Coordinator Resources
New to administering the REACH Scholarship Program in your school district? Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we have you covered! Below is a Step-by-Step Guide to administering the REACH Program in your local school system. You will find links to REACH Coordinator Resources, such as:
Step 1: Complete ASSAF forms
Each Spring, you will begin focusing on the upcoming Fall semester selection process for new 8th grade students. Annual Student Selection Approval Forms (ASSAF) will be sent to each district to help project how many scholars will be funded and signed in the Fall term On August 31, REACH Georgia staff send out final invoices for your district’s proportionate share of local fundraising School Systems local proportionate share is due to be received by the REACH Georgia Foundation by October 31 For any questions about the fundraising process, please contact us at REACH@gsfc.org
Step 2: Student Application & Eligibility
Eligible candidates include: 1. U.S. Citizens or eligible non-citizens 2. Must be an 8th grader upon final selection 3. Student must demonstrate good behavior, attendance, and the potential to graduate high school with at least a 2.5+ HOPE calculated GPA 4. Must demonstrate and prove financial need by one of the following methods: - SNAP or TANF Eligible - Foster or Homeless Youth - Live in a low-income household as defined by the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines (2023-2024) Your ASSAF will serve as a guide for how many eligible Scholar candidates you will need to interview in order to determine your final selection of Scholars
Step 3: Scholar Selection Committee
We recommend your committee consist of business and community leaders within your district as opposed to members of your school system. This third-party committee can help ensure additional donation and mentoring opportunities going forward Three or five selection committee members is ideal Select the eligible student candidates that you would like to interview for final scholar selection. You can use our “Scholar Selection Committee Grading Rubric” to assist with the interview process
Step 4: Finalizing Scholar Selections
Your scholar selection interview process should be completed in September/October Then you must then enter your final selections’ information into the STARS Data Portal at GAfutures.org by October 31st Until those selections have been approved by GSFC, you may not notify or announce those selections to the students, parents, or community
Step 5: GAFutures & GSFC Review of Selection Eligibility
Create your GAFUTURES Account by visiting GAfutures.org. Please refer to the Guide to GAfutures and STARS DATA Portal After your account is created, please contact us at REACH@gsfc.org so that we can grant you access to the REACH functions in STARS Enter your new 8th Grade Scholar selections into STARS according to the high school they are likely to attend Once all new 8th grade students have been submitted, please email REACH@gsfc.org to inform REACH staff that this step is complete REACH Staff will review the information and contact you to grant final approval of their eligibility Selections are not to be announced or officially signed as REACH Scholars until their eligibility has been given final approval by GSFC
Step 6: Signing Ceremony
Once your funds have been remitted and your scholar selections are approved by GSFC, you may announce your selections to the community Signing Ceremonies should be completed by the end of the 8th graders Fall term. Most will be conducted in November and December The student scholar selections, their parents/guardians, and the Superintendent must sign the Scholar Commitment Form at the Signing Ceremony. Scan the signed forms and email them to REACH@gsfc.org as soon as your ceremony has commenced Students are not officially considered a REACH Scholar recipient until those forms are returned and our GSFC President has completed their signature at the bottom of the 2nd page
Step 7: Mentoring and Academic Coaching
Academic Coaches must meet with REACH students at least 4 times a semester Mentors must meet with REACH students at least 8 times a semester It is required that each district track the academic, behavior, and attendance progress of REACH scholars, along with their mentoring and academic sessions, according to the REACH Guide for GAfutures and the STARS Data Portal
Scholar Tracking and Progress Reports
Fall term progress reports must be completed by February 15th Spring term reports must be completed by June 30th 8th grade student GPAs can be manually typed into the required field 9th through 12th grade students must have their HOPE GPA auto-populated according to transcript uploads to STARS and successful HOPE GPA calculations Progress reports and transcript uploads are required by program regulations and state law: Guide to GAFutures and STARS DATA Portal
Scholar Transfer and Exit Forms
If a student transfer from one school district in Georgia to another school in the state of Georgia, you must fill out and submit a Scholar Transfer Form. We will review the information and discuss next steps afterward If a student transfers out of state or needs to be exited from the program for failing to meet REACH requirements, you must fill out and submit a Scholar Exit Form. We will review the information and discuss next steps afterward