12/10/13 Webinar

Tips on Coaching for College Success:

Lessons Learned from SkillWorks and Success Boston

Co-Sponsored By:

House-Keeping Items

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• End of webinar survey

• Webinar is being recorded and will be posted on the CWC website within 2-3 weeks: http://cwc.cedac.org

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Webinar Outline

I. Context & Introductions

II. Getting Ready: Preparing to Apply & Completing the Application

III. Getting In: Financial Aid, Placement Tests, Orientation & Course Selection

IV. Getting Through: On Campus Resources

V. Wrap Up: Coaching for Completion

VI. Questions and Answers

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I. Context & Introductions

SkillWorks

Loh-Sze Leung, Executive Director, SkillWorks

• A partnership to improve workforce development in Boston and in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

• Provides greater access for low-skilled individuals to post-secondary education through better preparation, transition, and support services

• Key Strategy: SkillWorks College Navigation Coach

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I. Context & Introductions

Success Boston

Elizabeth Pauley, Program Director, The Boston Foundation

• A partnership to increase the college completion rate of Boston Public Schools graduates

• Employs strategies designed to help students Get Ready, Get In, and Get Through college

• Key Strategy: Transition Coaches

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I. Context & Introductions

• Coaching: individual or group-based support for students to help them navigate the college process and experience

• State-Wide Investments in Coaching:

– Vision Fund Performance Incentive Fund – Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

– Massachusetts Community Colleges and Workforce Development Transformation Agenda

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I. Context & Introductions: Coaches

• Zeida Santos

SkillWorks College Navigation Coach,

Boston Private Industry Council (PIC)

• Kimberly Amyouny

Success Boston Coach,

Senior Program Manager, Freedom House

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II. Getting Ready: Applying to College & Completing the Application

• Student Checklist: – School Transcripts

• High School diploma or GED

– foreign diplomas need to be translated

• If student has taken any college courses elsewhere, they should request/have official transcripts

• TIP: Give yourself a lot of time! Order transcripts early because processing can take time

• TIP: it could take 6 weeks to evaluate foreign transcripts

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II. Getting Ready: Applying to College & Completing the Application

• Student Checklist (cont’d): – Identification

• State-issued id or driver’s license

• Passport/green card & proof of residency for 6 months

• TIP: have student bring a copy of their current id for your files

– In good financial standing

• Assess student’s financial situation/student debt

• Students with loans in bad standing are not eligible for student aid and cannot access credits

• Six months of on-time loan payments is required to be back in good standing

• TIP: Get student on a student loan payment plan and/or see if they qualify for deferment

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Preparation is 99% of success!

II. Getting Ready: Applying to College & Completing the Application

• Coaches TIPS:

– Check the school’s academic calendar and admissions deadlines ahead of time

– Use role play to help students prepare for difficult conversations

– Cover 1 or 2 steps of the enrollment process at a time

– Make sure students sign a FERPA – Family Educational Rights Privacy Act Permission to Release Information Form

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Role play helps

students prepare

II. Getting Ready: Applying to College & Completing the Application

• Sample FERPA Form:

– Student and College Information

– Permission to Release Information Section

– Student signature and date

– If student is under 18, parent signature is required

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Role play helps

students prepare

II. Getting Ready: Applying to College & Completing the Application

• Resources: – BPS College & Career Guide:

http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/college

– Success Boston’s Senior Checklist for a Successful College Transition: www.successboston.org

– Coaching for College and Career: A SkillWorks Toolkit: http://www.skill-works.org/documents/SkillWorksCoachingToolkit_WebOnly.pdf

• Section 1: Different Types of Students

• Section 2: Sample SkillWorks Student Information Release Form (FERPA); Agencies that translate foreign diplomas and documentation; Community College Student Enrollment Checklist

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III. Getting In: Financial Aid, Placement Tests, Orientation & Course Selection

• Completing the FAFSA – FAFSA = Free Application for Federal Student Aid

– Properly fill out tax information

• Link to IRS website through http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ or update with tax information

– List all colleges to which student is applying

– FAFSA verification process

• Process could include email and/or postal mail notifications/requests that need to be addressed

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It’s more than just

the FAFSA!

File taxes and FAFSA

early!

III. Getting In: Financial Aid

• Coaches TIPS – Determine student’s tax filing status

• If the student is claimed as a dependent, that person’s tax return is needed

– File taxes early: in the first couple weeks of February

– Submit FAFSA & link to the IRS two weeks after taxes are filed

– MA Deadline for Fall financial aid is March 1st

– Nothing happens with a FAFSA until student is accepted to college

– Once accepted, students should go back to their financial aid office:

• Determine the status of their financial aid application

• Determine if additional verification documents are needed

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III. Getting In: Financial Aid

• Understand FULL Cost of College – Cost per Credit

– Health Insurance policy/requirement

• At BHCC, if student takes over 9 credits they need to pay for school health insurance ($1,600 per year)

• See if student’s own health insurance qualifies them for a waiver

– Books

– Student fees (lab, technology, activities, etc.)

• Coaches’ TIPS – ACTUAL versus ESTIMATED amount of financial aid

– Discuss how to address any gaps between actual cost of college and amount of financial aid

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Actual VS

Estimated

III. Getting In: Financial Aid

• Coaches TIPS (cont’d) – Make sure student knows that any increase/decrease in # of credits

taken may impact their financial aid amount

• Resources – American Student Assistance (ASA): Student Loan Basics

• http://www.asa.org/basics/default.aspx

– uAspire: http://www.uaspire.org/

– Coaching for College and Career: A SkillWorks Toolkit

• Section 2: MA Public Higher Education Institutions In-State Tuition Eligibility Form and Financial Aid and Scholarships Information

– BHCC Cost of Attendance

• http://bhcc.mass.edu/admissions/studentpayment/costofattendance/

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III. Getting In: Placement Tests

• Coaches TIPS: – Check transcripts to make sure student does need

to take placement test(s)

– Make sure student understands the implications of placement scores & developmental education

– Stress the importance of test preparation

– Students can and should take practice tests often

– Students should take one actual placement test per day

– Students can take actual placement tests twice in 6 months

– Make sure to know which test a school uses – ACCUPLACER is most common among MA community colleges

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ACCUPLACER Test Prep is Important!

III. Getting In: Placement Tests

• Resources – Study Guides & Strategies: www.studygs.net

– Khan Academy: www.khanacademy.org

– ACCUPLACER iPhone App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/official-accuplacer-study/id479626721

– A CCUPLACER Web-based Study App: https://store.collegeboard.org/sto/productdetail.do?Itemkey=120095191

– ACCUPLACER®//MyFoundationsLab®

http://www.mathxl.com/login_accuplacer.htm

– ACCUPLACER Sample Questions from College Board: http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/accuplacer/accuplacer-sample-questions-for-students.pdf

– Get Schooled Report on digital college access tools: https://getschooled.com/about/research/kresge-report-college-access-tools

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III. Getting In: Orientation & Course Selection

• College Orientation is usually mandatory

• Make sure students know of Orientation dates/times and make arrangements with employers, childcare, transportation

• Check if nighttime and/or weekend Orientations are offered

• During Orientation, student will probably meet with an academic advisor to pick classes

• Before Orientation do some preparation: – Career Exploration to inform course selection and planning

– Review College’s course offerings

– Have a picture id to bring to Orientation

– Bring transcript (official or unofficial) to meeting with Academic Advisor

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III. Getting In: Orientation & Course Selection

• Some colleges (BHCC) may do a 2nd mandatory Orientation – make sure student knows about all mandatory events since not attending could restrict class registration

• Have student check their school email address as most schools set every student up with an account and send important information this way

• Educate yourself, and give feedback to the school on Orientation process

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III. Getting In: Orientation & Course Selection

• Resources – Coaching for College and Career:

A SkillWorks Toolkit

• Section 1: Career and Education Planning Worksheet; Stackable Credentials An Overview

– MA Transformation Agenda: Stackable Credentials http://www.masscc.org/sites/massc.drupalgardens.com/files/201309/Oct%2013%27%20Update.pdf

– Research College’s Fast Track and Certificate Programs

• For example, Bunker Hill Community College: http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/search/?q=fast+track&test1=Submit

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IV. Getting Through: On Campus Resources

• Common campus resources include: – tutoring, advising, textbooks, emergency

financial assistance, child care, different clubs, parent associations

• A good place to find out more about campus resources: – Student Life/Campus Life section of website

– Student Affairs office on campus

– BHCC has a Student Resources Guide

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IV. Getting Through: On Campus Resources

• Coaches TIPs: – Do your own campus tour

– Find out how the college tracks student progress and ask for access to these records so that you can review with Student

– Do some time management activities with students to plan for balancing schoolwork and life demands

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IV. Getting Through: On Campus Resources

• Resources – Coaching for College and

Career: A SkillWorks Toolkit

• Section 2: Student Class Tracker; I’ll Do It TODAY!; Semester Planning

• Section 3: Planning by the Week; Time Management Worksheet: Personal Time Management Tool

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V. Wrap Up: Coaching for Completion

• Create a plan for continued student success – Determine preferred communication style and schedule

– Identify additional support resources

– Set both long-term and short-term goals

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VII. Questions & Answers

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