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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Chilton County Schools high school students and their parents will have the opportunity to hear from a variety of colleges and ask questions during Countdown to College on Aug. 28.

The event is a partnership with Potential Magazine designed to help parents and students see the importance of beginning to think about college early on.

“A lot of our parents and students have a lot of misinformation about applying for college, financial aid, the difference between a community college and a four-year university,” career coach Kim Benson said.

The event will be from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Chilton-Clanton campus of Jefferson State Community College.

Benson said a panel of representatives from Jefferson State Community College, Jacksonville State University, University of South Alabama, Auburn University at Montgomery and Troy University will give detailed information about the application process, financial aid and other college-related topics. There will also be opportunity for the audience to ask specific questions.

“My main goal is for them (students and parents) to see that they need to start planning early,” Benson said. ” A long time ago, you could wait until senior year to really start looking at college, but that’s not the case anymore. You really have to start planning, really in the eighth and ninth grade, thinking about what the student wants to do after high school and start thinking about classes that they will need to take before they get out of high school. That’s going to put them in a better position for what they want to take in college and start looking at colleges and financial aid.”

Because of the cost of college, Benson said families need to start thinking about how to pay for it, which may require taking the ACT more than once to get a qualifying score, well in advance.

Admission is free. Door prizes, including Starbucks and an electronic tablet, will be given away at the end of the event.