southern association for college admission counseling

What southern association for college admission counseling does

SACAC is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1966 and chartered as an affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). It serves 2,800+ individual members — high school counselors, college and university admission professionals, independent educational consultants, and community-based organization staff — across nine southeastern U.S. states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee) plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. SACAC also provides 650+ Free Access Memberships at no cost to qualifying public school counselors and CBO staff. Described as one of the most active of 23 NACAC affiliates, SACAC's core product surface comprises the Annual Conference, Summer Seminar, Dry Run, Sweet Tea Tour, Drive-in Workshops, College Admission Workshops, Legislative Days, and National College Fairs, alongside ongoing programs such as Webinars, Mentorship, Special Interest Groups, Virtual Book Clubs, SACAC Leads, and the InfoHub member portal.

The association operates with a volunteer-driven governance model (Board of Directors, President, President-elect, Past President, Treasurer, and ten functional committees) and a lean administrative footprint anchored by an Executive Assistant. SACAC does not operate proprietary technology; its stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS tools: GrowthZone for website/content management and the member portal, Zoom for webinars, Google Forms for grant/award applications, StriveScan for conference badge scanning, Guidebook for event mobile guides, and Canva for design. It holds NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider status (ACEP No. 6805).

SACAC's revenue model is diversified across individual membership dues ($45/year for 2025-2026, rising to $60 for 2026-2027), event registration fees (Annual Conference $350-$475, Summer Seminar $600-$675, Sweet Tea Tour $650-$925, Dry Run $600-$675), multi-tier sponsorships (Bronze $500 to Premier $5,000+), exhibitor fees ($850-$999 per booth), and donations to two reimbursement-based grant programs (SACAC Participation Fund and Extending the Dream Grant, up to $1,500 per project). Membership is individual rather than institutional, and members self-select via an online application through the members.sacac.org portal. Marketing channels include the Southern Scope Blog, email ("What's Coming Wednesday"), Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn, in-person events, and word-of-mouth referrals.

Name

southern association for college admission counseling

Legal name

Southern Association for College Admission Counseling

Website

https://sacac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SACAC is a 1966-founded nonprofit professional association and NACAC affiliate serving 2,800+ college admission counselors and college admission professionals across nine southeastern states plus the Caribbean through conferences, workshops, mentorship, grants, and equity-focused programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• College admission counseling
• Professional membership association
• Continuing education programs
• College access initiatives
• Admission counseling training

Headquarters

HQ city

Van Alstyne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: SACAC generates revenue primarily through individual membership dues. The membership fee is $45 per person for the 2025-2026 membership year (annual, September 1 – August 31). Membership is individual rather than institutional. The membership year runs September 1 – August 31 though memberships may be joined at any time. Memberships completed or renewed after July 15 will expire the following calendar year. Annual membership dues will increase to $60 per person for the 2026-2027 membership year.
2. Annual Conference Registration: The annual conference is the association's largest professional development event, generating registration revenue. 2027 registration rates are $350 early bird member / $425 early bird non-member (through Feb 28); $400 regular member / $475 regular non-member (March 1-22). Exhibitor registration is $850-$999 for a 6-foot table plus attendee registration. Colleges/universities pay an additional $150 for Networking College Fair table.
3. SACAC Participation Fund Grants: The SPF provides financial assistance to members with limited resources to attend professional development events. While grants are awarded, the program is funded through donations and is a reimbursement-based grant program. SPC is funded by member donations and used to offset member participation costs at events.
4. Summer Seminar, Sweet Tea Tour, Dry Run Registration: Professional development programs including Summer Seminar (2025: $600 member / $675 non-member), Sweet Tea Tour (2026: $650-$850 depending on occupancy), and Dry Run workshop ($600 member / $675 non-member) generate registration revenue.
5. Sponsorships and Exhibitor Fees: The Advancement Committee seeks corporate sponsorships for specific SACAC programs including Summer Seminar, Dry Run, Drive-in Workshops, Annual Conference, and College Admission Workshops. Sponsorship tiers range from Bronze ($500) to Premier ($5,000) and above. Exhibitor fees for the annual conference are $850-$999 per booth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SACAC is a nonprofit professional membership association that provides individual membership, professional development programming, networking events, grants, and college access workshops to college admission counseling professionals across the Southeast United States and Caribbean. Its core offerings are individual annual memberships, the Annual Conference, Summer Seminar, Dry Run, Drive-in Workshops, Sweet Tea Tour, webinars, and member resources such as the InfoHub, Mentorship Program, Special Interest Groups, and SACAC Leads leadership development.

Product overview

SACAC is a professional association providing a comprehensive portfolio of professional development and member services for college admission counseling professionals. The core offerings include major annual events (Annual Conference, Summer Seminar, Dry Run, Drive-in Workshops, Sweet Tea Tour), ongoing programming (Webinars, Legislative Days, State Meetings, College Admission Workshops, National College Fairs), and member resources (Mentorship, Virtual Book Clubs, Special Interest Groups, SACAC Leads leadership program, InfoHub, Southern Scope Blog, Job Listings). Financial support programs include the SACAC Participation Fund (grants for professional development attendance) and Extending the Dream Grant (community project funding up to $1500). The association also offers Free Access Membership for public school and CBO counselors, and provides NBCC-approved continuing education credits through its programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• SACAC serves 2,800+ members and over 650 Free Access Members, making it one of the largest of 23 NACAC affiliates.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered premier sponsor, diamond plus sponsor, diamond sponsor, platinum sponsor, gold sponsor, core, minor, program sponsor and institutional partner.

• StriveScanpremier sponsorTechnology or IntegrationStriveScan is the premier sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference, providing contact scanning technology that enables exhibitors to scan attendee name badges and collect information for follow-up. The service includes unlimited scans, multiple representatives/devices, and data export to spreadsheets.
• Classic Learning Testdiamond plus sponsorTechnology or IntegrationClassic Learning Test (CLT) sponsors the SACAC Annual Conference as a Diamond Plus sponsor. CLT provides alternative standardized testing solutions.
• College Boarddiamond sponsorTechnology or IntegrationCollege Board sponsors the SACAC Annual Conference as a Diamond sponsor, providing college readiness assessments including the SAT and AP programs.
• Loyola University New Orleansdiamond sponsorTechnology or IntegrationLoyola University New Orleans is a Diamond sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference.
• Xavier University of Louisianadiamond sponsorTechnology or IntegrationXavier University of Louisiana is a Diamond sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference.
• Salesforceplatinum sponsorTechnology or IntegrationSalesforce is a Platinum sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference. Projectors in all presentation rooms are provided thanks to Salesforce sponsorship.
• College Funding Coachplatinum sponsorTechnology or IntegrationCollege Funding Coach is a Platinum sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference, providing college funding guidance services.
• Guidebookplatinum sponsorTechnology or IntegrationGuidebook is a Platinum sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference, providing mobile event guide technology.
• Zee Meeplatinum sponsorTechnology or IntegrationZee Mee is a Platinum sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference, providing video-based networking or engagement technology.
• Encouragold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerEncoura is a Gold sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference, providing enrollment management and educational research services.
• National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSACAC is a chartered affiliate of NACAC, founded in 1966. As an affiliate, SACAC follows NACAC's national perspective on policy priorities and its pillars for advocacy. Each state affiliate has an Admission Practices Committee whose purpose is to educate membership about NACAC's Guide to Ethical Practices in College Admission. The Government Relations Committee monitors issues at state and national levels and follows NACAC's national perspective.
• Helms BriscoeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSACAC works with Helms Briscoe on meeting procurement and site selection for the Annual Conference. Helms Briscoe assists with identifying and contracting host hotels and venues.
• Verto Educationprogram sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerto Education is the 2026 sponsor of Summer Seminar, providing cross-cultural education programs for students.
• Collegiate Admission and Retention Solutionsinstitutional partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCollegiate Admission and Retention Solutions is an Institutional Partner sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference, supporting student retention and enrollment solutions.
• University of Tennessee Knoxville (UT Knoxville)institutional partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerUT Knoxville is an Institutional Partner sponsor of the SACAC Annual Conference.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC): The national parent organization of which SACAC is a chartered affiliate. NACAC sets the ethical standards, policy positions, and major programs (national college fairs) that SACAC and other affiliates follow, making it the closest comparable institution at a broader scope.
• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO): A larger, broader-scope professional association serving registrars and admissions officers at colleges and universities. Overlaps with SACAC's postsecondary audience but operates at a national scale with a wider portfolio including records, enrollment, and compliance functions.

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling (PACAC): A fellow NACAC-affiliated regional professional association serving Pennsylvania, with the same membership, conference, and professional development model as SACAC. Operates annual conference, Drive-in equivalent programming, and advocacy infrastructure for secondary and postsecondary counselors.
• Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC): A NACAC regional affiliate covering the DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia region. Runs a comparable portfolio of membership, conference, Drive-in-style workshops, and college fair programming for college admission counseling professionals.
• Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC): A NACAC regional affiliate serving Illinois, structured around the same individual-membership, conference-and-professional-development model as SACAC. Provides a directly comparable scale and program portfolio for benchmarking.
• New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC): A NACAC regional affiliate serving New York State, with comparable membership-based professional development and conference programming for secondary and postsecondary counseling professionals.
• Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC): A NACAC regional affiliate serving Michigan. Operates annual conference, membership, mentorship, and college fair programming structurally identical to SACAC's, including equity and access programming.
• Rocky Mountain Association for College Admission Counseling (RMACAC): A NACAC regional affiliate serving the Rocky Mountain region (CO, WY, NM area), with the same individual-membership, professional-development, and conference format used by SACAC.
• Texas Association for College Admission Counseling (TACAC): A NACAC regional affiliate serving Texas, with the largest regional footprint and a directly comparable membership, conference, and professional development model. SACAC's own executive assistant previously served TACAC for a decade, underscoring operational similarity.

Emerging players

• Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA): A national professional association specifically for independent educational consultants (IECs), one of SACAC's secondary member segments. HECA's focus on the IEC niche overlaps with SACAC's IEC community within its broader secondary-and-postsecondary scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SACACInfo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southernacac
• Instagraminstagram.com/sacac

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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