The rising cost of tuition makes it difficult for some students planning for college, and with entrance exams and ACT requirements changing, one organization is hoping to make getting into college a little easier.

The United Way of Selma-Dallas County presented Leadership Selma-Dallas County with a  $3,000 donation Monday to help 117 area students take ACT preparation classes.

ACT testing will take place Oct. 22.

As the winning grantee of the United Way award, Selma Youth Leadership gives area high school students the opportunity to make self-improvements and participate in community service projects. Offering such courses in job interviewing skills and money management, the organization will now hold ACT practice sessions in math, reading, language and science, beginning Aug. 30 through Oct. 6.

“For many years we’ve been looking for ways to help the community program, we feel education is very important, also for economic development,” said executive director of United Way Selma-Dallas County Jeff Cothran. “If we can work to increase scholastic achievement through the ACT, we think it would build up the community.”

Preparing Selma youth to make the best ACT scores possible, Cothran said, will result in more scholarships for youth and will make them more competitive in the job market.

“If a kid can get ACT scores of 24 to 28, it can help them out a lot,” Cothran said. “We need to have kids in the pipeline who can qualify and go into college. Kids need to take advantage of every opportunity; If we can show this is a good enough program, maybe the county and the Selma City school boards can see the impact made and we can add more people.”

With headquarters housed inside the Selma-Dallas County Centre for Commerce, the Selma Youth Leadership program is a program targeting children from area high schools to engage in self-improvement and community service projects.

Executive director of Leadership Selma-Dallas County Carolyn Powell, said ACT Project, is a partnership between United Way, Wallace and the leadership program to help children improve ACT scores, get into colleges and qualify for scholarships.

“It will take parent support and child commitment,” Powell said. “It (testing) takes practice … there are things we can help them (students) with.”

Cothran said he hopes the program is a success. He also hopes to have more community grants in the future.

“We’ll see if it works,” Cothran said. “It will be a great educational system where other civic programs can hopefully be a part of.”

The project will cost $55 per person and is open to the community on a first-come, first serve basis. Interested persons must register by Aug. 22. A mandatory parent information meeting will be held Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m. inside the Hank Sanders Technology Building at Wallace Community College. ACT prep will take place on Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. at Hank Sanders Technology building. No registration will be allowed at the door. ACT testing will be held Oct. 22. For more information call 876-4379 or 875-8365.

The rising cost of tuition makes it difficult for some students planning for college, and with entrance exams and ACT requirements changing, one organization is hoping to make getting into college a little easier.

The United Way of Selma-Dallas County presented Leadership Selma-Dallas County with a $3,000 donation Monday to help 117 area students take ACT preparation classes.