Over 270 students from across the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District including Cook Inlet Academy and IDEA attended the 7th Annual College Fair held at the Soldotna High School gymnasium this year. 52 booths that included a one stop scholarship shop to assist parents and students to financially succeed with future and college opportunities was available from 10:00am – 1:00pm. Students and parents were also able to learn more about loans, state and federal financial aid programs at the Financial Aid booth.

Colleges from across the country and as far away as Hawaii were on hand to recruit Alaskan students. “At the university and college level there’s a lot of competition for students. But these schools coordinate their travel, they don’t travel all this way just for one college fair, they will be going to other districts in the state in conjunction with our fair,” explained KPBSD director of elementary and secondary education John Pothast. According to Pothast as the graduation percentage has risen so has interest in higher education that is more job ready training, “The opportunity and options are far greater than ever and kids today are far more savvy consumers than in the past when just going to college to get a degree seemed mandatory for success. The kids are looking at what they want to do with their lives and what are the avenues they need to take to get there. It may mean a local community college for a few years or a trade school or military. Kids have a lot of choices these days and that’s why the college fair is such a great environment that allows kids and their parents to have those conversations with the professionals here and talk about they have to offer for what the student wants to do in their future. That information prepares them to make a better decision. The recruiters are great at their jobs and sell their schools more and more students decide to stay in Alaska after considering their options,” said Pothast. The college fair has become a signature of the KPBSD to give the kids choices and information to make the best decisions possible as they prepare to graduate from high school and continue their lifetime learning experience.