States simplify college search via Web

North Carolina's cfnc.org, which launched in 2000, has been credited with helping increase the state's college-enrollment rate from 57 percent to 68 percent of high school graduates.

"What we were trying to do is level the playing field," said Bobby Kanoy, senior associate vice president for academic and student affairs with the University of North Carolina system. "We had to get that information in the hands of students and parents who otherwise wouldn't have thought about going to college."

On the majority of the sites, students must register to get access to the features. Once they register, they have an account that they can monitor and update throughout high school, which makes applying for college as simple as a few clicks of the mouse. They can submit applications, letters of recommendation, transcripts and financial aid forms all electronically.

North Carolina, which spends about $1 million a year to maintain its site, has 1.3 million students and families registered for accounts. After the first year, the site had just 14,000 registered.

"It's very helpful," said 19-year-old Jessica Priddy of Eaton, N.C., who used cnfc.org to help determine that she wanted to attend the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where she is now a sophomore.

Kentucky launched its "Go Higher Kentucky" campaign in 2000, part of which is gohigherky.com, the state's college Web site. Since then, the number of high school students going on to college has grown from 55 percent to 62 percent.

"When we launched this, the idea of trying to market higher education was a strange bird," said Jim Applegate with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. "But today it's catching on. It's a result of the recognition that the success of states and the nation depend on an educated population."

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