STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL FAFSA COMPLETION INITIATIVES

Transcription

1 A central goal for every GEAR UP project is ensuring that students and their families prepare for and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This session will present practical and collaborative how-to strategies for implementing and monitoring, school and district-wide FAFSA completion initiatives. STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL FAFSA COMPLETION INITIATIVES Joyce V. Brown Ed.D.

2 GEAR UP ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK ACADEMIC PROGRESS INTENSITY OF GEAR UP ACTIVITIES SPECIFIC GEAR UP ACTIVITIES ACT s College Readiness System FAFSA Completion FAFSA Completion Postsecondary Enrollment College Persistence College Graduation High School Graduation Postsecondary Enrollment College Persistence College Graduation High School Graduation Postsecondary Enrollment College Persistence College Graduation

3 COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND FAFSA COMPLETION Potholes to College From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College (2008) Roderick, Nagaoka, Coca, and Moeller

4 This is important work! We Must Have A Strategy To Deliver FAFSA Completion Percent of adults with 2- or 4- year degree Source: OECD Education at a Glance to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64 Urgency National Call to Action

5 Nationwide, 55 percent of high school graduates completed their FAFSA in 2012.* Massachusetts and Rhode Island had the highest completion rates. In those states, more than six out of 10 high school graduates completed a FAFSA. We Have Work To Do!!

6 WICHE Data

7 COLLABORATION REQUIRED GEAR UP STAFF Key Collaborative Members School Counselor Principal Teacher Parents College Access Providers

8 KEY FAFSA STRATEGY - COUNSELOR LEADERSHIP ROLE REACH HIGHER INITIATIVE Support School Counselors Student Level Data Submissions/ Track Completions By Student Name Rhythm Of Schools Before HS Entry

9 THE REACH HIGHER GOAL Comments From The White House GEAR UP Goals Counselors are the ones who: Track students down who don t think they re college material, or who don t think they can afford it, and they shake them up and they tell them, You have what it takes, I believe in you, now fill out those FAFSA forms and sign up for those AP classes, get started on those college essays. First Lady Michelle Obama Expose Students to College and Career Opportunities Understand Financial Aid Eligibility That Can Make College Affordability A Reality Encourage academic planning and summer learning opportunities Support high school counselors who can help more kids get into college Common Goals

10 STUDENT DATA CARD Section 1 Student First Name ( Max 12 Characters) Counselor Engagement Sample Section 2 - Student Last Name ( Max 16 Characters) Section 3 - Student Date of Birth ( Max 08 Characters) Section 4 - Student Zip Code (Max 05 Characters)

11 FAFSA COMPLETION TOOL The Administration launched a tool that gives all schools in the nation access to school-wide statistics on FAFSA submissions. This regularly updated data allows school counselors and other school personnel to compare FAFSA submissions with the number of seniors in the school in order to better target their efforts to assist students and families. FAFSA Portal Website: v/about/datacenter/stu dent/applicationvolume/fafsacompletion-high-school School Level Data

12 FAFSA IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FAFSA Plan Roll Out Marketing Collaboration Training Celebration Targeted Strategies

13 STRATEGY MAKE A FAFSA PLAN # of Completions Per Week # With/Without Social Security # s Special Circumstance Challenges Incorrect Status Info # With Fixed Income Submitted /Non Processed Outreach Strategies Communication Strategies Corrections/Verifications FAFSA Timeline Chart/Completion Rate Chart FAFSA Process Map/Action Plan Template Suggested Plan Components

14 SAMPLE MARKETING FLYERS

15 SAMPLE ROLL OUT POSTER & POSTCARDS

16 WARNING LETTER

17 Strategy Computer Lab Sample

18 FED-AID Get All Questions Answered! Strategy Computer Lab Sample

19 Sample - FAFSA School Summary Report Sample Communication To Drive Completion

20 RESOURCES The Postsecondary Initiative in Chicago: The Role of FAFSA Completion 2011 The FAFSA Completion Project: An Annotated Bibliography Helping Students Navigate The Path To College What High Schools Can Do

21 CONTACT INFORMATION Joyce V. Brown Ed.D. Educational Consultant Joyce V. Brown Consulting Group, LLC. Website: