KnowHow2GOIllinois

1. www.KnowHow2GOIllinois.org College Access Outreach Reaching Latino Populations

2. About ISAC “Making college accessible and affordable for Illinois students.” - Mission Statement The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is the financial aid agency in the state of Illinois. We are a mission-driven, non-profit, state agency that administers over $448 million in scholarships and grants.

3. Session Overview • What We Know • What Works in Illinois • Marketing and Outreach Strategies • Event Planning • Q & A

4. What we know Demographic Profile

5. Hispanics make up the largest minority • Younger • Growing population • 45 million people, 15% of the total population • Largest source of growth is due to new births of second-generation Hispanics in the US • Geographically concentrated • Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, Houston…

6. What we know College Access Trends

7. Trends in Illinois • Among Latino students, the motivation for earning a college degree is deeply rooted in a desire to do better than the previous generation. • There are significant differences between the barriers experienced by first- and second-generation students. • College affordability is a top concern among parents and students. • Finances are the driving force in college selection. • Latino parents strongly support their children’s college aspirations but often lack the college knowledge to guide them. • Lack of college-going experience contributes to insufficient participationin social networks along the P16 continuum. • Not completing a FAFSA is a significant barrier.

8. Pathway to College In many instances, students are failing to negotiate three sets of tasks: Understanding the process: • Plan • Find • Apply • Pay • Succeed Finding the right college: • Person • Program • Place • People • Price Overcoming barriers: • Academic • Social • Financial

9. What Works State of Illinois Family involvement Grassroots efforts Partnerships Easy-to-use resources

10. Web Presence PrintedBrochures Walk-In Outreach Centers Communication Centers

11. Spanish Microsite

12. Novelas Educativas TM • “Amor Escolar” (5 minutes) (My Love for Education) depicts the communication between a mother and a daughter. The daughter is a first-generation college student taking classes at a community college who plans to transfer to a four-year college. Knowledge Gained: Learn about the US higher education system and degree options. • “No Nacimos Ricos” (8 minutes) (We Were Not Born Rich) presents the misconceptions that often exist in the Latino community about college access and affordability. Knowledge Gained: Learn about the availability of financial aid and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. • “Full Time” (4 minutes) A young, single mothers shares insight about opportunities and resources available to her as she balances college and work. Knowledge Gained: Learn that it is possible to go to college, even when balancing family and work. • “Hire Education” (5 minutes) Shows a young Latino male being mentored on the long-term impact of a college education. Knowledge Gained: Learn the value of a college degree.

13. Professional Development for Partners • “Guide to Conduct a Financial Aid Presentation” - in Spanish • “Just because I speak Spanish doesn’t mean I speak Financial Aid.” • Designed for Spanish-speaking professionals • Participant Kit • “FAFSA Made Easier” • “FAFSA Expert Training” • “Understanding Financial Aid Packaging” • “New Concepts in Outreach”

14. Participant Kit • Ready-to-Use Presentations • Spanish/English • Talking Points • Narrated • Printed Materials • Novelas Educativas TM • Spanish-English Glossary • Recommended Research • List of Agencies Serving Latinos in Illinois

15. FAFSA Expert Guide • FAFSA • IRS Tax Forms • McKenney-Vento Act • 2009-10 EFC Formula • Other Consumer Ed Information

16. College Zone Outreach Centers The mission of community colleges includes a commitment to “…serve the community.” • Minimum Partnership Requirements • Display a College Zone Outreach Center Sign • Provide a computer with internet access • Display and distribute ISAC materials • Provide year-round FAFSA completion assistance • Participate in ISAC-sponsored professional development and training sessions for college admission and financial aid counselors • Outreach Activities • Regional College Fairs, Financial Aid Awareness, FAFSA Completion Workshops, Professional Development Sessions, Community Based Access Programs

17. Outreach PartnershipsChoose partners that have a shared mission or audienceOutreach Models Spectrum Vertical Team One:One Satellite Academic Social Financial Agency #1 Agency #2

18. College Outreach Vertical Teams “Vertical Teams are groups of individuals that come together to assist each other in the promotion of a common goal.” Four Year College Admission Counselor Two Year College Financial Aid Officer Community-Based Organization High School Guidance Counselor Middle School Teacher

19. Minimum Team Requirements • 4 yr Member Serve as a resource on admission and transfer requirements for 2 yr member; one presentation at 2 yr college • 2 yr Member Serve as a resource on financial aid to the HS member; one financial aid presentation at high school • HS Member Serve as resource on basic college entrance requirements for Middle School member; one early awareness presentation at middle school • Middle School One early awareness presentation for grade school students and parents

20. ParentNET Getting Parents Involved

21. Job Family Friends Church P16 Parent Without College Experience

22. Job Family Friends Church P16 ParentNET

23. The Challenge • Purpose • Establish community networksof parents, educators, and outreach professionals who will support and mentor each other while promoting student access to postsecondary education. • Expose parents to trusted sourcesof postsecondary information, services, resources, and to academic and social environments that lead to the enrollment and retention of students at institutions of higher learning.   • Empower parentsto undertake informed advisory and advocacy roles in supporting their children - our students- through the process of proactively planning for, applying to and financing a college education or training program. • Sample Events • Required Fall - Financial Aid Night; Winter - FAFSA Completion Workshop; and Spring - Consumer Economics of Higher Education • Optional Fall - College Fair; Winter - Tax Assistance Services; and Spring - Campus Tours

24. College Access Marketing Getting the Word Out

25. OR... What you can do with a ream of paper

26. Buzz Marketing • Word-of-mouth marketing • the most efficient method • highly effective • low cost • “Buzz is the aggregate of all person-to-person communication about a particular product, service, or company at any point in time.” • Network Hubs • Why we talk • Examples • eBay, Craigslist, PalmPilot, Hotmail, Google • Buzz builds interest as well as trust and credibility

27. Crafting Your Message • Give clear instructions • Get to the point • Don’t use slang • Understand value messages • Remove perceived barriers • Financial • Academic • Social • Students speak English; parents may not…

28. Value Messages (examples) • Urban marketing • Be “real.” Avoid gimmicks • Rural marketing • Respect for the community • Hispanic teens • Close ties with family • Youth in foster care • Messages should not be specific to foster care youth

29. Connecting with Latino Families • At the core of the Latino culture is family. • When they reach employment age, it is common to secure jobs that contribute to the earning power of the family • College participation is either delayed or foregone altogether • The immigration status of parents may result in a reluctance by the student to complete financial aid forms, particularly the FAFSA • Family’s reluctance to student leaving home influences college choice • Latinas, typically stay close to home • May opt out of a residential campus experience • Latino youth don’t think “being Latino is about language… it really is about culture and values.”

30. The cost of a college education seems daunting and often perceived to be unaffordable • Frame education in terms of long-term earning potential and expanded job opportunities, as well as an increased knowledge base. • Clear up confusion about the financial aid application process and award letters • Loan resistance results from not understanding the loan application process, promissory note, and deferment or loan repayment • Familiarity and use of technology by parents varies • Access and navigation may present varying levels of difficulty • Parents respond more readily to written communication • Latinos are heavy consumers of media • Engage Hispanic-targeted media (they are eager for content and messages that will help them inform, inspire, and advance the communities they serve)

31. Reaching Out • Identify key influencers • Engage Hispanic media sources • Radio works • Post flyers • Post in the community • restaurants, grocery stores, banks, bus stations • Engage the proprietors • English and Spanish (where applicable)

32. Event Planning Things to Consider

34. Involve Others • Student focus groups and advisory groups • Put together a committee • Pick the right members • Partners help cross promote and increase resources • A ‘one-stop’ event maximizes partners, audience, resources and impact

35. Practical Logistics • Choose a date that does not conflict with other events • Evenings and weekends are inevitable • More that one date may be needed • Parents have other dependents (anticipate their attendance and give them something to do) • Respect work schedules and late arrivals • Parking can make or break attendance

36. A Word About Branding • You can brand an event, a partnership, a group, or an issue • Brands and logos are used to quickly and repeatedly communicate a more complicated message • Visual and name recognition is important • A brand makes disparate events cohesive • You don’t have to loose member identity

37. Branding (examples) • College Awareness & Preparation (CAP) • Comprehensive college access efforts of ILASFAA, IACAC, and ISAC • Statewide support with partners from all sectors of education in the State of Illinois • College Goal Sunday (CGS) Illinois • FAFSA workshops typically held a week or two after Super Bowl Sunday • Nationwide volunteer program and is now active in several states • Leadership & funding from NASFAA and Lumina Foundation • KnowHow2GoIllinois.org • Early awareness message to increase college preparation • National Partners: Lumina foundation, American Council on Education, and Ad Council • Local Partners: ISAC, Illinois CAN, and Chicago Public Schools

38. Recommendations “There is no one size-fits-all approach.”

39. Recommendations • Identify college access barriers and opportunities that are specific to your Latino community. • Consider culture and family values. • Pursue partnerships with those that share a common mission, audience, goal, or vision. • Expand the family’s social capital by establishing networks of students, parents, educators, and outreach professionals who will support and mentor each other. • Develop strategies that allow schools and families to work together in efforts that promote college preparation in the middle school, intensify in high school, and carry over into college.

40. Questions María Bucio Professional Development Specialist Illinois Student Assistance Commission mbucio@isac.org www.KnowHow2GOIllinois.org