promoting access while maintaining competitive admissions standards jefferson blackburn-smith, the...

Promoting Access While Maintaining

Competitive Admissions Standards

Jefferson Blackburn-Smith, The Ohio State University

MorraLee Holzaphel, National College Access Network

Lori Tochihara, University of Arizona

College Board Forum, November 10, 2006

What is the National College Access Network?

• Association of 222 college access programs, resource centers, statewide networks, supporting members, guarantors and lenders

• Non-profit under US Tax Code • Active in 44 states and the District of

Columbia• I KNOW I CAN is a member of NCAN

The Student Pipeline in the U.S.

For every 50 Ninth GradersSource: NCES Common Core Data, WICHE High School Graduates, ACT Institutional Survey, NCES-IPED Graduation Rate Survey 2002

h


34 Graduate from High School

Source: NCES Common Core Data, WICHE High School Graduates, ACT Institutional Survey, NCES-IPED Graduation Rate Survey


20 Enter College



13.5 Are Still Enrolled Sophomore Year



9 Graduate From College (Within 150% Time– 6

Years) Source: NCES Common Core Data, WICHE High School Graduates, ACT Institutional Survey, NCES-IPED Graduation Rate Survey

21st Century Challenges• The U.S. ranks 13th among developed

nations in educational attainment • The college participation gaps between

affluent and poor students, and between white and minority students, are widening

• College costs are climbing, and unmet need is rising for low-income students

• The number of young men enrolling in college is devastatingly low.

Challenges -- The 4 A s

Aspiration

Academic Preparation

Availability

Affordability

1. Aspiration

Weak support for higher education in the family-first generation Low perceived value of higher education Low socioeconomic status Negative attitudes & beliefs about college haves/have nots

Source: The Ohio Board of Regents, T. Rudd, Sept. 2002

Low-Income Students Attend Postsecondary at Lower Rates

Achievement Level (in quartiles)

Low-Income

High-Income

First (Low) 36% 77% Second 50% 85% Third 63% 90% Fourth (High) 78% 97%

Source: NELS: 88, Second (1992) and Third Follow up (1994); in, USDOE, NCES, NCES Condition of Education 1997 p. 64

2001 by The E

ducation Trust, Inc.

2. Academic Preparation

Low expectations from teachers Lack of parental involvement

Lack of academic content standardsInadequate teacher preparation

K-12 and higher education are largely divorced from one another


3. Affordability

Lack of info about financial aid Lack of info about price of college Price of college Declining value of Pell Grants Reliance on student loans (FEAR FACTOR) Expectation that children should contribute to the family financially at some point Low income and immigrant families may be

in a survival mode


4. Availability

Desired college program not available Lack of info about distance learning opportunities Lack of technical skills to participate in

distance learning Programs not offered at times that meet

individual needs No transportation (esp. for rural students)


What Is a College Access Program?

• Community based nonprofit organization

• Created to help financially disadvantaged individuals learn about, enroll in, pay for and be successful in college

• Primary funding is from private sources

I KNOW I CAN –Key ComponentsI KNOW I CAN –Key Components

• Created to assist urban Columbus Public School students learn about, enroll in and pay for college(67% On Free/Reduced Lunch)

•Great working relationships with local colleges

• Provides One-on-One Advising and Last Dollar Grants

•Last Dollar Grants available for 5 years

•Track Students To Degree

• Recently added a retention component

FACTS & FIGURES

Since 1988, I KNOW I CAN has:• Served 94,548 students • Awarded 16,387 Last Dollar Grants totaling $16,581,478• Leveraged $227.2 million of financial aid• Received 154,629 hours of volunteer service• Recorded 49,235 community service hours from Last Dollar Grant recipients

Don’t guidance counselors provide enough information?

Ratio of Secondary School Counselors to Students in:

United States 1:407Arkansas 1:694

South Dakota 1:500Arizona 1:590

Collaborating With Colleges

• Getting the right students to apply to achieve the right fit

• Exchanging data/information to know what works

• Understanding options available for students and linking them together

• Getting “in” is not enough-getting “through” is the goal!

OUTCOMES-RETENTION

YEAR # RECIP

% IKIC %OSU +/-

1999 104 56.7% 84.1% -27.4%

2000 87 66.6% 86% -19.4%

2001 72 65.3% 86.5% -21.2%

2002 79 70.9% 87% -16.1%

2003 85 83.5% 88% -4.5%

2004 61 85% 89% -4%

ACCESS VS. ADMISSIONS

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR

COMMITMENT TO BOTH?

The University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Established in 1885

Arizona’s First University

Land Grant University

The University of ArizonaResearch I University

Association of American UniversitiesNCAA Division I; Pacific 10 Conference

Total Enrollment 36,805Minority 26.90%

Demographic Comparison(2000 U.S. Census & UA Fall 2006; % of population)

Arizona Tucson UA

Hispanic 25.3 35.7 14.45 (n = 5,320)

African American 3.1 4.3 2.83 (n = 1,041)

American Indian 5.0 2.3 2.21 (n = 812)

Asian Pacific American

1.9 2.7 5.82 (n = 2,141)

White 63.8 55.074.69 (n =

27,491)

Total 100.0 100.0100.0 (n =

36,805)

Office of Early Academic Outreach

Mission Statement

To increase the number of minority, low-income

and first generation college bound students who are prepared

to enter a university degree program.

Guiding Principles

Guiding Principles of Effective

College Preparation Programs

1.Rigorous academic curriculum

2.Academic, college, and career counseling

3.Co-curricular activities

4.Incorporation of students’ cultures

5.Family and community engagement

6.Peer support

7.Mentoring

8.Timing of interventions

9.Funding priorities [including evaluating the costs and benefits of program delivery]

Source: Dr. William Tierney, Director, USC Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis


Programs and Efforts

Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA)• 40 middle and high schools located in southern Arizona• After school program; hands-on math and science activities• Over 1,000 students served each year

PSAT & SAT Preparatory Workshops • Low cost; four consecutive Saturdays on UA campus• Collaboration with high schools to serve increased numbers of low

income students

Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs

• Cohort includes 3,000 current seventh grade students• 15 middle schools that feed into five high schools


Programs and Efforts

College Knowledge for Parents• Designed for parents of eighth grade students• Workshops include: College Admissions; Paying for College; the

Transition to High School• Partnership with five local school districts• Offered in English and Spanish

College Academy for Parents• Twelve week program for parents of K-5 students• Academic focus; classes taught by UA staff and professors• Classes offered in English and Spanish

Math Summer Programs• Summer of 2007• Created to hone Algebra I skills• Transition between middle and high school

Minority Student Recruitment

Mission Statement

To increase the number of minority, low-income and first generation college bound students who enroll

at The University of Arizona.


Recruitment Strategy

Staff• Seven full-time staff• 17 student employees

Target Sites• 41 high schools located throughout Arizona• Identification based on proximity to UA, minority student enrollment,

and willingness to work with MSR• Regular (and often longer) visits by professional or student staff

member

Non–Sites• Phone bank staff by student employees who work in the evenings• Contact with resident and non-resident students


Admissions Responsibilities

Admissions and Scholarship File Review

Out of State Recruitment

Elementary and Middle School Campus Visits


Event Coordination• Ethnic specific and integrated approach• Student and Parent Events• Recruitment and Conversion Events

High School/Counselor Relations• Counselor meetings at sites and throughout Arizona• Communication with school administrators and district

representatives

Community Relations• President’s Diversity Advisory Councils• Ethnic Alumni Clubs• Community Based Organizations• Professional Associations

The Ohio State UniversityThe Ohio State University

The Ohio State University•Four year public, research extensive, Land

Grant university•Founded 1870•Located in Columbus, OH – 15th largest city in United States•Five regional campuses, open admission process for Ohio residents•51,818 total enrollment Columbus campus

7,686 students of color (14.8%)37,500 undergraduates

Freshman Class Profile – Columbus CampusSelective Admission Process• 19,000 applications for 5,800 enrollment

spaces• SAT middle 50%: 1120 - 1380• ACT middle 50%: 24 – 29• 46% AU06 admits came from top 10% of class• 81% of AU06 admits came from top 25% of

class• 16% AU06 enrollment students of color

What does Promoting Access Mean for Ohio State?

1) Increase enrollments, through recruitment activities, among targeted students* who may not believe Ohio State is a real option.

2) Provide college awareness and financial literacy outreach for families with elementary and middle school age children.

These are not mutually exclusive efforts

*Targeted students may be

• Racial/ethnic minorities• Low income students• First generation students• Ohio Appalachian students• Gender/major combinations (i.e.

women in engineering, men in nursing)

• Majors (i.e. Agriculture)

Institutional Structures to Support Access• Office of Student Financial Aid

(1936)• Office of Minority Affairs (1970)• Office of Undergraduate Admissions

and First Year Experience (2000)• P-12 project (2000)• Office of Economic Access (2006)

Increasing Enrollments: RecruitmentBuild your prospect/inquiry pools so

they contain significant numbers of under-represented students:– 60% of search names are students of color– 26% of search names (from sources that

allow income as a criteria) are low income students

– Ohio State recruits more broadly for under-represented students than others

Increasing Enrollments: RecruitmentDifferentiate your communication flows:

– Make your messages population specific• High ability, low income students hear about

“stacking” merit and need-based aid

– Add touches for targeted students• Making Our Voices Heard mailing • Joint Minority Affairs/Honors & Scholars mailing• Special college mailings• Call out cards in invitations highlighting sessions of interest

Increasing Enrollments: Recruitment

Do something different:•Dvd: minority students discussing their experiences on a majority campus

•Urban Radio Advertising Campaign•Real students with real Ohio State

experiences

Increasing Enrollments: Admission Process• Holistic review process considers

race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, first generation status, residents of Appalachian counties

• Two independent reads of application• Ohio residents can select a second

choice campus and change to Columbus after completing 1 year with a 2.0 gpa on a regional campus

Increasing Enrollments: Financial AidVisible Access Scholarships

Pathways Scholarship: for minority and/or Pell eligible students earning other merit awards; December 1 deadline; $2,100

Morrill Scholars Program: for minority, low-income, first generation, or Ohio Appalachian students; Dec 1 deadline; Tuition+

Ohio Land Grant Opportunity Scholarship: for one high ability, high need student in each Ohio county; minimum 88 per year; Feb 1 deadline and FAFSA by March 1; full-ride

Yield by Need LevelThe Ohio State University: First-Year Students

15.0%

25.0%

35.0%

45.0%

55.0%

65.0%

75.0%

85.0%

Fall 1998 Fall 1999 Fall 2000 Fall 2001 Fall 2002 Fall 2003 Fall 2004 Fall 2005

Entering Term

Yie

ld

Very high need High need Medium need Low need No-need/merit Full-pay

Early College Outreach

• Consortium of 7 local institutions serving 3 urban school districts with student /parent/advocate college planning sessions

• Ohio State effort working with local community centers to provide student/parent/advocate sessions and develop lasting relationships.

Early College OutreachBuilding Web and print resources:

www.osu.edu/access

http://www.osu.edu/access

Early College Outreach

“Educational Minutes” partnership with Radio One:- Daily 60 second educational tip featuring OSU faculty, staff or local high school student with college aspirations

- Non-promotional

Contact information:MorraLee Holzapfel, NCAN 614-202-8632

[email protected] Tochihara, UA 502-626-2300 or 520-621-3812

[email protected] Blackburn-SmithOSU 614-292-7605

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



promoting access while maintaining competitive admissions standards jefferson blackburn-smith, the...

Documents