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The College Bound Scholarship. OSPI Summer Institute June 26 – 27, 2013. College Bound Pop Quiz. Sign-up Questions – True or False If a student changes schools, he/she must submit another CB application.
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The College Bound Scholarship OSPI Summer Institute June 26 – 27, 2013
College Bound Pop Quiz • Sign-up Questions – True or False • If a student changes schools, he/she must submit another CB application. • Only principals and superintendents may access the portal for a list of students who have signed up for the Scholarship. • To apply in 7th or 8th grade, students must be U. S. citizens and legal residents of Washington state. • College Bound materials (brochures, pencils, academic posters) are free; schools must pay the postage. • If the student’s parents are divorced, both parents must meet the income eligibility requirement when the student applies. • The GPA requirement was changed from a cumulative 2.0 to a 2.5.
College Bound Pop Quiz • High School/College – True or False • A student must graduate with his/her class to receive the Scholarship. • All College Bound students must begin college in the fall. • To receive the Scholarship, students must be U. S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. • If a student earns a bachelor’s degree early he/she may use CB to earn a master’s degree. • Students must be enrolled continuously throughout their college career to receive the Scholarship. • Students must graduate from high school; GEDs are not permitted.
Agenda • Program Basics • Middle School • High School • Communications: Lessons Learned • Challenges • Class of 2012 Data
College Bound Scholarship • Goal: To improve high school graduation and college enrollment rates for low-income students. • Offers an early promise of financial aid to qualifying 7th and 8th graders • Student is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL), receives basic food/TANF, or meets the income standard • Student was in foster care • Combines with State Need Grant and other state financial aid to cover tuition (at public college rates), plus a small book allowance
College Bound Student Pipeline • Students apply in middle school; deadline is June 30 at the end of 8th grade year. • Number of eligible students and percentage who apply increases each year. • Number of 7th graders who apply increases each year.
College Bound Scholarship Students Race and Ethnicity Data for Complete Applications
All the Places You Can Go! • The College Bound Scholarship can be used at 68 Washington colleges and universities.
Best Practices • Targeted approach • Use OSPI’s Disclosure Agreement • Obtain names of students eligible for free- and reduced-price lunch • Using the secure portal, compare lists– those who are eligible with those who have applied • Multi-pronged strategies • Sign up 7th graders • Sign up students online during conferences • 1:1 conversations • Mailings/phone calls home with pre populated applications • Build a team to be successful and share the work
Forms • Application • Online vs. paper (English and Spanish) • Importance of quality control • Release of Information – check boxes have been eliminated! By applying for the Scholarship, parents agree to share information. Parents may still opt out of sharing student’s information with college access partners • Applied vs. complete application – what makes a complete application? • Missing Information Letters (MILs) & Batching Project • Deadline – June 30 of student’s 8th grade year; only apply once • Translated into 11 Languages – Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cambodian, Korean, Tagalog, Arabic, Somali • Certificate • Sent within 4 weeks of receiving acomplete application • Good way to determine if student hassigned up: “Did you receive a certificate?”
Portal Access • Tracking made easy • Staff able to access names and numbers of students who have signed up & completed the FAFSA • Easy, fast, current (refreshed daily), and secure • Apply for access All portal accounts will expire in July. To gain access for 2013-14 academic year, forward your name and contact information in the fall to: collegebound@wsac.wa.gov
College Bound Program Officers • The College Success Foundation (CSF) provides outreach and support services to eligible students through an OSPI contract. • Each ESD has a College Bound Program Officer to work with districts and schools to: • Design and implement CBS school-based outreach strategies. • Provide FAFSA completion strategies including event promotion. • CSF and the Council collaborate to ensure consistent understanding of program rules and communication.
Successful Signups • Targeted outreach • Good use of data • Support from administration • Point person in school or district • Follow-up (persistence, persistence, persistence)
FAFSA Process Flow Student files FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov ISIR shared with college Student Aid Report (SAR) for student COLLEGE STUDENT Reviews SAR for accuracy. Will contact student if more information is needed. Must make any corrections at www.fafsa.gov Prepares financial aid package. Must respond to requests from college for more information, and sign off on final award letter. Award letter shared with student.
College Bound Award Scholarship is based on financial need. It coordinates with State Need Grant and other state- funded grants or scholarships to cover tuition (at public institution rates) and student activity fees, and a small book allowance. • Book allowance will be included in financial aid award, but not noted separately.
Award Amount The CBS amount varies for each student • Tuition based on type of school attending • Maximum award is based on tuition, fees, and $500 book allowance from $4,400 to $11,900 • Other state financial aid awarded is subtracted • State Need Grant, Passport to College Scholarship, Opportunity Scholarship, and SBCTC Opportunity Grant
CBS Requirements • Enroll in college within 1 year of high school graduation. • CBS is a four- year scholarship (12 qtrs./8 semesters). • Must be used within 5 years of HS graduation –Class of 2013 - Scholarship expires in 2018. • Must maintain college’s SAP throughout college. • File the FAFSA every year in college-preferably by February 1. • If ineligible one year (income, citizenship status), may file the next year if situation changes.
COMMUNICATIONS: LESSONS LEARNED
Messages Messages must be clear and accurate from middle school, through high school and into college. Examples • Award: Full-ride scholarship vs. tuition and book allowance • FAFSA: Priority Deadline vs. Priority Filing Date • Citizenship status: Apply vs. Receive • Income: Apply vs. Receive • Colleges: All vs. WA State Need Grant Eligible
Delivering the Message Council Website • Tool Kit: Power Points; Senior To Do Lists, What Seniors Must Know, Eligible Institutions, The WashBoard, Resources for 1079 students Access to Secure Portal • High schools able to monitor students’ FAFSA status – Filed? Complete? Conferences and Workshops • WCAN – UWS; Tacoma College Success Network -UWT; Advocates for Multicultural Student Achievement - Bellingham region; Gold Star Reception; Tacoma Community College Ways to Pay; etc.
New Ways to Deliver the Message Enhanced existing materials • College Bound Scholarship Certificate Expanded message on the back of the certificate • Companion piece for PowerPoint:Frequently Asked Questions for College Bound Seniors • Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer “To Do” Lists Added list of eligible institutions • FAFSA/College Bound Scholarship match email Detailed explanation of Action Steps for students; Email also sent to parents
Challenges Data and Scholarship Requirements • OSPI data based on district reporting • May change • Reporting variances, etc. • Collecting information from home school and private school students • Collecting and reviewing transcripts Award Letters • Disparity between colleges – CB listed or not; timing, etc. • Difficult to read and interpret • Parental options and next steps
Response to the Challenges Community Colleges • Seattle Community Colleges implement a creative solution • Acted as a liaison between Seattle Public Schools and the Council to expedite confirmation that students met requirements. • Shared this with Tacoma Public Schools and colleges in Pierce County who are developing a similar system.
Response to the Challenges Data Exchanges • All students now included in exchange between OSPI and Council for eligibility and awarding (does not affect Portal lists.) • Another possible solution for determining graduation and GPA: High schools upload files of CB students directly to Council. • January 2013 changes to CBS application for Release of Information increases data shared between educational entities and select public and non-profit agencies.
Response to the Challenges Award Letters • Discussion begun throughout Washington to make changes in look and timing of financial aid Award Letters. • National movement to promote Award Letter consistency. • Council collected a list of college financial aid offices staff that we can contact to facilitate problem-solving and information exchange when families have questions.
College Bound – Class of 2012 2012 Class = 15,861 students • 9,657 filed the FAFSA • 10,680 verified graduated (78.7%) • 6,892 currently enrolled Winter 2013 reporting • 4,282 have College Bound Scholarship awards as reported by postsecondary institutions • 2,610 enrolled but not awarded • Students may have state aid in excess of maximum award • Income may exceed maximum • Enrolled in non-SNG institution • 500 are attending college out of state
GPA Comparison College Bound students have higher cumulative grade point averages than their peers who are also low income but are not enrolled in College Bound. *CBS records matched with OSPI data, January 2013.
Statewide Graduation Rates Students not eligible for Free- and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) have the highest graduation rate: 86.8%. College Bound Scholarship students: 78.7%. Students eligible for FRPL who did not apply for the College Bound Scholarship: 59.9%.
A College Bound Student “It seemed way too good to be true," said Hamda Yusaf, a current University of Washington student who received the College Bound Scholarship. "I don't think we even truly believed that it was an actual scholarship until probably a week before my fall quarter and we all woke up with money in our bank accounts and a tuition balance set to zero. And I think that was the best morning of my life.” The Skanner News March 18, 2013
Conclusion and Discussion Middle School Challenges • Sign-ups – 100% • Data collection High School Challenges • Identifying CBS students • Support for them • Throughout high school • Preparing for college – applications, financial aid morass, FAFSA, follow-up
Who Can Help? ESD 101: Serving Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, & Whitman counties; Interim: Michelle Alejano, 509-251-3787 malejano@collegesuccessfoundation.org ESD 105: Serving Kittitas, Yakima, Klickitat, and Grant counties; Efrain Quiroz, 509-781-4207 equiroz@collegesuccessfoundation.org ESD 112: Serving Clark, Skamania, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Klickitat, & Pacific countiesRebecca Hightower, 509-322-6788 rhightower@collegesuccessfoundation.org ESD 113: Serving Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, & Thurston counties; Theresa Kimball, 360-701-9608 tkimball@collegesuccessfoundation.org ESD 114: Serving Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, and North Mason counties; Pat Jensen, 360-265-2462 pjensen@collegesuccessfoundation.org ESD 121: Serving King and Pierce counties; Marina Espinoza, 206-366-5564 mespinoza@collegesuccessfoundation.org ESD 123: Serving Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Asotin, and Whitman counties; Teresa Santoy, 509-840-0332 tsantoy@collegesuccessfoundation.org ESD 171: Serving Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties; Sue Johnson, 509-449-0138 sjohnson@collegesuccessfoundation.org ESD 189: Serving Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties; Leiann DeVelder, 425-780-0456ldevelder@collegesuccessfoundation.org
Ready, Set, Grad! New college and career planning website — Ready, Set, Grad — is on track to launch in late June 2013. • An interactive timeline management tool for students. • Financial aid counseling and financial literacy curriculum intended to educate all students on state and federal financial aid programs, scholarships, work study, loans options and repayment, and basic money management. • A forum of “real” stories and advice from students and parents. • Both instructional and inspirational videos covering college aspiration and financial aid. • The ability for students and families to sign up for text message updates regarding programs, deadlines, etc.
Resources Website: www.CollegeBound.wa.gov Facebook: I am College Bound LISTSERV:To join send an email to: CollegeBound@wsac.wa.gov