The Tulare County Office of Education is hoping to inform more students and parents that pursuing a college education is a financial possibility. Currently only 44-percent of high school graduates in Tulare County continue on to complete a 4-year degree.
As Visalia's College Of The Sequoias campus continues to fill up with students, local education officials say there still aren't enough students getting a college degree after high school.
"Our students think sometimes they feel like there's just no hope, but it's not that there's no jobs, it's that we need to build the professional capacity for those jobs," said Beth Olshewsky with the Tulare County Office Of Education.
Olshewsky is chair of the annual Tulare County Office Of Education "College Night." More than 92 vocational schools and universities will be represented at the event which aims to encourage students to pursue a college education -- even if they don't think they can afford it.
College Night will also feature seminars on financial aid, plus academic and athletic scholarships that can help pay for school.
"College night is really to answer that lack of info they have from not having a state school locally from not having as many colleges represented within our county and we really want to address some of the difficulties that tour students have."
Olshewsky hopes the students get the information they need to make better decisions about their future.
College Night is being held Tuesday night September 13th from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Visalia Convention Center located on Acequia Avenue near Bridge Street.
Wednesday night, September 14th, a College Night event will be held in Fresno at the Fresno Convention Center Exhibit Hall from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
