improving college access: examining the past to move to the future david english chrissy tillery...
TRANSCRIPT
Improving College Access: Examining the Past to Move to the Future
David EnglishChrissy Tillery
2009 NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual ConferenceJuly 21, 2009
Presentation Overview
• Why Access? A North Carolina Imperative
• Evaluating CFNC.org
• Statistics and Results
• Questions and Discussion
“We found that access to American
higher education is unduly limited by
the complex interplay of inadequate
preparation, lack of information
about college opportunities and
persistent financial barriers.”
Former US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
American Indian/ Alaska Native
Asian/Pacific Islander
Black, non- Hispanic
Hispanic
White, non- Hispanic
North CarolinaPublic & Nonpublic High School Graduates2003-2004 – 2017-2018 (projected)
North Carolina Transfer Student Patterns
UNC Private Senior NCCCS Private JuniorStudent Transfers To:
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
Transfer From: UNC
Transfer From: Private Senior
Transfer From: Private Junior
Transfer From: NCCCS
To increase the college-going rate in North Carolina with particular attention toward “first-generation” college students.
Obstacles facing first-generation college students:
1) Can I really go to college in NC?
2) Can I afford to go to college in NC?
GOAL
Primary Goal = Access
What is CFNC.org?
CFNC is a joint effort of the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, College Foundation, Inc., and Pathways of North Carolina.
The Pathways partnership was requested by the UNC Board of Governors, funded by the 1999 General Assembly, and includes the:
• NC Department of Public Instruction (K-12)• NC Community College System (58)• NC Independent Colleges and Universities (36)• UNC System (16)
State agency responsible for statewide college aid programs – grants scholarships, loans, 529 savings
501(c)(3) nonprofit -administers grants, loans and savings program on behalf of the state
State-funded K-16 partnership (NCDPI, NCCCS, NCICU, UNC) administered by UNC General Administration
CFNC Technology & Internet Services
• www.CFNC.org
• Career Center
• Student Planner
• College Fair
• Free SAT & ACT Test Prep
• Online Applications
• Electronic High School Transcripts
• Transfer Articulation
CFNC Resource Center
• 1.866.866.CFNC
• Toll-free Telephone Hotline for Career and College Planning
• Email from CFNC.org
• Publications
• Training
• Spanish Services
GEAR UP North Carolina
• Low-income (FRL) school students
• $37 million
• Two grants from US Dept of Education (2000-11)
• 35 NC counties
• 16,000+ students
CFNC Access Services
CFNC.org Evaluation
• By 2007 CFNC.org was a stable and mature college access initiative
• Senior leadership desired an enhanced level of program evaluation and assessment
• Lumina Foundation for Education had interest in learning more about best practices in college access web portals
• Grant support began September 2007
• Evaluation report completed May 2009
Overview
• CFNC.org Account Holder Analyses
• WebTrends Site Usage Analysis
• CFNC.org Applying to College Services and Initiatives
• Future Directions
• Recommendations
Key Research Study Components
• Account Holders since site inception
• Account Holders by user type
• Account Holders enrolling at a UNC system institution
CFNC.org Account Holder Analyses
Number of CFNC.org Accounts Created Annually 2001 – 2008
CFNC.org Account Holders by User Type Cumulative 2001 – 2008
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina, Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders
YearTotal UNCFirst-Time Freshmen
CFNC.org AccountHolders
Account Holders as Percentage
of Total
Fall 2005 24,462 18,178 74.3%
Fall 2006 25,296 21,296 84.2%
Fall 2007 25,873 22,847 88.3%
* UNC student data is the most recent data from the Division of Institutional Research and Analysis at the University of North Carolina General Administration.
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina, Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Gender
Year Gender
Total UNCFirst-Time Freshmen
CFNC.orgAccountHolders
Percent Difference
First-Time
Freshmen vs.
Account Holders
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Fall 2005 Female 13,742 56.2 10,435 57.4 (1.2)Male 10,720 43.8 7,743 42.6 1.2Total 24,462 100 18,178 100
Fall 2006 Female 14,296 56.5 12,383 58.1 (1.6)Male 11,000 43.5 8,913 41.9 1.6Total 25,296 100 21,296 100
Fall 2007 Female 14,519 56.1 13,147 57.5 (1.4)Male 11,354 43.9 9,700 42.5 1.4Total 25,873 100 22,847 100
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina, Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Ethnic Group
Year Ethnic Group
Total UNCFirst-Time Freshmen
CFNC.orgAccountHolders
Percent Difference First-Time
Freshmen vs.Account Holders
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Fall 2005 American Indian 299 1.2 204 1.1 0.1Asian 792 3.2 584 3.2 0.0African American 6,043 24.7 4,146 22.8 1.9Hispanic 539 2.2 409 2.2 0.0Caucasian 16,213 66.3 12,408 68.3 (2.0)Missing Data 576 2.4 427 2.3 0.1Total 24,462 100.0 18,178 100.0
Fall 2006 American Indian 253 1.0 207 1.0 0.0Asian 850 3.4 639 3.0 0.4African American 6,256 24.7 5,190 24.4 0.3Hispanic 619 2.4 530 2.5 (0.1)Caucasian 16,413 64.9 13,964 65.6 (0.7)Missing Data 905 3.6 766 3.6 0.0Total 25,296 100.0 21,296 100.0
Fall 2007 American Indian 303 1.2 268 1.2 0.0Asian 867 3.4 717 3.1 0.3African American 6,249 24.2 5,509 24.1 0.1Hispanic 718 2.8 631 2.8 0.0Caucasian 16,613 64.2 14,751 64.6 (0.4)Missing Data 1,123 4.3 971 4.3 0.0Total 25,873 100.0 22,847 100.0
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina, Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Constituent Institution in Fall 2005
UNC Campus
Total UNCFirst-Time Freshmen
CFNC.orgAccountHolders
Percent Difference First-Time
Freshmen vs.Account Holders
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Appalachian State 2,184 8.9 1,859 10.2 (1.3) Elizabeth City State 415 1.7 286 1.6 0.1East Carolina 2,635 10.8 2,130 11.7 (0.9) Fayetteville State 641 2.6 502 2.8 (0.2) NC A&T 1,487 6.1 1,060 5.8 0.3NC Central 836 3.4 642 3.5 (0.1) NC State 3,823 15.6 2,753 15.1 0.5UNC-Asheville 370 1.5 277 1.5 0.0 UNC-Charlotte 2,434 10.0 2,103 11.6 (1.6) UNC-Chapel Hill 2,961 12.1 1,946 10.7 1.4UNC-Greensboro 2,063 8.4 1,622 8.9 (0.5) UNC-Pembroke 806 3.3 585 3.2 0.1UNC-Wilmington 1,561 6.4 1,169 6.4 0.0 UNC School of the Arts 63 0.3 33 0.2 0.1Western Carolina 1,393 5.7 1,089 6.0 (0.3) Winston-Salem State 790 3.2 122 0.7 2.5Total 24,462 100.0 18,178 100.0
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina, Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Constituent Institution in Fall 2006
UNC Campus
Total UNCFirst-Time Freshmen
CFNC.orgAccountHolders
Percent Difference First-Time
Freshmen vs.Account Holders
Frequency Percent Frequency UNC Campus
Appalachian State 2,332 9.2 2,108 9.9 (0.7) Elizabeth City State 402 1.6 310 1.5 0.1East Carolina 3,107 12.3 2,763 13.0 (0.7) Fayetteville State 663 2.6 557 2.6 0.0 NC A&T 1,574 6.2 1,267 5.9 0.3NC Central 674 2.7 558 2.6 0.1NC State 4,126 16.3 3,307 15.5 0.8UNC-Asheville 445 1.8 388 1.8 0.0 UNC-Charlotte 2,332 9.2 2,151 10.1 (0.9) UNC-Chapel Hill 2,983 11.8 2,163 10.2 1.6UNC-Greensboro 2,112 8.3 1,851 8.7 (0.4) UNC-Pembroke 818 3.2 644 3.0 0.2UNC-Wilmington 1,498 5.9 1,310 6.2 (0.3)UNC School of the Arts 70 0.3 46 0.2 0.1Western Carolina 1,379 5.5 1,241 5.8 (0.3) Winston-Salem State 781 3.1 632 3.0 0.1Total 25,296 100 21,296 100
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina, Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Constituent Institution in Fall 2007
UNC Campus
Total UNCFirst-Time Freshmen
CFNC.orgAccountHolders
Percent Difference First-Time
Freshmen vs.Account Holders
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Appalachian State 2,367 9.1 2,224 9.7 (0.6 )Elizabeth City State 498 1.9 425 1.9 0.0 East Carolina 3,318 12.8 3,047 13.3 (0.5 )Fayetteville State 786 3.0 671 2.9 0.1NC A&T 1,216 4.7 1,040 4.6 0.1NC Central 886 3.4 801 3.5 (0.1) NC State 4,341 16.8 3,697 16.2 0.6UNC-Asheville 452 1.7 417 1.8 (0.1) UNC-Charlotte 2,478 9.6 2,333 10.2 (0.6) UNC-Chapel Hill 3,009 11.6 2,309 10.1 1.5UNC-Greensboro 2,142 8.3 1,898 8.3 0.0 UNC-Pembroke 936 3.6 813 3.6 0.0 UNC-Wilmington 1,508 5.8 1,410 6.2 (0.4) UNC School of the Arts 74 0.3 55 0.2 0.1Western Carolina 1,099 4.2 1,038 4.5 (0.3) Winston-Salem State 763 2.9 669 2.9 0.0 Total 25,873 100 22,847 100
• CFNC.org utilizes WebTrends for site analysis
• Data was pulled for the period 07/01/2007 – 06/28/2008
• Over 30 high visibility pages were selected for review
• Limited analysis to pages related to college and career planning, exploration, and application
• Information gathered on Views, Visits, Average Time Viewed, and Overall Page Rank on Server
WebTrends Site Usage Analysis
Most Viewed PagesPage Name Views Received Average Time Viewed
College Fair Campus Tours
3,431,641 00:29
My CFNC 1,088,049 00:18
Career Center 673,970 00:13
Online Applications 630,958 00:18
Online Applications Application Manager
409,014 00:03
College Fair 404,818 00:13
Online Applications Loan Applications
310,206 00:22
Student Planner 283,548 00:14
Career Center Lists of Careers
259,552 00:03
Career Center Student Career Matching Assistant
233,976 00:17
Pages with Highest Average Time ViewedPage Name Average Time Viewed Views Received
Contact CFNC 185,660 01:19
Career Center Teacher Education
16,313 01:15
Student Planner College Entrance Requirements
35,228 01:06
Career Center Fastest Growing Careers
42,025 01:00
College Fair Comparative View
163,035 00:40
Student Planner Transfer Student Planner Intro
4,554 00:37
College Fair Campus Tours
3,431,641 00:29
College Fair Matching Assistant
47,509 00:28
Career Center Bridges Planning Tools
55,859 00:26
• CFNC.org hosts branded admissions applications for all 110 colleges and universities in North Carolina
• 89 of the 110 institutions utilize the CFNC.org branded application as their exclusive online option
• CFNC.org partners with the NC Department of Public Instruction to serve as the sole provider of electronic high school transcripts
• Project has been implemented in phases over the past 6 years
• Every public and charter high school will be live in Fall 2009, excluding Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
CFNC.org Applying to College Services and Initiatives
College Applications Submitted through CFNC.org Annually 2001 – 2008
High School Transcripts Submitted through CFNC.org Annually 2003 – 2008
• An event cosponsored by CFNC and CACRAO in an effort to further expand statewide college access
• The goal of the initiative is to motivate and support students who might not consider college an option the opportunity to apply to college online using CFNC.org.
• Pilot Programs in 2005, 2006, 2007
• Statewide as of 2008
Student Comments:
“I liked the help with filling out, submitting and paying for applications. It was easier to do than by myself.”
“I never thought I would go to college anywhere, but I realized that it is my future and I can do it.”
High School Transcripts Submitted through CFNC.org Annually 2003 – 2008
College Application Week 2008 Map of Participating School Districts
College Application Week Statistics
Year High Schools Students Applications2005 1 100 1502006 15 876 1,0382007 109 12,808 21,4452008 293 19,356 37,903
Applications Submitted to University of North Carolina Constituent Institutions During College Application Week 2008
Applications Submitted to North Carolina Community Colleges During College Application Week 2008
Applications Submitted to Member Institutions of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities During College Application Week 2008
• Expanded Data Availability and Enrollment Verification
• Transfer Articulation
Future Directions
• UNC-General Administration will run enrollment verification on all students participating in the 2008 and 2009
College Application Week events
• North Carolina College Access Challenge Grant Program (NCCACGP) funds are being used for this initiative
• Data will allow for enhanced evaluation of CAW program, and impacts on students postsecondary matriculation
Expanded Data Availability & Enrollment Verification
• View Transfer Student Guarantees offered by the CAA
• Transferable Course Equivalencies for all CAA General Education courses between NCCCS and any UNC institution.
• A list of Transfer Students most frequently asked questions
• Majority of courses taken by students participating in a dual enrollment program covered
Transfer Student Planner & Articulation
• Provide students with a report of how courses will transfer between all 110 North Carolina colleges and universities
• Partnership between NCCCS, NCICU, and UNC
• Perform a degree audit to guide students on course work that will need to be completed after they transfer
• System is as easy as 1, 2, 3.• Step 1. Create an academic history by selecting courses from the
Community College Course Catalog.• Step 2. Confirm selections.• Step 3. View an equivalence report that shows course by course
equivalence. Users can compare equivalence for 2 institutions at a time
Transfer Student Navigator
CFNC Transfer Navigator
CFNC.org philosophy is based around 3 fundamental themes
1. Plan: What do I need to do to be prepared to go to college? How can I learn what courses different
colleges expect me to have taken? Are there minimum admission requirements?
2. Apply: What do I need to do to apply to college? Can I apply online? What is the cost to apply? Do I need to visit a campus for an interview?
3. Pay: Can I afford to go to college? What are the financial aid options available to me?
Recommendations for Policy and Practice
• CFNC is a partnership of UNC, NCCCS, NCICU, NCDPI, NC SEAA, and CFI
• Power of a legislative mandate should not be underestimated
• Keep all partners and stakeholders engaged and informed
Recommendation #1: Build and sustain broad partnerships and high levels of collaboration among all education interests.
• CFNC.org website provides college and career planning resources and information applicable to all ages
• CFNC Online Admissions Application is accepted by all 110 NC Colleges and Universities
• CFNC Electronic High School Transcript is the sole option, and accepted by all 110 colleges and universities
• Two specialized toll-free call centers provide information on planning, applying, and paying for college
Recommendation #2: Provide a comprehensive internet-based platform and complementary call-center support.
• Utilize a combination of media advertising, direct marketing, and in-school marketing to build awareness among all target audiences
• Build awareness through strong visual continuity - brand standards bring unity and continuity
• Target specific messages to professional and consumer audiences
• Continue to promote the basic brand positioning in all communications while building awareness of specific information and services
Recommendation #3: Build a brand and commit to a comprehensive marketing program to build awareness and understanding.
• School counselors are an important source of information for parents and students
• Full time CFNC Training Director works to engage and educate school counselors on CFNC.org services
• CFNC Regional Representatives provide outreach to financial aid personnel, community members, churches, and schools
• Dedicated space is provided on the website for school counselors and education professionals
Recommendation #4: Complement advertising with training and outreach activities.
• Online applications are provided free of charge to the 110 participating institutions, including development and technical support
• Professional tools allow school counselors and educators the ability to monitor students application and transcript activity
• CFNC State Grant Information System enables NC colleges and universities to process over $350 million per year from five distinct grant programs
Recommendation #5: Address the needs of schools, colleges, students, and families.
• Federal Family Education Loan Program (NC SEAA & CFI)
• State Appropriations (Pathways)
• Federal Grant Funding (GEAR UP North Carolina and North Carolina College Access Challenge Grant Program)
Recommendation #6: Leverage financial resources from diverse sources.
• CFNC Technology & Internet Services has grown from 2 FTE to 6 FTE
• CFI provides 5 FTE for core technical support and development
• Marketing and outreach program planning and support are shared between CFI, NC SEAA, and Pathways
• Call center support is provided by both CFI and Pathways
Recommendation #7: Plan for sufficient staffing and share staff responsibilities.
Statistics and Results
9,250 visitors per day for an
average of
8 min 30 sec
2,725,518
Accounts Created
1,422,063
Online ApplicationsSubmitted
126,238
High School Transcripts
Sent
CFNC.org Site Usage
Impacts • North Carolina had
the second largest increase in College Participation Rates for Students from Low Income Families between 2000 – 2007
• US Average was negative over this time period
• Data calculated by Tom Mortenson of Postsecondary Education Opportunities
Questions?David English
Director, CFNC Technology & Internet ServicesUNC-General Administration
Chrissy TilleryResearch & Evaluation Specialist
GEAR UP North CarolinaUNC-General Administration