Title: College Access Initiative
1College Access Initiative
Session 8
- Tim Fitzgibbon
- National Council of Higher Education Loan
Programs (NCHELP) -
- La Toya Sykes
- Brian McGill
- College Access Initiative Work Group
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2College Access Initiative
- Deficit Reduction Act of 2005
- Each guaranty agency shall promote access to
postsecondary education by - Providing a comprehensive listing of
postsecondary education opportunities, programs,
publications and other services available in
their designated state - Publicizing information for students and
traditionally underrepresented populations on
college planning, career preparation, and paying
for college
3Background
- The 35 guaranty agencies
- State and non-profit entities
- Administer the Federal Family Education Loan
(FFEL) Program - Inform students and parents of educational and
financial aid opportunities - Provide an extensive range of services and
programs that increase awareness of - Importance of higher education
- Opportunities Available
- Financial support
4Guaranty Agencies Promote Access
- Guaranty agencies
- Reach out to millions of students and families to
inform them about how to - Prepare for college
- Plan for their career
- Pay for their postsecondary education
- Manage their finances
- Work with partners to identify schools and
communities with low college-going rates and
target specialized services and scholarships to
improve those rates
5Guaranty Agencies Promote Access
- Last year, guaranty agencies
- Provided more than six million pieces of college
awareness, financial aid and financial literacy
materials - Participated in more than 8,400 financial aid
workshops and events that reached more than
900,000 students and families and more than 7,800
school guidance counselors - 17 agencies actively participate in College Goal
Sunday - 12 agencies operate or support college resource
centers - 7 agencies involved in federal TRIO programs
- 14 agencies directly involved in a state GEAR UP
Program
6Examples of Access Programs
- Im Going To College early awareness program
- Fifth and sixth grade students from schools with
large low-income populations -
- One month learning about college culminating in a
day on a college campus, including interaction
with students and professors -
- Reached 4000 thousand students in four states in
FY 2005
7Examples of Access Programs
- Trailblazer Program
- Comprehensive three-day training workshop
presented on a college campus by guaranty agency
staff and other financial aid professionals - Educate about the college admissions process and
financial aid - One high school junior is nominated by each
public and non-public high school in the state - Each Trailblazer shares knowledge of financial
aid procedures with peers throughout their senior
year of high school
8Examples of Access Programs
- Program for High Schools with a large number of
low-income students - Identify those who would most benefit from
additional tutoring and grant incentives - Schools selection committee focuses on students
with potential who may not have sufficient
motivation or resources to pursue postsecondary
education - Up to 100 students a year are eligible to earn
6,000 each in scholarships for their
postsecondary education
9Examples of Access Programs
- Guaranty agencies partner with a range of
organizations (TRIO, GEAR UP, College Goal
Sunday, Schools, Community Organizations,
Libraries, State Agencies, Churches, YMCAs) to - Leverage services
- Reach more schools, students and families
10Examples of Access Programs
- ExampleTax Assistance Program (TAP) is provided
by a non-profit organization - Guaranty agency provides intensive training for
1600 TAP tax assistance volunteers - Volunteers can also assist with FAFSA completion
questions - In 2005, TAP volunteers helped more than 1,100
individuals complete a FAFSA. - Average TAP client is a single mother with an
annual income below 15,000
11Financial Literacy
- Promote Financial Literacy Early in the Process
- Reach Parents Before They Become Parents
- Reach Students Before They Become Borrowers
- Stress Basic Money Management
- Promote Responsible Borrowing
- Ensure Understanding of Return on Investment
- Promote Choices That Recognize Wants vs. Needs
12College Access Initiative - Implementation
- NCHELPfacilitating a work group of guaranty
agency representativesCollege Access Initiative
Work Group - College Access Initiative Work Group
- Chaired by Steven Brooks, Executive Director of
the North Carolina State Education Assistance
Authority - Meeting regularly since February to develop
implementation plans to fulfill the Initiatives
two main requirements - Met with representatives from the Office of
Postsecondary Education and Federal Student Aid
to share ideas and receive feedback
13College Access Initiative - Mission
- Link students and families, especially those from
groups underrepresented in higher education, to
information and resources that enhance access to
college and other higher education programs - So they can learn about
- the college planning process, and
- the help available to succeed
- Promote the economic health and well-being of
states residents and communities
14College Access Initiative Promote Access
- College Access Initiative Work Group
- Sharing information and developing best practices
- Working with an advisory committee of college
access experts - Working with the access community to learn more
about existing programs and to increase awareness
about guaranty agency materials and programs - Developing resources and forums to help agencies
expand their outreach activities to reach a
broader number of students, families and
organizations
15College Access Initiative Comprehensive Listing
- College Access Initiative Work Group (continued)
- Creating a central location for students,
families and educators to visitso agencies can
display and promote a comprehensive listing of
the programs and services in their state - Reached out to Mapping Your Future, a
comprehensive college, financial aid and career
planning Web site, which is sponsored by guaranty
agencies, to develop a portalwith information
for each state
16College Access Initiative Comprehensive Listing
- Each agency has developed the state-based section
for their designated states in a Web site called
www.going2college.org
17Going2college.org Features
- Comprehensive information about
- career planning
- planning for postsecondary education
- finding a college
- paying for college
18Going2college.org Features
- Click on state for visitors to learn where to
- Get help in filling out a FAFSA
- Learn the types of federal and state scholarships
and grants available - Locate organizations and schools that offer early
awareness and intervention programs for students,
with a special emphasis on low-income and
first-generation college students
19Going2college.org Features
- Details on
- College resources centers in the state
- College information and financial aid awareness
events - Assistance provided to low-income, and
first-generation college students through
programs including Upward Bound, Talent Search,
GEAR UP and Project Grad - A central location for the extensive
postsecondary education resources offered at the
local, state and national level
20Going2college.org Features
- Links by each state to a list of the access and
outreach programs included in the National
College Access Program Directory, hosted by
Pathways to College Network and the National
College Access Network, that are available in
that state.
21Going2college.org Features
- Next Steps
- NCHELP and the work group are promoting the site
in conjunction with Federal Student Aid, schools,
education associations, state organizations and
access program providers - Help us get the word out!
22Utah - A States Perspective
College Access
- Brian McGill, M.Ed., LPC
- Manager of School Outreach Services
23Who is UHEAA?
- UHEAA exercises delegated responsibility for
oversight and - governance of the student Federal financial
aid programs - on behalf of the Utah State Board of Regents.
- UHEAA provided 25 million back to student
borrowers - in 2006 through incentives, benefits, grants,
scholarships. - UHEAAs cohort default rate is 2.7, which is
4th lowest - nationally. The national rate is close to 5.
- UHEAA encourages saving for college with our
- Utah Education Savings Plan (UESP).
- UHEAA receives no state appropriated funding.
24UHEAAs Outreach and College Access Programs
- Began in 2001-2002 with one staff member
- In 2006, through the HERA Mandate, now includes a
staff of five. - 3 Primary 2 Secondary
- Partner with statewide 9.6 million GEARUP
program. - Gaining Early Awareness Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs - Encompasses Four Utah Colleges and Universities
- Grades 7 12
- First Generational, Low Income, Ethnic Minority
Students - UtahMentor.org, Going2college.org,
StudentTracker, and support materials/resources.
25UHEAAs Outreach Access Mission
- is to provide access to college, and to
assist all students and parents with making
informed decisions about preparing,
participating, completing, and paying for Higher
Education in Utah.
26Access Support Resources
- UtahMentor.org / going2college.org Free premier
sites for college, career, and financial aid
planning. - StudentTracker (National Student Clearinghouse)
A utility to gather real-time factual data on
where students are enrolled, retained, and
graduated from post-secondary education
institutions. - Counselor Guidance Support Staff that provide
student and parent groups statewide, support
counselors role of required guidance curriculum,
support for the SEOP (Student Educational
Occupational Plan), statewide workshops, and
financial literacy. - Emphasis on Admissions FAFSA assistance
- Partner with Utahs Higher Education institutions
- Organizational Partnerships Educational Boards,
USCA, MESA, Communities, Mayoral Offices,
Chambers of Commerce, City Councils, etc - Literary Resources Planning for Life After High
School (Spanish), UtahMentor, Paying for College
Workbooks, HS Senior College Guide Book, FAFSA
publications. - ACT/SAT TestPrep Campaign of 2005 Provided
10,000 calculators and 2 pencils to high schools
across the state of Utah, in conjunction with the
Fall ACT Exam dates. - ACG Workshops Training for all Utah secondary
school counselors. - College/Financial Aid Nights Student Parent
workshops (Admissions FAFSA).
27UtahMentor.org Going2college.org
- Post-Secondary Planning Utilities
- Methodology Explore, Plan Prepare, Apply and
Pay for College - Supports the 7th through 12th grade preparation
plan in Utah - UtahMentor.org (state specific)
- Primary Interactive College Information Delivery
System - Enables user to save, store, update, add, delete,
individual college planning information
(ebackpack). - Going2college.org (national)
- State by state guide to resources, assistance,
and information, relating to post-secondary
planning. - Assists students with out of state college
planning information.
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31Paying for College
ACCESS
AFFORDABILITY
- Top two indicators, Fall 2006, Secretary of
Education, Margaret Spellings to Congress - Helping Students Overcome Barriers
- Educating Students about All College Options!
- Work (Full or Part Time), Grants, Scholarships,
Work-Study, and Student Loans
32Overcoming Access Barriers
- Serving Underserved Students
- -Lower Income, Rural, Ethnic Minority, First
Generational - Provide Expectations and Opportunities
- State Scholars Initiative
- Academic Rigor
- Alleviate Post-Secondary Remediation
- Understanding Cultural Differences
- Behavior, Language, Appearance, Sense of Identity
- REACH Training (Respecting Ethnic and Cultural
Heritage) - Eliminate Tracking for Failure
- Inadequate Academic Guidance
- -Large Counselor Ratios
- Tracking Post-Secondary Enrollment, Retention,
Graduation - Opening Pathways to College Access
- Setting High Expectations
Source National Association of Secondary School
Principles, Bill Melinda Gates Foundation
33Education and Training PayMedian Income by
Education Level
Institute for Higher Education Policy (2005) The
Investment Payoff, Appendix 1
34A Changing Workforce
- 90 of jobs providing a wage to sustain a family
of four typically require some combination of
vocational training and on-the-job experience or
an associates degree. - - ACT Ready for CollegeReady for Workforce
Training, May 2006.
35A Changing Workforce
- More than 2/3 of new jobs require some
postsecondary education
Source Carnevale, Anthony P., and Donna M
Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic
Roots of K-16 Reform, Educational Testing
Service, 2003.
36Lack of Preparation
- Many high school students are not preparing
themselves for college
Percent Ready
- The above chart demonstrates the percentage of
21,561 Utah high school students who took the ACT
in 2005-2006 and tested ready for their first
credit-bearing college-level course in three
areas. - In 2006, only 24 percent of these students tested
ready for college-level coursework in all three
areas (biology, algebra and English comp). - The number of these students who dont meet the
benchmarks increases between 10th and 12th grades
because they arent taking rigorous courses their
last two years of high school. (2006 ACT,
Measuring College Readiness.)
37Lack of Participation
- The chance of enrolling in college by age 19 has
declined by 11 compared with a national decline
of 2.
Measuring Up, 2006, Updated from original
Measuring Up Report Card
38Lack of Participation
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher
Education, Policy Alert Supplement Utahs
Educational Pipeline, April 2004
39Lack of Completion
- The percentage of the population holding
bachelors degrees changes across demographic
groups.
Utah Losing Ground in 2002Utah ranks 12th in the
nation in the 45-64 age group, but only 32st in
the nation for the 25-34 age group
- Source Utah Foundation, June 2004, Utahs Higher
Education Graduates
40Lack of Completion
Highest Level of Educational Attainment,Age 25,
by Race/Ethnicity
Source Bureau of the Census, 2000 (updated 2003)
41Percent of Adults with an Associates Degree or
Higher - 2003
42How are we measuring our program efforts?
- Anecdotal Feedback Surveys
- Students, Parents, Counselors, etc
- Site improvements based on feedback
- UtahMentor.org Usage Statistics
- New Milestone of 2.5 million hits in October
- Over 100,000 Student Accounts in four years of
operation - StudentTracker in all Utah High Schools
- Enrollment, retention, and graduation
- Aggregate vs. cohorts
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50Over 30 Million
51Recent Milestones
- Averaging over 1 Million hits since Oct. 05
- Over 100,000 Student Accounts Established
- Over 800,000 Individual User Sessions
- Over 30 Million Hits
- Over 13,000 Applications Processed
52Increase Participation
- Implement institutional goals of increasing
participation rates by 0.5 annually - This translates to 12,000 additional full-time
students in five years, system-wide - This translates to 21,000 additional full-time
students in 10 years, system-wide
53Increase Completion
- U.S. Department of Education The Toolbox
Revisited, cites a rigorous course of study,
entering college immediately after high school,
and completing at least 20 semester hours during
first year of college translate to a more certain
and timely completion of a degree.
54Higher education is central to our well-being as
individuals and as a state.
- In the agricultural age, postsecondary
education was a pipe dream for most Americans. In
the industrial age, it was the birthright of only
a few. By the space age, it became common for
many. Today, it is just common sense for all. - -National Commission on the High School Senior
Year
55UtahMentor.org
- SEOP Student Educational Occupational Plan
(Grades 8-12)Career Exploration - College Planning (Majors Campus Exploration)
- Test Preparation (UBSCT, ACT, SAT)
- Admissions Applications
- Paying for College / FAFSA Transfer
- Scholarship Searches
- AP/CE Articulation
- eBackPack (Save, Store, Update, Add, Delete
Portfolio) - Student Tracking Communications (Counselor
Center) - StudentTracker (Track Success of GEAR UP Students
Beyond High School) - Track Enrollment, Retention, and Graduation in
College
all of this at no cost to the student