www.KnowHow2GOIllinois.org

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www.KnowHow2GOIllinois.org
College Access Outreach
Reaching Latino Populations
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About ISAC

• Making college accessible and affordable for
  Illinois students.
• - Mission Statement
• The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is
  the financial aid agency in the state of
  Illinois. We are a mission-driven, non-profit,
  state agency that administers over 448 million
  in scholarships and grants.

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Session Overview

• What We Know
• What Works in Illinois
• Marketing and Outreach Strategies
• Event Planning
• Q A

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What we know

• Demographic Profile

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Hispanics make up the largest minority

• Younger
• Growing population
• 45 million people, 15 of the total population
• Largest source of growth is due to new births of
  second-generation Hispanics in the US
• Geographically concentrated
• Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, Houston

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What we know

• College Access Trends

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Trends in Illinois

• Among Latino students, the motivation for earning
  a college degree is deeply rooted in a desire to
  do better than the previous generation.
• There are significant differences between the
  barriers experienced by first- and
  second-generation students.
• College affordability is a top concern among
  parents and students.
• Finances are the driving force in college
  selection.
• Latino parents strongly support their childrens
  college aspirations but often lack the college
  knowledge to guide them.
• Lack of college-going experience contributes to
  insufficient participation in social networks
  along the P16 continuum.
• Not completing a FAFSA is a significant barrier.

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Pathway to College
In many instances, students are failing to
negotiate three sets of tasks

• Understanding the process
• Plan
• Find
• Apply
• Pay
• Succeed

• Finding the right college
• Person
• Program
• Place
• People
• Price

• Overcoming barriers
• Academic
• Social
• Financial

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What Works

• State of Illinois

Family involvement Grassroots efforts Partnership
s Easy-to-use resources
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Web Presence
PrintedBrochures
Walk-In Outreach Centers
Communication Centers
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Spanish Microsite
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Novelas Educativas TM

• Amor Escolar (5 minutes)
• (My Love for Education) depicts the
  communication between a mother and a daughter.
  The daughter is a first-generation college
  student taking classes at a community college who
  plans to transfer to a four-year college.
  Knowledge Gained Learn about the US higher
  education system and degree options.
•  No Nacimos Ricos (8 minutes)
• (We Were Not Born Rich) presents the
  misconceptions that often exist in the Latino
  community about college access and affordability.
  Knowledge Gained Learn about the availability of
  financial aid and the Free Application for
  Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
•  Full Time (4 minutes)
• A young, single mothers shares insight about
  opportunities and resources available to her as
  she balances college and work. Knowledge Gained
  Learn that it is possible to go to college, even
  when balancing family and work.
•  Hire Education (5 minutes)
• Shows a young Latino male being mentored on the
  long-term impact of a college education.
  Knowledge Gained Learn the value of a college
  degree.

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Professional Development for Partners

• Guide to Conduct a Financial Aid Presentation -
  in Spanish
• Just because I speak Spanish doesnt mean I
  speak Financial Aid.
• Designed for Spanish-speaking professionals
• Participant Kit
• FAFSA Made Easier
• FAFSA Expert Training
• Understanding Financial Aid Packaging
• New Concepts in Outreach

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Participant Kit

• Ready-to-Use Presentations
• Spanish/English
• Talking Points
• Narrated
• Printed Materials
• Novelas Educativas TM
• Spanish-English Glossary
• Recommended Research
• List of Agencies Serving Latinos in Illinois

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FAFSA Expert Guide

• FAFSA
• IRS Tax Forms
• McKenney-Vento Act
• 2009-10 EFC Formula
• Other Consumer Ed Information

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College Zone Outreach Centers

• The mission of community colleges includes a
  commitment to serve the community.
• Minimum Partnership Requirements
• Display a College Zone Outreach Center Sign
• Provide a computer with internet access
• Display and distribute ISAC materials
• Provide year-round FAFSA completion assistance
• Participate in ISAC-sponsored professional
  development and training sessions for college
  admission and financial aid counselors
• Outreach Activities
• Regional College Fairs, Financial Aid Awareness,
  FAFSA Completion Workshops, Professional
  Development Sessions, Community Based Access
  Programs

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Outreach PartnershipsChoose partners that have a
shared mission or audienceOutreach Models
Spectrum Vertical Team
OneOne Satellite
Academic
Social
Financial
Agency 1
Agency 2
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College Outreach Vertical Teams
Vertical Teams are groups of individuals that
come together to assist each other in the
promotion of a common goal.
Four Year College
Admission Counselor
Two Year College
Financial Aid Officer
Community-Based Organization
High School
Guidance Counselor
Middle School
Teacher
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Minimum Team Requirements

• 4 yr Member
• Serve as a resource on admission and transfer
  requirements for 2 yr member one presentation at
  2 yr college
• 2 yr Member
• Serve as a resource on financial aid to the HS
  member one financial aid presentation at high
  school
• HS Member
• Serve as resource on basic college entrance
  requirements for Middle School member one early
  awareness presentation at middle school
• Middle School
• One early awareness presentation for grade
  school students and parents

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ParentNET
Getting Parents Involved
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Job
Family
Friends
Church
P16
Parent Without College Experience
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Job
Family
Friends
Church
P16
ParentNET
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The Challenge

• Purpose
• Establish community networks of parents,
  educators, and outreach professionals who will
  support and mentor each other while promoting
  student access to postsecondary education.
• Expose parents to trusted sources of
  postsecondary information, services, resources,
  and to academic and social environments that lead
  to the enrollment and retention of students at
  institutions of higher learning.  
• Empower parents to undertake informed advisory
  and advocacy roles in supporting their children -
  our students- through the process of proactively
  planning for, applying to and financing a college
  education or training program.
• Sample Events
• Required
• Fall - Financial Aid Night Winter - FAFSA
  Completion Workshop and Spring - Consumer
  Economics of Higher Education
• Optional
• Fall - College Fair Winter - Tax Assistance
  Services and Spring - Campus Tours

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College Access Marketing

• Getting the Word Out

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What you can do with a ream of paper
OR...
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Buzz Marketing

• Word-of-mouth marketing
• the most efficient method
• highly effective
• low cost
• Buzz is the aggregate of all person-to-person
  communication about a particular product,
  service, or company at any point in time.
• Network Hubs
• Why we talk
• Examples
• eBay, Craigslist, PalmPilot, Hotmail, Google
• Buzz builds interest as well as trust and
  credibility

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Crafting Your Message

• Give clear instructions
• Get to the point
• Dont use slang
• Understand value messages
• Remove perceived barriers
• Financial
• Academic
• Social
• Students speak English parents may not

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Value Messages (examples)

• Urban marketing
• Be real. Avoid gimmicks
• Rural marketing
• Respect for the community
• Hispanic teens
• Close ties with family
• Youth in foster care
• Messages should not be specific to foster care
  youth

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Connecting with Latino Families

• At the core of the Latino culture is family.
• When they reach employment age, it is common to
  secure jobs that contribute to the earning power
  of the family
• College participation is either delayed or
  foregone altogether
• The immigration status of parents may result in a
  reluctance by the student to complete financial
  aid forms, particularly the FAFSA
• Familys reluctance to student leaving home
  influences college choice
• Latinas, typically stay close to home
• May opt out of a residential campus experience
• Latino youth dont think being Latino is about
  language it really is about culture and values.

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• The cost of a college education seems daunting
  and often perceived to be unaffordable
• Frame education in terms of long-term earning
  potential and expanded job opportunities, as well
  as an increased knowledge base.
• Clear up confusion about the financial aid
  application process and award letters
• Loan resistance results from not understanding
  the loan application process, promissory note,
  and deferment or loan repayment
• Familiarity and use of technology by parents
  varies
• Access and navigation may present varying levels
  of difficulty
• Parents respond more readily to written
  communication
• Latinos are heavy consumers of media
• Engage Hispanic-targeted media (they are eager
  for content and messages that will help them
  inform, inspire, and advance the communities they
  serve)

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Reaching Out

• Identify key influencers
• Engage Hispanic media sources
• Radio works
• Post flyers
• Post in the community
• restaurants, grocery stores, banks, bus stations
• Engage the proprietors
• English and Spanish (where applicable)

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Event Planning

• Things to Consider

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Involve Others

• Student focus groups and advisory groups
• Put together a committee
• Pick the right members
• Partners help cross promote and increase
  resources
• A one-stop event maximizes partners, audience,
  resources and impact

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Practical Logistics

• Choose a date that does not conflict with other
  events
• Evenings and weekends are inevitable
• More that one date may be needed
• Parents have other dependents (anticipate their
  attendance and give them something to do)
• Respect work schedules and late arrivals
• Parking can make or break attendance

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A Word About Branding

• You can brand an event, a partnership, a group,
  or an issue
• Brands and logos are used to quickly and
  repeatedly communicate a more complicated message
• Visual and name recognition is important
• A brand makes disparate events cohesive
• You dont have to loose member identity

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Branding (examples)

• College Awareness Preparation (CAP)
• Comprehensive college access efforts of ILASFAA,
  IACAC, and ISAC
• Statewide support with partners from all sectors
  of education in the State of Illinois
• College Goal Sunday (CGS) Illinois
• FAFSA workshops typically held a week or two
  after Super Bowl Sunday
• Nationwide volunteer program and is now active in
  several states
• Leadership funding from NASFAA and Lumina
  Foundation
• KnowHow2GoIllinois.org
• Early awareness message to increase college
  preparation
• National Partners Lumina foundation, American
  Council on Education, and Ad Council
• Local Partners ISAC, Illinois CAN, and Chicago
  Public Schools

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Recommendations

• There is no one size-fits-all approach.

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Recommendations

• Identify college access barriers and
  opportunities that are specific to your Latino
  community.
• Consider culture and family values.
• Pursue partnerships with those that share a
  common mission, audience, goal, or vision.
• Expand the familys social capital by
  establishing networks of students, parents,
  educators, and outreach professionals who will
  support and mentor each other.
• Develop strategies that allow schools and
  families to work together in efforts that promote
  college preparation in the middle school,
  intensify in high school, and carry over into
  college.

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Questions

• María Bucio
• Professional Development Specialist
• Illinois Student Assistance Commission
• mbucio_at_isac.org
• www.KnowHow2GOIllinois.org