Sep 20, 2016 07:42 AM EDT By Emily Marks, UniversityHerald Reporter

The U.S. Department of Education has continued its efforts to help students who are affected by recent school closures. A new online package of supports will be launched to help college students.

The Education Department's official website reported that the institution joined Beyond 12 and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) announced a new online package of supports to aid students who are affected by college closures. The resources will match students with counselors who are experienced with academic and financial aid who can provide guidance on how they can best continue their studies. The resources are available at NextStepsEdu.org.

"Here at the Department we won't stop working to ensure ITT students remain inspired to pursue the promise of a higher education," U.S. undersecretary of Education Ted Mitchell said. "I am grateful to the Beyond 12 and NASFAA teams for their leadership, creativity and commitment to aiding students affected by school closures."

Beyond 12's mission is to see all students earn their college degrees that will provide them with meaningful economic and personal prospects. It wants to increase the number of low-income, first-generation and historically under-represented college graduates.

The organization helps students with their higher education by tracking student progress as well as connecting them with resources and supports through customized, virtual coaching. It is currently tracking over 40,000 students and coaching about 2,000 students nationally.

"We stepped up because we saw an urgent need for the education community to rally around students caught in the demise of their school," Alexandra Bernadotte, CEO of Beyond 12, said. "We are proud of this initiative and pleased to share our experience to provide displaced students with the help they need to make informed decisions about their next educational steps."

The advisers are tasked to respond to student queries through email, phone and text message about academic, financial aid as well as federal loan discharge alternatives. All counselors will be pre-screened and trained before being matched with students.

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