(a) Provide mentoring and resources to help students access education and training beyond high school;

(b) Help Oregon schools build a sustainable community of volunteer mentors; and

(c) Educate students and families about the scholarship application process and other options for paying for post-secondary education.

(2) The programs shall bring together students, school staff, community volunteers and parents to help students overcome obstacles to their continuing education. The programs may provide training, technical assistance and other resources to Oregon middle schools, high schools and colleges on how to establish a volunteer-based program. Adult volunteers who are trained through the program may provide mentoring, training and encouragement to students about post-secondary options and financial aid.

(3) Each year, the programs shall provide financial aid instruction to middle school, high school and college students and make the instruction available to the students’ families. The instruction should focus on areas of academic interest or career opportunities identified as particularly relevant to the students and provide information on apprenticeships or technical and occupational career pathways, with a focus on local apprenticeships or local technical and occupational career pathways.

(4) The financial aid instruction required under subsection (3) of this section must outline:

(a) The different types of student loans that are available to students attending post-secondary institutions of education;

(b) The potential use of individual development accounts established under ORS 458.675 to 458.700 to pay for post-secondary education; and

(c) The short-term and long-term economic impacts of each type of student loan or individual development account. [2007 c.293 §2; 2011 c.637 §169; 2013 c.747 §112; 2015 c.253 §1; 2017 c.66 §6]