteracy.org/

Financial Aid

College Goal Sunday http://www.collegegoalsundayusa.org/Pages/default.aspx
Search for a financial aid workshop location in your area.

Education Finance Council http://www.efc.org/

State Support Programs

Alabama

Blueprints College Access Initiative http://alabamapossible.org/blueprints/

Alaska

Success Center (Anchorage) http://acpe.alaska.gov/Contact_Us.aspx
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education http://acpe.alaska.gov/STUDENT-PARENT.aspx

Arkansas

University of Arkansas’ College Access Initiative http://diversity.uark.edu/71.php

California

The College Place http://www.ecmcfoundation.org/overview/College_Place.html
College Track (Los Angeles) http://www.wootencenter.org/schedule.html#CollegeTrack
First Graduate (San Francisco) http://firstgraduate.org/
Reality Changers (San Diego) http://realitychangers.org/
Cash for College Workshops http://www.calgrants.org/index.cfm?navId=16
Single Stop http://www.singlestopusa.org/

Connecticut

The College Place http://www.ecmcfoundation.org/overview/College_Place.html
Let’s Get Ready http://letsgetready.org/ProgramsList/

Colorado

College in Colorado https://secure.collegeincolorado.org/

Florida

Take Stock in Children http://www.takestockinchildren.org/index
uAspire http://www.uaspire.org/students
Single Stop http://www.singlestopusa.org/

Idaho

GEAR UP http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/gearup/students.htm
WIA Youth Program http://labor.idaho.gov/dnn/wia/CustomerServices/Youth/tabid/536/Default.aspx

Illinois

Illinois Student Assistance Commission http://www.isac.org/students/before-college/outreach-activitiesevent-calendar/
Center for Economic Progress http://www.economicprogress.org/clients/free-tax-help
Chicago Scholars http://www.chicagoscholars.org/programs/
After School Matters (Chicago) http://www.afterschoolmatters.org/teens
Horizons for Youth (Chicago) http://www.horizons-for-youth.org/
Alternative Schools Network Programs (Chicago) http://asnchicago.org/
BUILD (Chicago) http://www.buildchicago.org/
Chicago Lights http://www.chicagolights.org/about-us/
Youth Guidance (Chicago) http://www.youth-guidance.org/our-programs/

Indiana

Student Financial Aid http://www.in.gov/ssaci/index.htm
Center for Leadership Development (Central Indiana) http://www.cldinc.org/student-resources.asp
Learn More Indiana College Mentoring http://www.in.gov/learnmoreindiana/2430.htm
Trip to College http://www.triptocollege.org/
Homework Hotline for Math and Science http://www.askrose.org/students

Iowa

Iowa College Student Aid Commission http://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/
Iowa College Access Network http://www.icansucceed.org/

Kansas

Kauffman Scholars (Kansas City) http://www.kauffman.org/education/kauffman-scholars.aspx
The Kansas Board of Regents http://kansasregents.org/student_financial_aid

Louisiana

Single Stop http://www.singlestopusa.org/

Maine

Let’s Get Ready http://letsgetready.org/ProgramsList/

Maryland

Higher Achievement (5th-8th graders in Baltimore) http://www.higherachievement.org/index.php
Junior Achievement of Greater Washington http://www.myja.org/about/

Massachusetts

uAspire http://www.uaspire.org/students
Let’s Get Ready http://letsgetready.org/ProgramsList/
Single Stop http://www.singlestopusa.org/

Michigan

Michigan Student Aid http://www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid
Michigan College Access Portal https://www.michigancap.org/

Minnesota

Get Ready for College http://www.getreadyforcollege.org/grIndex.cfm
Minnesota College Goal (FAFSA workshops) http://minnesotacollegegoal.org/
Ready Set Go http://readysetgo.state.mn.us/RSG/Student/index.html
College Possible (Twin Cities) http://www.collegepossible.org/twincities

Missouri

Show Me to College http://masfap.org/showmetocollege/
Missouri Department of Higher Education http://www.dhe.mo.gov/
St. Louis Graduates http://stlouisgraduates.org/students-families
Kauffman Scholars (Kansas City) http://www.kauffman.org/education/kauffman-scholars.aspx

Nebraska

EducationQuest Foundation http://www.educationquest.org/about-us/
Career Connections http://www.nebraskacareerconnections.org
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education http://www.ccpe.state.ne.us/PublicDoc/Ccpe/studentsparents.asp
College Possible (Omaha) http://www.collegepossible.org/omaha

Nevada

GoToCollege Nevada Events http://www.gotocollegenevada.org/resources/calendar-of-events/

New Hampshire

Center for College Planning Events http://www.nhheaf.org/events.asp

New Jersey

New Jersey Needs You http://www.newjerseyneedsyou.org/
Let’s Get Ready http://letsgetready.org/ProgramsList/
Single Stop http://www.singlestopusa.org/

New Mexico

Single Stop http://www.singlestopusa.org/
GEAR UP New Mexico http://www.gearupnm.org/
Futures for Children (American Indian students) http://www.futuresforchildren.org/students/

New York

New York Needs You (New York City region) http://www.newyorkneedsyou.org/
Let’s Get Ready http://letsgetready.org/ProgramsList/
Single Stop http://www.singlestopusa.org/
Club Amigas/Mentoring Latinas (New York City) http://www.fordham.edu/campus_resources/student_services/special_programs/mentoring_latinas/index.asp

North Carolina

College Foundation of North Carolina http://www.cfnc.org/index.jsp

North Dakota

North Dakota University System http://www.ndus.nodak.edu/students/default.asp?ID=252

Ohio

Ohio Means Success http://www.ohiomeanssuccess.org/
College Now (Greater Cleveland) http://www.collegenowgc.org/about/who-we-help/
Esperanza (Hispanic students of Greater Cleveland) http://www.esperanzainc.org/index.php/programs/programs
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative (Cincinnati) http://www.cycyouth.org/
I Know I Can (Columbus) http://www.iknowican.org/advisors.aspx

Oklahoma

Oklahoma College Assistance Program http://www.ucango2.org/index.htm
OK College Start http://www.okcollegestart.org/home.aspx

Oregon

The College Place http://www.ecmcfoundation.org/overview/College_Place.html
NELA Center for Student Success http://www.nela.net/Centers/Pages/oregoncenter.aspx
ASPIRE http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/aspire-students-and-families.aspx
College Possible http://www.collegepossible.org/portland

Pennsylvania

Let’s Get Ready http://letsgetready.org/ProgramsList/
Higher Achievement (5th-8th graders in Pittsburgh) http://www.higherachievement.org/index.php

Texas

Generation Texas http://gentx.org/inyourcommunity/

Utah

Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority Events http://blog.uheaa.org/

Vermont

Vermont Student Assistance Corp. Workshops/Events http://vsac-web.ungerboeck.com/coe/coe_p1_all.aspx?oc=10&cc=STAND
VSAC Outreach Counselors http://services.vsac.org/wps/wcm/connect/vsac/vsac/plan+for+college/parents/high+school/vsac+-+plan+-+parents+-+high+school
College Pathways Events http://services.vsac.org/wps/wcm/connect/vsac/VSAC/General/Calendar+of+Events/College+Pathways/

Virginia

The College Place http://www.ecmcfoundation.org/overview/College_Place.html
GEAR UP Virginia http://www.schev.edu/GearUp/default.asp
Higher Achievement (5th-8th graders in Alexandria and Richmond) http://www.higherachievement.org/index.php
Junior Achievement of Greater Washington http://www.myja.org/about/

Washington

NELA Center for Student Success http://www.nela.net/centers/pages/washingtoncenter.aspx
College Success Foundation http://collegesuccessfoundation.org/Page.aspx?pid=380

Washington, DC

District of Columbia College Access Program http://www.dccap.org/
College Bound http://collegebound.publishpath.com/programs
Capital Partners for Education http://www.cpfe.org/students/the-cpe-experience/
College Success Foundation http://www.dccollegesuccessfoundation.org/page.aspx?pid=2516
Community Club http://www.communityclub.org/
For Love of Children http://www.floc.org/our-programs
Higher Achievement (5th-8th graders) http://www.higherachievement.org/index.php
Junior Achievement of Greater Washington http://www.myja.org/about/
Youth Leadership Foundation http://ylf-dc.org/?page_id=12
New Futures http://www.newfuturesdc.org/
College & Career Connections http://www.collegeandcareerconnections.org/

West Virginia

For Love of Children http://www.floc.org/our-programs

Wisconsin

Higher Educational Aids Board http://www.heab.state.wi.us/intro.html
College Possible (Milwaukee) http://www.collegepossible.org/milwaukee

Know of a program that should be on our list? Contact us to let us know.