Frequently Asked Questions

YES-Appalachia is the fourth and newest branch of the national YES organization. The YES national headquarters are in Lennox, CA--the birthplace of the organization. The other three branches of YES are located in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. While all the other branches serve students from underserved urban communities, YES-Appalachia is the only branch that focuses on supporting rural students. We currently serve 75 students across the counties of Ashe and Watauga in Western North Carolina.

Like all YES branches, we are invested in leveling the educational field to ensure that all students have equal access to higher education. We do this by intentionally selecting high-achieving, low-income students who are motivated to take advantage of all educational and personal growth opportunities that they are offered through YES. The majority of YES scholars are first-generation college students, historically underrepresented in higher education institutions, and qualify for free or reduced lunch.

There is an abundance of scholarly research that discusses the impact that a students’ socioeconomic status can have on their educational journey, beginning in elementary school. For example, low-income and minority students continue to be less likely to be identified as “gifted.” Low-income students are also less likely to enroll in college compared to their middle and high-income counterparts. Moreover, a large percentage of low-income students who do pursue a post-secondary education are undermatched, and they are more likely to not graduate from college.

As a non-profit organization dedicated to educational equity, YES-Appalachia prioritizes the recruitment of students with demonstrated financial need in order to address the systemic barriers that might prevent them from achieving their educational and career goals, which is why we request families’ tax information. With the national average of people living below the poverty line being 13.1%, it is imperative that YES-Appalachia remains committed to serving students who are motivated to pursue higher education but who may not have the experience, resources, support, and finances to achieve their goals, because both counties of Watauga and Ashe have higher percentages of poverty than the national average.

Our commitment to serving low-income students does not mean that we have an income cut-off on eligibility for YES-Appalachia. We understand that there are extenuating circumstances and life stories that may not necessarily be reflected on a family’s tax return transcript. That is why we give all families the opportunity to share with us any information that they feel can give us a more holistic view of their current financial situation.

Finally, on a more practical level, we ask families for their tax documents because this is something that they will be asked to do when YES-App students apply for educational programs, such as Duke TIP, Johns Hopkins CTY, Vanderbilt’s PTY, NCSSM summer programs, and many others which YES scholars are encouraged to experience. We want to provide students and families with a glimpse of what will be expected of them when applying to educational opportunities, including their college applications. We believe that the more opportunities families have to practice completing financial aid applications and processes, the easier it will be when it is time for them to apply for financial aid as college students.

We value your family’s privacy, and we do not take lightly our responsibility of keeping your family’s information safe. The only individuals who review your family’s tax documents are YES-Appalachia staff. We do not store any digital or print versions of your family’s tax documents, EVER. After reviewing tax documents for student eligibility (as YES-App scholars or for financial aid for current YES scholars), we dispose of them in a safe manner. We are happy and grateful to be part of Appalachian State University, who offers confidential shredding and disposal services. This service allows YES-App to safely dispose any of our students’ confidential documents and information.