July 2020 - Form Your Future

#FAFSABrightSpots: Indiana Creates a Virtual FAFSA Frenzy

Posted on July 31, 2020September 23, 2020 by Bill DeBaun

By Teresa Lubbers, Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education

It is often said “necessity is the mother of invention.” Truly, the whole world has been learning this firsthand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education – Indiana’s coordinating body for higher education – has adapted to new circumstances in order to reach students and families, particularly the most vulnerable among us. By shifting our critical outreach efforts online and utilizing social media to connect with students and families, the Commission has continued to administer the state’s financial aid programs, which require a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file.

Under “normal” circumstances, the Commission’s outreach and communications team actively works with schools and families to increase college access and readiness through one-on-one events, as well as by email, text and phone calls, and through postcards and social media campaigns to communicate about the FAFSA and other important college resources.

These outreach events were planned to start in March (leading up to Indiana’s original April 15 FAFSA deadline), just as COVID-19 struck and initiated the closure of schools, colleges, and workplaces.

Moving our entire FAFSA outreach efforts to a virtual setting became the goal. That included transitioning the dates and times from in-person events to Facebook Live events – what we’ve dubbed FAFSA Frenzy events – through the Learn More Indiana Facebook page and all of our social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).

All tools on the table

Considerations for how to make the most impact through virtual events included which online platform to use, what time of day to attempt the events, and how best to share information and connect with students and families.

The Commission’s Facebook pages have a strong following of school counselors, administrators, educators, community partners, and public policy leaders. Promoting and hosting the events through Facebook ensured the Commission would be able to reach its target audience. Other considerations included time constraints (there were none with Facebook Live) and video permanence (Facebook Live videos remain on the page after the broadcast ends).

With the overarching message “Call us or chat us – we’re here to help,” the Commission presented tips and resources for students and families, along with answers to frequently asked questions.

The Commission featured several guests on the first broadcast during a Saturday afternoon, including a representative from financial aid guidance partner INvestEd Indiana, as well as a Spanish-language segment. Combined, staff members and community partners received nearly 100 phone calls, plus texts and emails. The video of the event is available on the Facebook page and has more than 1,600 views to date and reached over 3,000 people.

After a successful first event in early April, a second live event was held the evening before the state’s FAFSA deadline. Again, with one segment dedicated to support for Spanish speakers, the Commission’s staff also welcomed Purdue University’s executive director of financial aid. This event generated more than 100 calls, as well as texts and emails, and the video has more than 1,200 views.

Successful outcomes and future plans

Aside from social media analytics bearing out success, the Commission registered a 4% uptick in FAFSAs filed immediately after the Frenzy events. Of course, we don’t attribute all of that increase to the virtual events. However, the ability to quickly transition our outreach events to virtual offerings meant we were able to reach additional Hoosiers in the midst of a global pandemic.

The Commission also extended the state’s FAFSA filling deadline on a first-come, first-served basis as funding remained available. The extension allowed more than 6,000 additional students to be eligible and considered for financial aid.

Our outreach staff will be glad to get back to in-person events when it is safe to do so, but the success of these events prove the value of virtual offerings, which will become a regular feature of our outreach efforts.

Additionally, and because of the relative success of the FAFSA Frenzy events, the Commission hosted virtual enrollment opportunities in June for the 21st Century Scholars program, which provides tuition for up to four years for income-eligible students.

We will continue to develop these virtual events throughout the summer, fall and beyond. The Commission is counting the lessons we’ve learned along the way as opportunities to deliver important information to students and families about the FAFSA and college financing options during a time when this outreach is more important than ever.

Teresa Lubbers is the Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education. Created in 1971, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education plans, coordinates, and defines Indiana’s postsecondary education system to align higher learning with the needs of students and the state. The Commission also administers Indiana’s financial aid programs, including the 21st Century Scholars early college promise scholarship, which celebrates 30 years in 2020. Learn more about the Commission’s Reaching Higher in a State of Change strategic plan here.

#FAFSABrightSpots: Alabama Possible Leverages Partnerships to Support FAFSA Completion

Posted on July 23, 2020September 23, 2020 by Bill DeBaun

By Manisha Mishra, Program Director, Alabama Possible

Change, as we all know, is the only thing that is constant. At the beginning of March, we were planning to close out the 2019-20 Cash for College Campaign, focused on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion. Then with just a few days’ notice, we began working remotely – with no end in sight.

There was no time to hit the pause button; the team had to continue connecting educators, students, and families to FAFSA resources while also figuring out how to work effectively from home. We reached out to our partners, collected ideas and strategic plans, and had thought-provoking conversations that helped us anchor our work in Alabama’s students’ and families’ needs.

Prior to school closures in mid-March, Alabama’s Class of 2020 had 1.96% more FAFSA completions than the Class of 2019. To understand FAFSA completion trends during COVID-19, Alabama Possible conducted a detailed analysis in addition to its regular weekly data reports.

With schools closed, students faced challenges such as decreased access to high school counselors, career coaches, an internet connection, and other college-going resources. Mirroring national trends, FAFSA completion decreased statewide. As of May 29, Alabama was 1.75% behind last year’s completion rate. We published the full analysis on our blog and shared it with state policymakers and education leaders.

To address challenges faced by educators and students while schools remain closed, we used several initiatives to boost FAFSA completion and support a college-going culture:

1. Cash for College Week

In order to equip counselors/educators with tools to help students complete their FAFSA, Alabama Possible hosted Cash for College Week in collaboration with the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE), and Alabama Community College System (ACCS). During this weeklong initiative, we took the following steps to connect students and families with financial aid to pay for education after high school:

Created a landing page on Alabama Possible’s website with financial aid resources.
Promoted a step-by-step guide to FAFSA completion.
Provided virtual training to counselors/educators on how to access financial aid resources, including data tracking tools.
Created and shared a document with updated financial aid and admissions deadlines for two-year and four-year institutions in partnership with ACHE.
Sent emails and direct mailers to students/families promoting FAFSA completion.
Promoted FAFSA completion activities on television, in print media, and on social media.

2. Cash for College Help Desk

To address declines in FAFSA completions, we launched the Cash for College Help Desk to complement the work of school counselors, career coaches, and college admissions and financial aid counselors. Answering questions about attending and paying for college, the Cash for College Help Desk provides an added layer of support to schools, students, and families.

The free Cash for College Help Desk is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and can be reached by texting or calling 334-316-6155, sending a Facebook message to @cashforcollegeal, or emailing cashforcollege@alabamapossible.org. Messages received after hours are returned the next business day.

3. College and Career Decision Week

Alabama Possible, in partnership with the ALSDE, hosted College and Career Decision Week to support our high school graduates and celebrate their decision to seek valuable postsecondary credentials, including professional/technical credentials and academic degrees, or to pursue careers in skilled trades. Educators shared tips on unique ways to celebrate their students’ accomplishments virtually. Pictures and videos were shared on social media using the hashtags: #ALGOES2COLLEGE, #ReachHigher, #CollegeSigningDay, and #BetterMakeRoom.

4. Webinars

Alabama Possible hosted several webinars to assist counselors/educators in helping students and their families navigate the FAFSA process. These webinars can be found on Alabama Possible’s YouTube Channel.

Since 2016, Alabama Possible’s Cash for College Campaign has worked to increase the number of Alabama students who pursue and complete a postsecondary education by increasing completion of the FAFSA. In partnership with the ALSDE, ACHE, and ACCS, Alabama Possible also provides support for the Alabama College Campaign, which combines Alabama College Application Week, Cash for College, and College Signing Day.

Schools in Alabama can monitor their FAFSA completion progress using our Cash for College Dashboard. This data visualization tool displays each school’s completion rate for the current year and prior year, allowing schools to track their year-over-year improvement. The dashboard also allows schools to make comparisons across districts, counties, and school sizes.

Alabama Possible is a statewide nonprofit organization that removes barriers to prosperity in Alabama through education, collaboration, and advocacy. We influence public policy to ensure every high school graduate in our state can pursue a technical or academic credential after high school. Our programs connect Alabama’s educational leaders, students, and families with the resources necessary to cultivate a college-going culture and equitable educational attainment.

#FAFSABrightSpots: MCAN Spearheads Collective FAFSA Completion Efforts in Michigan

Posted on July 7, 2020July 22, 2020 by Bill DeBaun

By Jamie Jacobs, Deputy Director, Michigan College Access Network

For the past five years, Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) has organized the “College Cash Campaign,” which is designed to increase FAFSA completions among high school seniors. The campaign is a part of a larger strategy called College Bound Michigan (CBMI), which also includes Michigan College Month and College Decision Day. Together, these three efforts facilitate college application completion, FAFSA completion, and final college selection.

In 2019-20, more than 400 high schools participated in CBMI, which was the highest since we launched these efforts with College Application Week back in 2011. College Cash Campaign runs annually from Nov. 1 to March 1. March 1 is Michigan’s FAFSA deadline.

To participate in the College Cash Campaign schools agreed to the following:

Setting a bold FAFSA completion goal.
Selecting a FAFSA champion.
Systematically tracking student-level FAFSA completion data.

Governor’s FAFSA Challenge

In December 2019, the College Cash Campaign received a major boost from Michigan’s Governor, Gretchen Whitmer. When she had learned that $100 million in federal Pell Grants went unclaimed by Michigan high school graduates, she sought to put more free money in the hands of students in the spirit of making college more affordable. Thus, the Governor’s FAFSA Challenge was launched! That challenge was to every high school in Michigan to increase their FAFSA completion rates from the year before, aiming for a 75% completion rate in 2020.

The FAFSA completion rate in Michigan for the 2018-19 year was 56%. The governor teamed up with the lieutenant governor to record a FAFSA challenge video that was viewed more than 1,700 times via MCAN’s Facebook page. Because of the Governor’s interest, MCAN was able to partner with multiple organizations to show a collective effort: Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Department of Treasury, Student Scholarships and Grants, Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, Michigan Association of College Admission Counseling and the Detroit Regional Chamber. Leveraging these connections raised the visibility of the College Cash Campaign.

We also established several milestone goals along the way:

High schools achieving at least a 65% completion rate received a framed tribute from the governor.
High schools achieving at least a 75% completion rate would receive an award presented at a future school board meeting.

Part of the Governor’s FAFSA Challenge included that three top high schools would be named and would receive a $10,000 cash prize. Ten regional winners would also be selected from across Michigan and would be eligible for a visit to the Capitol and a photo opportunity with Gov. Whitmer.

In early April, MCAN announced the 13 winners of the challenge. Thirty-six high participating schools were recognized as having at least a 75% FAFSA completion rate as of March 1, 2020.

Data Access, Tracking, and Sharing

Another major accomplishment was the establishment of a data-sharing partnership with the Michigan Department of Treasury’s Student Scholarships and Grants division, which allowed MCAN to publicly display aggregate FAFSA completion data by high school. These data empowered high schools to have a new level of specificity in their data available at the lift of a finger and encouraged many more schools to process the necessary paperwork to access student-level data to target their interventions and support.

Response During a Pandemic

Once the pandemic forced the closure of K-12 in Michigan, we quickly pivoted to ensure FAFSA completion rates could remain a priority. This pivoting include the following new efforts:

Virtual College Advising. MCAN’s 56 college advisers immediately moved their postsecondary attainment work to a virtual setting and were laser-focused on FAFSA completion rates. They communicated with their students via text, email, social media, and virtual video calls.
College Advising Hotline. In early May, MCAN launched a free, statewide college advising hotline for all students in grades 9-12. In promoting the hotline, we made sure to communicate that help with the FAFSA was available on the hotline. We believe this was the first of its kind in the country.
Paid Advertisements in Social Media. In an effort to keep FAFSA completion rates going up, MCAN invested in several paid advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. These advertisements promoted the FAFSA, the Department of Treasury- SSG Call Center, and the hotline.

As of June 3, Michigan’s FAFSA completion rate is 51.1%, slightly above the FAFSA completion rate at this same time last year.

We still have much work to do to reach the goal of 75%. But we are hopeful that 2019-20 demonstrated that with a bold challenge by a governor, an increase in high schools’ participation in the College Cash Campaign, new partnerships, and creative solutions during an international health crisis, we can move the needle and demonstrate that we are changing a culture and behaviors in support of making a postsecondary education both accessible and affordable.