Dear Friends,

One year ago, the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) embarked on a new strategy designed to “get closer” to its constituents. ICAN adopted a regional office strategy which located its staff members on the campuses of several college partners. From Council Bluffs to Davenport, and many places within, students were able to tap into ICAN’s local presence for assistance with college and career planning, as well as financial aid assistance.

While it will take a few years to fully assess its effectiveness, the early results are impressive. For the first time in its 16-year existence, ICAN helped more than 500,000 students and parents this past year! That represents a 5.6 percent increase from 2013.

In addition to the number of students served, we find the type of students just as important. This past year, one out of every three students assisted were first-generation students – the first in their family to attend college. These students are typically more at risk because they don’t have family members to guide them through the college selection process. ICAN levels that playing field.

Finally, ICAN launched an exciting new Freshman Transitions Program. The program’s curriculum engages freshman students in a series of presentations and interactive activities that span their entire high school career. The goal of this new program is to help students and families make more informed and aligned decisions on college and careers.

As always, the impact and success of ICAN is made possible only through the continued, generous support of its partners and contributors. Contributions to ICAN help ensure that tomorrow’s workforce will be both skilled and plentiful.

Thank you for your continued support to positively impact Iowa’s youth!

Rob MillerExecutive DirectorIowa College Access Network

Director’s Message

Investing in Iowa’s FutureThe Iowa College Access Network 2014 Annual Report

Your Future, Expertly Planned.

Your Future, Expertly PlannedWhat do you want to be when you grow up? What are you going to do after high school graduation? What’s your dream job?

These are the questions students are peppered with from day one of preschool. And after they give a shrug and an answer, the conversation moves on to more exciting topics like the big game Friday night, what television show is binge-worthy and summer vacation plans.

The logical next step in the conversation is being missed and studies are reflecting that this misstep is taking its toll on how ready our students are for the next phase in life.

According to ACT, Inc., a leading organization in educational research and testing, and the creator of the ACT standardized college entrance exam, just 39 percent of test-takers in the class of 2014 met three or more of the

ACT college-readiness benchmarks in English, reading, science and math. Nearly one-third did not meet any.

ACT benchmarks are designed to show students their preparedness levels for college-level coursework areas. In a world where more and more industry requires workers with skills and education earned beyond high school, the fact that 60 percent meet fewer than three benchmarks, and that one-third fail to meet any, is a startling statement with serious repercussions for the workforce of tomorrow and the stability of our local, state, and national economies.

According to the Center for the Workforce and the Economy at Georgetown University, 73 percent of all jobs in the future will require at least some postsecondary education. Fulfilling its mission to empower Iowans to

achieve their educational and career goals, the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) has taken this research, and the needs of the current and future workforce to heart.

In the fall of 2013, ICAN began discussions of how to address the gap in college and career readiness. During discussions with colleagues in higher education and the school counselors of Iowa, as well as with industry experts, the same message was heard, “We need to reach students and parents sooner.”

Starting to think about college planning in the junior or senior year is almost too late to make any adjustments to better qualify for admissions.

The journey truly begins in the months leading up to a student’s first day of their freshman year of high school. But while talking to students sooner is a great concept, what do you talk to them about? It’s too early for admission or scholarship applications, and too early for financial aid discussions. So…

What does a new high school student need to know? What do their parents need to know? In an ideal world, what would college planning look like for this age group?

The answers to these questions lead to more questions. What deters students from college? What are the repercussions of not being prepared for college but going anyway? For many, the answers are higher transfers rates, remedial coursework that does not count towards college credit, longer completion times for earning a degree and higher student debt loads. Some students feel deterred from college by the idea of four more years and massive student debt, not knowing the full slate of possibilities that lay before them in career pathways that require only a year or two of specialized training.

How can ICAN make an impact on the time it takes to attain a degree, how much debt students take, or if they will transfer? The answer: earlier discussions on both career and college trajectories and how high school activities and classes factor in.

Career planning as part of college planning became the answer.

From an admission standpoint there are four factors: Grade Point Average (GPA), Class Rank, ACT/SAT score and the number of core classes a student takes like English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language. All of

Ryan Ronan, ICAN student success advisor, talks with incoming freshman students and parents about the ACT Profile Career Map and how it can help identify courses and classes to take.

Shea Stamp, ICAN student success advisor, talks with middle school student Sofia Christiansen about her interests, hobbies and favorite school subjects during a freshman transition advising session at the East Central Iowa Student Success Center.

these factors are calculated from freshman year through senior year, NOT junior and senior year.

From a career standpoint it’s an even simpler formula. What career do you want? What skills and education are required? How do you obtain those skills and education?

Armed with this information, the ICAN team began working on a new program specifically designed for the transition between middle school and high school. The largest part of this new program became the career planning component. If a student has a general idea of a career area they are interested in when they begin high school, they can begin working toward that career and determine if it’s right for them, take courses to prepare them, and participate in extracurricular activities that support that future.

ICAN launched a new Freshmen Transitions Program in August 2014. In its pilot year, the Freshmen Transitions Program kicks off with an orientation event with incoming freshman shortly before school begins. Hosted by their high school in conjunction with the school counseling office, an ICAN advisor provides a group presentation complete with a Freshmen Transition Guidebook outlining the concepts of career planning assessments and four-year high school course plans.

Following the on-site community kick-off event, follow-up advising sessions are scheduled with students and parents either in their high school or at one of eight ICAN Student Success Centers throughout the state. Follow-up activities within the schools are coordinated with the counseling office and provide the individualized planning session students would receive if they visited the ICAN Student Success Center.

The centerpiece of the program is the ACT Profile, an online career planning tool that provides students with a Career Map based on a set of three assessments that looks at personality, desired skills and work desires.

Career planning at a young age is focused on career pathways that steer students in a direction that matches their ambitions rather than selecting one particular career field.

Through the identification of career pathways such as Science Technology or Applied Arts, a student is provided with potential careers, starting salaries, projected industry growth and, more importantly, recommended courses to take in high school.

Career pathways also provide students with the opportunity to explore careers prior to college. Job shadows and internships in high school are a great way to test drive a career

before spending any money pursuing that career. If a student eliminates a career in high school, it potentially saves time and money in college eliminating unwanted major changes.

Once upon a time, college planning meant deciding “I’m going to college.” A student picked a school that had a great sports team or a wide selection of program options. In today’s world of growing tuition prices and high-demand career opportunities, college planning means picking a school that fits an individual’s career path potential.

ICAN has been helping students and families with the ever-evolving college planning process since 1998, with each change in financial aid, scholarships and admissions.

ICAN has been at the forefront of program assistance, doing the research and bringing the knowledge to the communities, counselors, students and families across Iowa. In this new age of career-focused college planning, ICAN is once again evolving to meet the needs of Iowa’s future through program development, one-on-one advising and personalized attention. It’s your future, expertly planned with ICAN.

Income

Corporate Donors $1,174,018 Partnerships $ 77,450 Grants $ 39,790 Individual Donors $ 9,054 Earned Income $ 23,480 Donated Services $ 47,759

Total $1,362,497

Expenses

Program Services ICAN Centers $1,068,910 Golden Circle College Fair $ 20,636 Iowa College Goal Sunday $ 14,473

Supporting Services General and Administration $ 278,233 Fundraising $ 80,003

Total $1,462,255

Change in Net Assets $ (82,633)

Assets Cash & Cash Equivalents $ 1,332 Accounts Receivable $ 2,046 Grants Receivable $ 0 Prepaid Expenses $ 31,499 Property and Equipment $ 8,995 Total Assets $ 43,872

Liabilities Accounts Payable $160,158 Deferred Revenue $ 6,712 Total Liabilities $166,870

Net Assets Unrestricted $(122,998) Temporarily restricted $ 0 Permanently restricted $ 0 Total Net Assets $(122,998)

Total Liabilities & Net Assets $ 43,872

Programs & Services: By the NumbersAccess Granted

2013-2014 Academic Year506,656 customer contacts4,335 appointments5,552 FAFSA’s completed1,117 presentations given24,227 phone calls190,279 newsletter subscriptions237,918 unique website visitors

Customers

13% of the customers ICAN serves identify themselves as belonging to races other than Caucasian compared to 8.1% of the population in Iowa.

37% of families make less than $50,000 per year.

29% are first-generation college students who have no family members to guide them through the application process.

Program Impact

ICAN Programs Overall99% of program attendees agree that ICAN experts are knowledgeable in subject matter presented.

99% of program attendees agree that topics presented are important and resource materials distributed are useful.

99% of program attendees indicated that attending an ICAN College Planning or Financial Aid presentation better prepared them for the college process.

ICAN Office Appointments97% of ICAN office customers agree that the appointment with an ICAN representative met their expectations and 97% indicated the representative was knowledgeable and answered all their questions.

Financials Year-end report - June 30, 2014

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, Iowa College Access Network has received donations, grants, partnerships and pledges in the amount of $1.3 million.

ICAN Condensed Balance Sheet

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“Very hands on and helpful in completing the application. He [the ICAN student success advisor] explained the process, was friendly and answered all of my questions!”

– Treasure Winther, Eldora parent

“Just keep doing what you’re doing...so appreciate all the help you’ve given over the years! Thanks! I’ll keep recommending you to all I know who need it.”

– Stacey Truman, Des Moines parent

”

Customer’s Perspective on ICAN’s ImpactOur story begins like many…in a school auditorium on a cool fall Iowa evening. As the seats filled with high school seniors dreaming of college next fall, their parents were filing in alongside, curious about the mysterious financial aid process and concerned with how they were going to pay for their student’s college education in a few short months.

Among these individuals were Sherri Roberts and her son Cody. A senior at Bondurant-Farrar High School, a small school on the edge of Des Moines, Cody had great ambitions for his future that would begin at Iowa State University. Sherri had many questions about how to pay for Cody’s future.

“We originally heard about ICAN at our local high school. The school and ICAN teamed up together, offering a nighttime meeting for parents that highlighted important facts about filling out your FAFSA,” said Sherri. “It was at that meeting that ICAN shared the fact that they also offer personal one-on-one assistance filling out the form.”

Sherri jumped at the opportunity to work with an ICAN advisor and to discuss their family situation. While Cody was a senior at Bondurant, Sherri also had an older son, Cory, who was beginning his college education in the fall. Armed with the information from the ICAN Financial Aid Night, Sherri made an appointment for help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at an ICAN Student Success Center for both her sons. What started out as a regular FAFSA appointment quickly turned into a more complicated and emotional experience than Sherri had anticipated.

“When I first came to ICAN for assistance, we had both of our boys entering college at the same time. Our older son, Cory, was going to be married later that year. Erick [Danielson, ICAN Supervisor & Student Success Advisor] was concerned about what the outcome might be, so he took the time to look at several different options to see what would be the

most cost effective for Cory and his future wife together, as well as our younger son, Cody, my husband and me.”

Understanding the nuances of FAFSA completion and anticipating various scenarios is a key component to ICAN’s financial aid training. Completing a FAFSA is more than just plugging numbers into a form. The FAFSA is also understanding how and why those numbers impact a student’s financial aid. Part of the ICAN process is providing the resources and guidance necessary for a family to fully understand and receive full benefits from the process.

“I remember our first application [with Erick}. While taking our personal information to fill in the application, he informed me that something on our tax returns that year had to be listed all as straight income for the FAFSA form, which u l t i m a t e l y ended up affecting the federal grant and college aid money our student could qualify for. I simply sat there and began to cry,” recalled Sherri. “He was very sympathetic and listened as to why that was of such a financial concern for us. He offered some wonderful words of encouragement and suggested that I go visit directly with the financial aid staff at the college. When I

finished that day with Erick, I drove straight up to Iowa State University and began my conversation in the student financial aid office with, “the ICAN person, Erick, encouraged me to personally see you guys and seek some help with special exemptions.”

The special advice and words of encouragement paid off as Sherri was able to work directly with the financial aid office to overcome some of the financial worries presented by the tax and FAFSA reporting requirements.

“It was wonderful advice that Erick offered, as the college worked with us regarding those concerns,” continued Sherri. “With this being our first child to go to college, we were unaware of the proper steps to take or what kind of help to seek out.”

From then on, each year Sherri returned to ICAN for FAFSA assistance, and each year presented its own unique situations allowing ICAN’s team of experts to tap into their year of financial aid experience and help

Sherri navigate through decisions on how to complete the FAFSA form for her sons.

(Continued on last page)

The Roberts Family (from left) Juliana (Cody’s wife), Cody, Sherri, Todd, Erin Carlson (Cory’s girlfriend) and Cory Roberts.

“I cannot express how wonderful it has been to have the personal one-on-one assistance.”

~Sherri Roberts

“[ICAN] is an incredible nonprofit that truly has the best interests of all future college students at the heart of their focus.”

~Sherri Roberts

Iowa College Access Network ContributorsThe following contributors made gifts to ICAN between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014 through grants, partnerships, in-kind donations and individual gifts. These contributions support ICAN programs and services within Iowa high schools, as well as ICAN office services, publications and resources.

Individual Contributors

The Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) helps Iowa schools prepare their students and parents prepare a plan to not only enroll at an institution of higher education, but to also determine how they will finance their education.

Your support of ICAN helps preserve and enhance the quality of programs and services ICAN is able to provide, as well as the statewide ability with which we provide it. ICAN appreciates donors who believe in Iowa students and choose to support the ICAN mission through generous investments and partnerships.

The following recognition levels have been established to honor ICAN supporters.

Premier $50,000 and aboveExecutive $25,000 - $49,999Platinum $10,000 - $24,999Gold $5,000 - $9,999Silver $2,500 - $4,999Bronze $1,000 - $2,499 Fellow $750 -$999Associate $500 - $749Friends of ICAN $100 - $499Supporters of ICAN Gifts up to $99

Silver

Steve McCullough

Bronze

Rob & Brenda Miller

Associate

Erick Danielson

Kevin Fangman

Rose Rennekamp

Friends of ICAN

Doug Bannon

John Davis

Randy Eubank

DeLores Hawkins

Lupe Hernandez

Joseph & Brittania Morey

John & Jo Ann O’Bryne

Todd & Sherri Roberts

Sara Sedlacek & Rob Krysh

Laura Vint

Supporters of ICAN

Anonymous (2)

Carol Bogaard

Lyle & Tammy Bramley

Angie Carter

Jennifer Coffman

Ann Dailey

Thomas & Laurel Day

Pamela Fitzgerald

John Holland

Elizabeth Hougham

Nancy Kuhn

Justin & Jennifer Kupka

Julie Lauridsen

Steve Loven

Steve & Kathy Peters

Andy and Cathleen Phillips

Mark Pokorny

Ryan Ronan

Harlan Rozeboom

Jessica Schultz

Cindy Shupp

Melissa Spivie

Shea Stamp

Debbie Theis

Maria Upmeyer

Jason Wesselmann

Customer Perspectives on ICAN’s Impact

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“Great presentation! I appreciate having someone else come in and talk with our students about this very important topic! Students seem to listen more to outside guests than the school counselors that have been giving them this information for 3-4 years. A different voice is always appreciated - thanks for all you do!” ~ Leah Heidemann, counselor at Carlisle High School, Carlisle

“The information is well-planned in the presentation and flows throughout. ICAN always does a great job presenting to our families with consideration to their needs.” ~ Amanda Lawless Anderson, Turkey Valley Community School District, Jackson Junction

“ICAN did an excellent job. It is evident how passionate she is about the materials she presents. Great presentation skills, appearance, style and the connectedness to our school and how things are done here.” ~ Shelley Powers, Humboldt High School, Humboldt

“My advisor was wonderful! I feel much more confident leaving ICAN knowing more about financial aid and the FAFSA!” ~ Cedar Rapids parent

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Corporate, Foundation and Organization Contributors

PremierIowa Student Loan

ExecutiveDes Moines Area Community CollegeKirkwood Community College

PlatinumACT Inc.Consumer Credit of Des MoinesIndian Hills Community CollegeIowa Western Community CollegeNorthwestern College (IA)St. Ambrose UniversityUniversity of Northern IowaWestern Iowa Tech Community CollegeUSA Funds

GoldAegon Transamerica FoundationCollege Goal Sunday 2014Drake UniversityGreater Cedar Rapids Community FoundationHawkeye Community CollegePrincipal Charity ClassicRegent Universities

SilverBlack Hawk County Community FoundationCommunity Foundation of Johnson CountyIndian Hills Community CollegeMount Mercy UniversityNorth Star Community Credit Union

BronzeAhlers & Cooney, P.C.Ashford UniversityBenton County Community FoundationButler County Community FoundationClarke UniversityCollege WorksCommunity Foundation of Greater DubuqueCommunity Foundation of Van Buren CountyFranklin County Community FoundationIowa Bankers AssociationKossuth County Community Foundation

Linn Area Credit UnionPottawattamie County Community FoundationTama County Community FoundationUniversity of South DakotaUniversity of Wisconsin - PlattevilleWartburg College

FellowTruman State UniversityWells Fargo EFSWilliam Penn UniversityZAPS Learning Company

AssociateAIB College of BusinessAscentra Credit UnionBaker GroupBankers Trust Company, Des MoinesBuena Vista UniversityChickasaw County Community FoundationCornell CollegeDupaco Community Credit UnionEllsworth Community CollegeFamily Planning Council of IowaFarmers Trust and Savings Bank, SpencerFoundation for the Future of Delaware CountyGrand View UniversityIowa Association of Student Financial Aid AdministratorsIowa Lakes Community College, EmmetsburgIowa School Counselor AssociationLuther CollegeMaharishi University of ManagementMorningside CollegeNorth Iowa Area Community CollegeNorthwest Missouri State UniversityUpper Iowa UniversityWaldorf CollegeWinnebago County Community Foundation

Friends of ICANAllen CollegeAmerican Bank, N.A., Le MarsAugustana College, SDAugustana College, ILAveda Institute of Des MoinesAvila UniversityBaker University

Barbizon Modeling and TalentBeloit CollegeBethel UniversityBradley UniversityBriar Cliff UniversityBrown Mackie College- Quad CitiesCarleton CollegeCentral CollegeClarkson CollegeCoe CollegeColgate UniversityCollege of St. Benedict & St. John’s UniversityCollege of WoosterColumbia College of ChicagoConcordia University - NebraskaCreighton UniversityDordt CollegeDrury UniversityEastern Iowa Community College DistrictEmmaus Bible CollegeFey & Gomez, Inc.First National Bank, FontanelleGraceland UniversityGreen Belt Bank & Trust, Iowa FallsGrinnell CollegeGustavus Adolphus CollegeHamline UniversityIllinois Wesleyan UniversityIowa Army National GuardIowa Central Community CollegeIowa College Student Aid CommissionIowa School of BeautyIowa Wesleyan CollegeIowa Western Community CollegeIowaWORKSKansas City Art InstituteKaplan UniversityKnox CollegeLa James International CollegeLawrence UniversityLoras CollegeMacalester CollegeMarquette UniversityMcNally Smith College of MusicMercy College of Health SciencesMidland UniversityMinnesota State UniversityMissouri State UniversityMissouri University of Science and TechnologyMissouri Western State UniversityMonmouth CollegeMount Vernon Bank & Trust Company, Mount Vernon

Northwest Iowa Community CollegeNorthwestern CollegeNorthwestern College, MNPark UniversityPenn State UniversityPurdue UniversityRockhurst CollegeSaint Louis UniversitySaint Mary’s University of MinnesotaSavannah College of Art and DesignSeton Hall UniversitySignature Health CareSimpson CollegeSmith CollegeSouth Dakota State UniversitySoutheastern Community CollegeSouthwest Minnesota State UniversitySouthwestern Community CollegeSt. Ambrose UniversitySt. Catherine UniversitySt. Luke’s CollegeThe Creative Center, College of Art & DesignThe Original La’James CollegeThe Salon Professional Academy (PCI Academy)United Credit UnionUniversity of Central MissouriUniversity of DubuqueUniversity of EvansvilleUniversity of KansasUniversity of Minnesota - RochesterUniversity of Missouri-ColumbiaUniversity of Nebraska at LincolnUniversity of Nebraska at OmahaUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Sioux FallsUniversity of St. ThomasUniversity of TulsaUniversity of VirginiaVassar CollegeViterbo UniversityWashington & Lee UniversityWashington University in St. LouisWayne State CollegeWebster UniversityWellesley CollegeWelter Storage Equipment Co., Inc.Wesleyan UniversityWestern Illinois UniversityWilliam Jewell CollegeWorkspace Inc.

Iowa College Access Network Contributors

Partner Perspective“Since the beginning of my school counselor career in 1989, one of the concerns I had is how to find current, reliable college-prep information. Immediately those worries banished with the mailings from The College Planning Center, now known as ICAN.

From that point on, I, and all counselors use this service for high school success workshops, college planning, and most importantly, the expertise of FAFSA evening programs. We are indebted to the knowledgeable presenters of ICAN. ICAN’s colorful, appealing brochures and

“There is no question that without ICAN our counseling program would suffer and take time away from direct service with our students.”

~Renea Ogren

booklets are valued by our students and families.

The results of ICAN services are invaluable. Without this free support, our students would not have unbiased, comprehensive college planning tools to

make informed future choices. Our parents take advantage of their free FAFSA advice and ICAN personnel even offer to complete the web-based application.

There is no question that without ICAN our counseling program would suffer and take time away from direct service with our students searching for similar information. Thank you, ICAN!”

Renea Ogren, counselor at Marcus-Meridian-Cleghorn Junior/Senior High School in Marcus, partners with ICAN for Career and College Planning and Financial Aid evening events, as well as a FAFSA Completion Event at which parents and students receive assistance completing

financial aid paperwork including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Renea is also a previous member of the ICAN Advisory Council, a group of counselors and higher education professionals that works with ICAN each to year to provide guidance and input on ICAN programs and services.

“We have been fortunate to have ICAN help us all four years with our son’s FAFSA application. The second FAFSA application year, poor thing, I cried on him during that visit as well. As I explained that our older son, just one month into the school year that prior fall had to drop out of college because he was diagnosed with cancer.”

With the additional stress and worry over Cory’s new fight with cancer, the ICAN team was even more valuable to Sherri.

“The team members at ICAN make the application process quite simple. I must admit that ICAN made the FAFSA application process so easy, I would not want to tackle it on my own.”

From that cold night in November we flash forward to today. Cody is in senior year at Iowa

Customer’s Perspective (continued)State University, with a double interdisciplinary study of criminology and criminal justice, with minors in Russian and political science. Following graduation Cody wants to pursue a career in federal law enforcement, potentially with the Division of Criminal Investigation or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security, Border Patrol or the US Marshals. This past summer he interned with the Division of Criminal Investigation.

Cory has won his battle with cancer and is back in school, pursuing a new career in electrical technology and industrial robotic/automation technology. Though his cancer journey has provided limitations on the types of positions he can hold, he is firmly focused on meeting his goals and completing his degree.

“ICAN’s primary objective is to serve all families in filling out and filing their FAFSA applications,

wanting each student to have the opportunity to attend the college of their choice and to strive towards their fullest potential.” Sherri stated. “From firsthand experience, I can say that all team members in the office work together to assist families that come in for help. I cannot express how wonderful it has been to have the personal one-on-one assistance with our FAFSA.”

“The Iowa College Access Network is an incredible non-profit organization that truly has the best interests of all future college students at the heart of their focus. I have and will continue into the future to encourage all individuals considering a college path to seek assistance from the ICAN staff. We offer our most sincere THANK-YOU for your services.“

Renea Ogren, Counselor,Marcus-Meridian-Cleghorn Jr/Sr High School