Path to College Events: College App Week, TN FAFSA Frenzy, College Signing Day, and College Planning Night

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1 Path to College Events: College App Week, TN FAFSA Frenzy, College Signing Day, and College Planning Night Mary Laphen Statewide Services Coordinator, GEAR UP TN Tennessee Higher Education Commission

2 Path to College Events Path to College events foster the college-going culture in schools and engage students in four important parts of the college-going process. The chronological order from a student s perspective: Planning: College Planning Night (junior year) Applying: College Application Week (fall of senior year) Paying: TN FAFSA Frenzy (fall of senior year) Going: College Signing Day (May of senior year)

3 Building the Path to College College Application Week has thrived in Tennessee for 8 years. State Outreach Model Tennessee Higher Education Commission Wall Clings, I Applied Stickers, College Info Posters Social Media Campaign throughout College Application Week We heard from our schools that Parent Nights are a crucial piece of the college-going process, but sometimes the most challenging. We had several schools already hosting College Signing Day-type events and used their best practices to inspire Tennessee s College Signing Day. The new FAFSA timeline is changing the game for everyone. We saw this as a great time to share the best practices going on in Tennessee across the state.

4 We Looked at the Literature Hossler and Gallagher s College Choice Model Predisposition Search Choice Choice: 11th and 12th Grade Parental Encouragement Understanding of Cost and Financial Aid School Context Relationships between school and higher education College Prep services available

5 College Application Week This year s College Application Week will be September 26 th September 30 th. Before the FAFSA will be available. During College App Week, students are encouraged to apply to college and for the Tennessee Promise scholarship. We partner with the Governor s Office and Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation. Underclassman are encouraged to participate in college preparation and college knowledge activities. Elementary, middle and high schools participate. We partner with CollegeforTN.org to provide age-specific college activities to schools and students. The event is designed to fit what works best for each school. We suggest the date. We provide the promotional material. We encourage schools to make the event work for them. In 2015, 252 schools participated.

6 College Planning Nights Spring of student s junior year Parent-focused workshop on what parents need to know as their student prepares to enter senior year We provide the event materials, but the schools implement the event. College Planning Night slide deck with federal and Tennessee-specific information College Planning Night implementation guide Partnership Opportunity: We partnered with the Tennessee Promise partnering organizations, Tennessee Department of Education and Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation to provide relevant and crucial information from each agency in one place to counselors and families Pilot: 77 schools participated; 2016 Statewide: 105 schools participated

7 College Signing Day Late April or Early May, on or around May 1 School-wide event that celebrates the seniors who are continuing on to postsecondary education We provide marketing materials and implementation guide. Schools implement their own events. Partnership Opportunity: We reach out to all public Tennessee higher education institutions to tell them about College Signing Day. They identify a contact to be shared with schools to partner with for their College Signing Day Pilot: 68 schools participated; 2016 Statewide: 133 schools participated

8 TN FAFSA Frenzy Collaborative effort between TN Higher Education Commission, TN Student Assistance Corporation, TN Department of Education and Tennessee Promise partnering organizations 3-Step Approach Counselor Meetings: Hosted 9 school counselor meetings across the state to equip counselors with the information, tools and best practices to best serve their students. Over 600 school counselors and college access partners attended. TN FAFSA Frenzy Handbook: We combined already existing resources with specially designed resources to fit the needs of our schools. Financial Aid/FAFSA nights: TN FAFSA Frenzy events to be held at high schools and higher education institutions fall of 2016.

9 Site Coordinator Handbooks The Path to College site coordinator handbooks provides schools with the tools to host a Path to College event, while still offering the flexibility to make the event their own. Content includes: Relevant research Event ideas Possible event needs Volunteer resource guide Sample donation request letter Sample media advisory

10 Path to College Materials 1) Posters Timeline to College poster A Day in the Life poster UTK student A Day in the Life poster TCAT-Memphis student There s Always a Way motivational poster CollegeforTN.org introductory poster 2) Wall Clings Path to College wall cling Event-specific wall clings CollegeforTN.org wall cling 3) I Applied Stickers I Applied stickers I m College Bound

11 Next Steps Path to College Site Coordinator Task Force 6 model Path to College site coordinators 2 meetings during the summer What can we improve? What can we update? What s missing? More marketing materials The data piece Path to College Schools Participate in all four Path to College events Host event specific webinar for other site coordinators Complete comprehensive surveys Quarterly conference calls

12 Questions? Mary Laphen Tennessee Higher Education Commission