interventions to impact college enrollment and …

INTERVENTIONS TO IMPACT

COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND

PERSISTENCE ON THE GROUND

Beyond the Numbers: SDP Convening 2014

Agenda

Cassie Larson

Executive Director for A2O, The College Board

Shana Payne

Director of the Delaware Higher Education Office

Erin Cox

President, uAspire

Lindsay Page

Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

2

3 Proprietary and Confidential

Interventions to Impact College Enrollment and Persistence on the Ground


The goal of Access to Opportunity…

To ensure that students of various backgrounds – who have earned opportunities through their talent and hard work – engage in academic rigor during high school, apply to and enroll in a college that meets their academic and financial needs, and, ultimately, attain a postsecondary degree.


The goal of Access to Opportunity…

To ensure that students of various backgrounds – who have earned opportunities through their talent and hard work – engage in academic rigor during high school, apply to and enroll in a college that meets their academic and financial needs, and, ultimately, attain a postsecondary degree.

Racial / Ethnic Targets

• African American

• Hispanic / Latino

• Native American

• Pacific Islander

• First Generation

• Rural Whites

Income Targets

• Low Income

• Moderate Income

Readiness Targets

• AP Potential

• College-Ready

• High-Achieving


Our goal is to propel college-ready, underrepresented students into the opportunities they have earned by helping them…

Get Ready

Get In

Get Through

Improve access to rigorous coursework and

reduce the information gap

Connect to colleges where they can succeed

Improve postsecondary degree completion

rates


Realize Your College Potential

» Based on research from Hoxby, Avery, and Turner

» Sent to ~30,000 high achieving low-income students in the class of 2014

» Mailings in May and October 2013 and follow-up phone bank in October 2013

» Packets included:

College

Application

Fee Waivers


Apply to 4 or More

» Sent to ~55,000 college ready low-income students in the class of 2014

» Over 2500 counselors signed a pledge to support campaign

» Over 200,000 additional college-ready students received electronic college planning information

» Later tester extension to ~12,000 senior who first test in the fall

» Packets included:

College

Application

Fee Waivers


State Partnership: Delaware

» Partnership between the College Board and Delaware

» Additional components for Delaware students for Realize Your College Potential and Apply to Four

» Custom Fall Counselor Workshop(s)

» Initial conversations about data exchange but there were constraints

» In process of planning Class of 2015 and beyond collaboration

» Post-campaign analysis will examine impact of Delaware customization and additional treatments

Letter from Ivy

League

Universities Letter from the

Governor Delaware Follow-

ups


Initial tactics to improve AP access leverage existing infrastructure to pilot new approaches to outreach

Student Activation Campaign (all students with 60% AP Potential)



• Native American

Coaching Calls



• Native American

• Rural Whites

• Low-Income


Plans for Class of 2015

» Virtual / Blended Advising

» Texting

» Students

» Parents

» Parent / Household Treatments

» Counselor / School Collaborations


How can you engage?

[email protected]

Cassandra Larson

mailto:[email protected]

The Path to Zero

INITIAL QUESTION: What is

Delaware’s college-going rate?

14

71

56

18

60

13

5

23

73

43

20

69

54

22

72

47

17

55

9

9

2740

20

02

04

06

08

01

00

Pe

rce

nt

of

Hig

hly

-Qu

alif

ied

Gra

du

ate

s

Total African American Asian American Hispanic White Eligible for FRPL

Sample: 2007-08 through 2010-11 graduates with SAT test scores. Highly-qualified graduates are defined as having a SAT combined (including Writing)score greater than or equal to 1550. Sample includes 5412 students overall, 444 African American students, 132 Hispanic students,450 Asian students, 4361 White students, and 593 students qualifying for FRPL. All data from administrative records and NCS matched records.

by Race and FRPL status

College Choices of Highly Qualified High School Graduates

Not Enrolled in College Enrolled at 2-Yr Colleges

Enrolled at Unranked or LessSelective 4-Year Colleges

Enrolled at Selective4-Year Colleges

16

17

100

74

36

28

100

93

66

60

100

51

18

13

02

04

06

08

01

00

% o

f N

inth

Gra

der

s

9th Graders On-time Graduates Seamless College Transitioners Second Year Persisters

State Average

Highest High School Rate

Lowest High School Rate

Sample: 2006-07 first-time ninth graders. Results shown only for comprehensive, vocational, and magnet schools.Post-secondary enrollment outcomes from NSC matched records. All other data from state administrative records.

State Average, Minimum, and Maximum

Student Progression from 9th Grade through College

Fewer than one-third of 9th graders in 2007 made it through to

their second year of college

QUESTION 2: How do we ensure at a

minimum the college-ready students

enroll in college?

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“Getting to Zero” Campaign

SEPTEMBER: Educational Opportunities Press Conference

OCTOBER: Common Application and Recommendation Letter Training

NOVEMBER: College Application Month

DECEMBER: FAFSA Trainings

APRIL/MAY: DECISION

DAY!!!

February:

FAFSA

Completion

Outreach to

address

Summer Melt

By the numbers…..

• 20 schools participated in College Application Month

• 4,729 seniors were invited to participate in College

Application Month

• 875 students from College Application Month schools

received College Board packets celebrating their college

readiness

• 818 students in remaining 14 schools received College

Board packets

• 3 partner agencies provided training, direct student

support and project management-Institute for Public

Administration, Stand by Me, USED Financial Aid

Services

Results….

• Of the 1900 students that completed an exit survey, 89%

completed at least 1 college application

• 99% of students would recommend college application

month to juniors

• 55% reported they will be the 1st in their family to attend

college

• $450,000 awarded to districts in sub-grants from College

Access Challenge Grant

• 64 counselors signed up to attend FAFSA training

Initial College Application Status

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Progress of college ready students

Brandywine High School

SAT Score Student Name Student ID Schools applied to Schools applied Schools Planned to Apply before CAM to during CAM after CAM

QUESTION 3: How do we address the

information gap across our state?

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Key Lessons Learned: Data and Accountability

Systems

Observation: Ranging from databases to handwritten

notes, counselors were often challenged in providing an

update on whether students had applied to college.

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School

College

Ready

(1500-1540)

1500-1540

Applied to College

FAFSA

Completion

1500-1540

SAT students

Number of

College

Ready

Seniors >=1550

Applied to

College SAT >=1550

FAFSA

Completion

>=1550

SAT students

Building capacity through PARTNERSHIPS

http://www.udel.edu/

http://www.udel.edu/

Getting to Zero campaign

Targeting students who received a 1500 SAT score or above to ensure they transition from high school to college through the following initiatives:

Completed:

College Board packets and fee waivers

College Application Month (CAM) at 20 schools

FAFSA training

School financial aid nights

In progress:

Celebration Season

Summer Melt

26

QUESTION 4: How do we leverage

available FAFSA data to support

schools?

27

Next Step: FAFSA completion

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As of 4/13 76% of college-ready students have completed a FAFSA.

FAFSA Training: Higher Ed coordinated with USDOE to host three county-wide

trainings for counselors and community partners on FAFSA completion and the

newly released Financial Aid toolkit

• 30 Schools participated

• 61 counselors attended

FAFSA Events: Schools across the state are leveraging $tandByMe, Delaware

Alliance for Community Advancement (DACA) and higher education institutions

to bring FAFSA expertise to students and families.

FAFSA reporting:

Key Lessons Learned: Counselor Training

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Observation

• Counselors lacked training on key elements of application process including

college matching, FAFSA and financial aid options.

• Limited financial aid resources exist throughout the state.

• Existing counselors’ trainings do not integrate college and career-ready

elements.

Short Term Solution

• FAFSA Trainings

• Partnered with College Board to integrate a module on recommendation writing

• College matching training led by College Board during DE Counselor

Association Conference

Next Year

• Integrate counselor training into College Board partnership

• Partner with DE Counselor Association to strengthen college and career-

ready elements of training

• Continue FAFSA training

• Leverage community partnerships and USDOE to increase FAFSA experts

throughout the state

Final Steps to Zero

• Celebration Season: Goal is to celebrate students’ post-secondary plans. Schools have organized a number of efforts including: • Bulletin boards

• School News announcements

• Signing Day Ceremonies

• DOE and College Board hosted a Backpack Design Contest to celebrate students post-secondary plans. Delaware students designed the winning backpack design.

• Summer Nudge: This year will focus on supporting students who have applied to college by: • Providing counselors with messaging templates to remind students

throughout the summer about key steps to successfully enroll in college.

• Graduates will receive a summer checklist for transition to college.

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Getting to 60% College Enrollment

Access:

• Initiate community partnerships to target specific student populations

and address school resource needs

• College Access Partner Group

• SPaRC

• Delaware College Scholars

• Senior Transition Course

• Dual Enrollment

Affordability:

• Redefine state aid policy based on current needs

• Simplify application process for scholarship recipients

Accountability:

• Develop college success reports for districts/schools

• Integrate college application and FAFSA status into Data Warehouse

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QUESTION 5: How do we sustain

these efforts and create reliable data

and reporting standards?

32

Focusing on Affordability to Build Pathways To and Through College STRATEGIC DATA PROJECT CONVENING

April 2014

uAspire works to ensure that all young people have the financial information and resources necessary to find an affordable path

to – and through – a postsecondary education.

Our Issue: College Affordability

Students and families foreclose on the idea of higher education as early as the 9th grade due to misperceptions of college cost

The Institute for Higher Education Policy cites affordability as the number one reason that academically prepared students do not enroll in higher education

57% of Guidance Counselors reported to the College Board that they lacked sufficient college affordability knowledge

84% of college students admit to needing more financial management education, according to Sallie Mae.

The United States, once the leader in the percentage of college graduates age 25 to 34, has dropped to sixteenth among thirty-six developed nations, with more and more students dropping out because they can’t afford the rising costs

Most schools and college access providers limit their support on college affordability issues to financial aid tasks in the senior year of high school.

Awareness & Planning

Applying for Financial Aid

Financial Education for

College Success

35

• Scholarship search

• Form completion • Award letter analysis

• Budgeting/Money Management • Credit card debt, scams • Banking • SAP policies • Preparing for loan payback • Balancing school & work

College

Affordability

Grade 7

College Completion

Grade 12

In order to best support students on the path to and through college, we must evolve as a field from supporting financial aid tasks to addressing topics of college affordability.

Prepare

Afford

Succeed

36

• Connection between grades, extracurriculars, and aid eligibility

• Benefits of investing in college • Benefits of saving • Sticker price vs. actual cost • Differences in costs across colleges

• Scholarship search • Form completion • Award letter analysis • Financial Safety School • Financing, including appropriate

loan burden

• Budgeting/Money Management • Credit card debt, scams • Banking • SAP policies • Preparing for loan payback • Balancing school & work

College Affordability

Grade 7

College Completion

Grade 12

Direct Service Sites:

• Boston, MA

• Springfield, MA

• Lawrence, MA

• Fall River, MA

• Miami, FL

• Bay Area, CA

Early Stage Policy Work

• Feedback on federal tools

• Consult/Testify on state-level

affordability policy efforts

Initiatives Include:

• High Impact Partnerships

• Subject Matter Trainings

• Content & Distribution Partnerships

uAspire: Where & What

37

Special Initiatives:

A campaign to ensure that students and families have the support and information necessary to

make an informed decision regarding their intended institution and the financial implications

of that choice.

Student Impact: Award Letter Review Sessions

Practitioner & Policy Impact: Trends in Financial Aid Packaging

A campaign to collect and analyze thousands of award letters in order to identify and share trends

in financial aid packaging locally and nationally that can be used to inform practitioners’ work with

subsequent classes of students.

I Know What I Owe: Student Impact via Informed Financial Decisions

Let’s go back in time….

What is the student’s projected unmet need at each school?

How We Calculate Unmet Need

Unmet Need

Tuition & Fees

Room & Board

Books & Supplies,

Transportation, Health

Insurance, Miscellaneous*

Grants & Scholarships

Federal & State Grants, Institutional Grants/Scholarships, Outside Scholarships (if included on the award letter)

Federal Loans

Perkins, Stafford (sub + un-sub)

State Loan

Ex: Mass No-Interest (rare)

NOT INCLUDED: Parent PLUS Loan

Work-Study

*While we include these costs when calculating unmet need during a one-to-one meeting with a student, we remove these costs for the purposes of the data analysis as they are variable based on school, insurance status, plan of study, etc.

I Know What I Owe: Practitioner Impact via Data Analysis

Institution

Average Unmet Need, Zero EFC

Class of 2009 Class of 2010 Class of 2011 Class of 2012 Class of 2013

Framingham State University -$642 -$1,282 -$1,485 -$410 $1,631

UMASS Amherst $1,992 $353 $3,492 $5,283 $4,149

UMASS Boston -$2,097 -$4,818 -$6,599 -$6,688 -$5,277

COMPETITIVE FOUR YEAR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

Bentley University $4,130 $3,068 $2,580 $2,376 $3,559

Boston College $3,308 $3,379 $1,806 $1,619 $2,313

Boston University $3,113 $1,451 $2,981 $967 $2,153

Clark University $7,670 $6,220 $8,950 $8,141 $5,762

Northeastern University $10,134 $15,996 $4,949 $2,915 $11,404

GENERAL FOUR YEAR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

Anna Maria College $10,038 $10,550 $13,294 $10,976 $15,967

Curry College $15,392 $17,350 $18,374 $18,936 $18,126

Fisher College $14,108 $15,182 $16,075 $13,731 $15,631

Newbury College $11,902 $12,400 $10,460 $13,437 $13,936

Regis College $9,623 $7,134 $9,364 $8,897 $11,084

Suffolk University* $16,151 $18,831 $18,274 $14,826 $16,554

Wentworth Institute of Technology* $13,942 $10,816 $10,870 $9,993 $14,450

Wheelock College* $12,585 $12,319 $14,439 $15,971 $13,761

Green: Good to

go (<$2k)

Yellow: Proceed

with Caution

($2k-$5k)

Red: Maybe if

you commute or

seriously reconsider

($5k+)

What Can We Do

• Encourage behaviors and build systems that:

CELEBRATE

Acceptance Letters

DECIDE

Following Receipt & Review of Award Letters

THEN….

• Ensure your frontline staff are trained and well-equipped for the “what” and “how” of award letter sessions

• Encourage students to apply to at least 2 Financial Safety Schools

• Collect and analyze award letter data

How Can We Work Together?

Training & Technical Assistance

Get your frontline practitioners the training and ongoing support they need to provide improved college affordability support to students.

Options include:

• High Impact Partnerships – customized training and ongoing support for all frontline practitioners within a district/CBO

• Subject Matter Trainings – in-person and webinar trainings on specific, timely affordability content open to everyone

• Content Development – toolkit, training and/or curriculum development on specific topics and for a specific audience.

Join us!

Erin Cox: [email protected]

INTERVENTIONS TO IMPACT

COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND

PERSISTENCE ON THE GROUND

Benjamin L. Castleman

University of Virginia

Lindsay C. Page University of Pittsburgh

Research made possible by generous funding from the Abell Foundation, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Heckscher Foundation for Children, the Lindback Foundation, NASFAA, the Spencer Foundation, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the William T. Grant Foundation.

Revisiting the concept of summer melt

Summer melt is a term traditionally used by college admissions officers to describe the phenomenon that students pay a deposit to attend a particular college but do not matriculate at that college the

following fall.

Here, summer melt describes the phenomenon that

college-intending students fail to enroll in college at all in the fall following high school graduation.

45

Magnitude of the summer melt problem

46

Fulton County

22%

Fort Worth, TX

44%

Boston, MA

21%

Dallas, TX

28%

Albuquerque, NM

29%

Providence, RI

33%

Philadelphia, PA

32%

Percentages indicate the share of college-intending

students that do not enroll anywhere in the fall

following high school graduation

The summer melt problem 47

FAFSA verification

Award letter review

Supplementary loan

applications Tuition payment plan

set-up

Orientation and placement

test registration

Housing applications Health insurance applications

and waivers

Unanticipated fees

(orientation, housing, etc.)

Even after being accepted to college and choosing where to attend,

low-income students face many hurdles to college enrollment…

…but typically have little access to professional help.

48

HS counselor outreach

Text-based information & outreach

Outreach via HS-university partnership

Peer mentor

outreach

Navigating complexity

Simplifying information

Facilitating access to support

Summer melt

intervention

strategies

Summer outreach improves enrollment & persistence

83% 81%

72% 78%

74%

64%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Fall enrollment 1st yr persistence 2nd yr persistence

Impact of HS counselor outreach on enrollment and persistence

Treatment

Control

* ~

**

49

• Results from probit regressions including fixed effects for high school or advising team and baseline covariates.

• ~ p <0.10 * p<0.05 ** p<0.01

Impacts largest

among students from

the lowest-income

backgrounds

Extensions earlier and later in college process

50

Application

& choice

• Proactive outreach & support for college choice and award letter review

• Personalized prompts to complete FAFSA and income verification

Transition

• Experiment to assess comparative benefit of personal outreach from a counselor to personalized outreach via text messaging

• Collaboration with College Bound STL to evaluate an adaptive online platform to increase counselors’ capacity to mitigate summer melt

Persistence

& success

• Encouragement to maintain satisfactory academic progress and renew FAFSA

• Personalized, text-based prompts to: make use of academic & social support services; meet with advisor during academic year; and get involved with campus-based organization

Why focus on FAFSA renewal?

Students have to renew the FAFSA each year to

maintain their financial aid

There has been considerable attention to obstacles that

FAFSA complexity creates during HS but little

attention once students are in college

~10-20% of freshman year financial aid recipients in

good academic standing do not renew their aid

Students are likely to procrastinate on renewing the

FAFSA in the face of pressing academic and social

priorities

51

Freshman year financial nudges

The intervention:

• Text message reminders for college freshman about

important financial aid renewal tasks

The messages:

• Invited students to FAFSA renewal parties

52


• Offered students individual help

with FAFSA completion

• Offered help interpreting

award letters

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87%

73%

90%

58%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Four-year enrollers Two-year enrollers

Impact of text-based outreach on sophomore year persistence

Treatment

Control

54

*

• Results from probit regressions including fixed effects for high school or advising team and baseline covariates.

• ~ p <0.10 * p<0.05 ** p<0.01

55

Thank you!

Lindsay Page

[email protected]

interventions to impact college enrollment and …

Documents