Our Mission

Our Mission

The mission of the Missouri College Access Network (MOCAN) is to increase career and college awareness, preparation, access, and completion in Missouri, particularly for the underrepresented and underserved. We do this by:

• Advocating for public and institutional policies that promote postsecondary access and success.
• Coordinating statewide career preparation and college access and success activities for service providers.
• Leveraging and connecting providers, professionals, and other stakeholders to strengthen and grow programs and to eliminate service and equity gaps.
• Centralizing knowledge-sharing and technical training for career and college program providers.
• Identifying, summarizing, and actively sharing standardized data collection measures and relevant research regarding career preparation and college access and success.
• Fostering a collective voice to communicate postsecondary educational and training opportunities to all people in Missouri.

Vision and Values

At MOCAN we believe:

• Success in college and career begins in K-12, however, it can be achieved at any point.
• When we use the term “college”, we are referring to all postsecondary credentials beyond high school, including technical certificates and academic degrees.
• Postsecondary opportunities and attainment are a Public Good. In other words, these opportunities are critical to create a just and equitable society with a robust economy and healthy community.

Next Steps

To begin your journey, see our map of Resources By Region, where you can find financial aid information, grants, scholarships, internships, or career development options specific to your region of Missouri or statewide. After that, you may want to check out our Financial Resources page if you are a student, or our Training page if you are a professional.