Educational Talent Search

Program Description:
The Educational Talent Search Program identifies disadvantaged young people who have the desire and the potential for success in post-secondary education. ETS encourages participants to continue and graduate from secondary schools or to return to high school if they have dropped out. The goal of ETS is to have participants enroll in some form of post-secondary education.

Participant Eligibility:
Students must be between the ages of 11 and 27 and have completed five years of elementary education.
In any given project, two-thirds (2/3) of the participants must be low-income persons who are also potential first generation college students.

Sponsoring Institutions:
Educational Talent Search Programs may be sponsored by institutions of higher education, public and private nonprofit agencies, and in exceptional cases, secondary schools.

Application/Funding Process:
Competitions for Educational Talent Search funding are held every four years. Second, third, and fourth year funding is based on approval of a non-competing continuation application. The grant competitions are held every five years.

Services Provided by Educational Talent Search
• Student academic, financial, and personal counseling
• Career exploration and aptitude assessments
• Assistance with the re-entry process to high school or college
• Information on post-secondary education
• Personal development workshops in areas such as test taking and study skills
• Assistance in completing college admissions testing, college admissions applications, and financial aid applications
• Personal growth activities focused on sixth, seventh, and eighth graders
• Tutoring sessions for students with academic need
• Parental involvement
• Mentoring
• Workshops for the families of participants