Overview

TERI's mission is to increase opportunity and access to higher education for all students. In addition to our loan guarantee programs, TERI supports national, regional, and local activities that assist individuals in obtaining information and guidance about higher education opportunities. TERI also works to improve the education system to increase access to higher education for all students.

Follow the link below to find out more about TERI's research and policy work.

Profile of TERI College Planning Services

In fulfilling its mission, TERI offers comprehensive programs for individuals and organizations, which provide information, guidance and practical help that help underserved individuals to achieve their college and other post-secondary educational goals. In addition to its advisory services and school-based programs, TERI leads research and policy development efforts locally and nationally, and also provides outreach services to nonprofits and businesses to provide information on college planning and financing. To learn more about TERI and its programs and services, click here.

Advisory Services

TERI advisors work with students and families at College Planning Centers and with schools to assist individuals in planning and paying for college. Beginning in sixth grade, advisors work one-on-one with students to develop study habits and to improve academic skills. In higher grades, students are given guidance on developing career paths and choosing the schools to which they will apply. Students are also given support throughout the admission and financial aid process.

College Planning Centers

At TERI College Planning Centers, located in Boston, Brockton, and Chelsea, Massachusetts, education advisors provide FREE, one-on-one guidance and resources to make planning and paying for college as simple as possible. Our advisors are fluent in many foreign languages, including Spanish, Chinese, and Russian.

Guidance available at the Centers includes:

  • Assistance identifying and applying for scholarships and completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Guidance on choosing prospective schools and help working through the entire application process
  • Help in choosing a major and understanding how to achieve career goals
  • Advice on debt management

Resources available at the Centers include:

  • State-of-the-art computers to locate sources of scholarships and other financial aid, research colleges and other career-building programs, and complete financial aid and admission applications
  • Guidebooks on local and national colleges
  • Books on test preparation, scholarship searching, and career planning
  • Information on General Educational Development (GED) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs and technical/vocational education opportunities

Within each of the Centers, TERI also manages Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC); federally funded TRIO Programs focused on providing low-income, first-generation students over the age of 18 with assistance in their pursuit of postsecondary education opportunities to help better position themselves in the job market.

School-Based Programs

TERI advisors work with students in the Boston and Brockton public schools to help them prepare to succeed in college and get ready for careers. These programs are geared specifically toward students who, without guidance and encouragement, are unlikely to enroll in college or other career-building education programs, but have the potential to succeed in higher education. Advisors work with students during and after school, offering tutoring and peer mentoring services, college visits, and career and college workshops.

In addition to working directly with students, TERI advisors encourage and assist families to actively participate in their child's education. Through school-based resource centers and workshops, TERI convenes and supports parent leadership groups that work with schools and community organizations to advocate for students' well-being.

COACH

The COACH Program helps 11th and 12th graders in the Boston Public Schools make informed decisions about their future. Undergraduate and graduate school "coaches" work directly in the classroom and provide individual support and assistance to all students as they develop their postsecondary plans.

Through a partnership with 38 colleges and universities in the Boston area, the COACH network offers a website which streamlines the application and fee-waiver process for the student and offers the opportunity to research local colleges, create a student profile made available to these colleges, and apply online using a single application.

GEAR UP

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) promotes changes in Boston's public schools to boost college awareness among students and parents and supports the professional development of teachers and school counselors. GEAR UP begins offering services during the seventh grade and follows students through high school.

Kids to College

Kids to College (K2C) pairs sixth-grade classrooms with colleges and universities in four Massachusetts cities (Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Lowell) for a six-week early awareness program. K2C teaches students about careers, the connection between careers and college preparation, courses for being college-ready, academic expectations in higher education, and college life.

Talent Search

Talent Search assists Boston middle and high school students who meet low-income guidelines, will be the first generation in their families to attend college students, and have the potential to succeed in college. Talent Search advisors work with students ages 11 to 18, encouraging them to complete high school and continue onto college and other postsecondary education programs.

Upward Bound

Upward Bound helps Brockton High School students prepare for college by offering instruction in math, science, literature, and composition. During the summer, students live in college dormitories, gaining a better understanding of the college atmosphere while participating in academics and other skill-building activities.

Outreach Program

TERI Outreach Programs provide college planning services to organizations, corporations, and nonprofit groups. Information sessions are conducted with groups of individuals served by the organization and with its employees. TERI works on site at organizations and college fairs, providing guidance on getting into and paying for college, as well as pursuing career-building opportunities.

Publications

TERI produces workbooks to help students and families prepare and pay for education. These workbooks include:

  • Get Ready for College - This is a college planning guide and workbook for students in grades 9 through 12.
    Download brochures:
  • Making College Affordable - This is a workbook on financial aid, loans, and scholarships for college-bound students and their families.
    Download brochures: