running the hurdle race: masfap’s eac and the missouri college access network

Running the Hurdle Race: MASFAP’s EAC and the Missouri

College Access Network

Presented byDan Dick, 2012 MASFAP EAC co-chair

Julie Meyer, 2012 MASFAP EAC co-chair

What is the MASFAP EAC?• According to MASFAP’s P&P:PURPOSE: The Committee will develop financial aid

early awareness projects aimed at all students, schools, and community groups in the state of Missouri, including collaborating with the Missouri Department of Higher Education in organizing and conducting annual College Goal Sunday events (known as “FAFSA Frenzy” since 2009).

What is the MASFAP EAC?Specific Duties in P&P

• “Conducting presentations and workshops to educate community groups [about financial aid]”

• Activities in the past have included:– NT4CM workshops– Reality stores– CGS/FAFSA Frenzy events– Exhibiting or presenting at

MSCA conferences– College for a Day events

Reality Stores

NT4CM

http://fsa4counselors.ed.gov/clcf/NT4CMResources.html

2011 locations: StL, KC, Springfield, Columbia, Rolla

College Goal Sunday

• http://dhe.mo.gov/ppc/collegegoalsundayFAO.php• February 17, 2013 main event date• November 13 (or 14), 2012 Site Coordinator meeting

What is the MASFAP EAC?Specific Duties in P&P

• “Maintaining, enhancing, and promoting the Show-Me to College events and resources database”– Two brochures by audience• Student/family version in MDHE’s test survival kits

– Links on dhe.mo.gov– www.masfap.org/showmetocollege published

http://www.masfap.org/docs/forms/comm_descript.html

How to find the EAC onMASFAP.org

http://www.masfap.org/showmetocollege/index.html

Search results page

Link to Show-Me to College micrositehttp://www.dhe.mo.gov/ppc/12thgrade.php

What SHOULD the EAC focus on?

Should the focus be purely on “access” and financial aid training for consumers/students and high school

guidance counselors?

What SHOULD the EAC focus on?

How does MASFAP’s EAC fit into the Missouri College Access Network?

What is a state college access network?• Statewide organization comprised of

professionals and organizations involved in the educational pipeline

• Target audience - students facing barriers:– Low income– Lack of college-educated role models– Students from under-resourced high schools

How do the EAC and MOCAN fit together?MASFAP EAC

• Purpose in the P&P: “develop financial aid early awareness projects aimed at all students”

• “Conducting presentations and workshops to educate community groups [about financial aid]”

Missouri CAN

• Target audience of CAN: students facing barriers to access and success

• Comprehensive and diverse activities and services provided by membership organizations to target audiences

Why does Missouri need a CAN?• Missouri policy makers want Missouri’s citizenry

to be educated and employable– 34.9% had a college degree in 2008

• 28.1% short of 63% by 2018 goal• 25.1% short of 60% by 2025 Lumina goal

– Focus on retention and graduation rates• Missouri has a wealth of very successful college

access organizations and efforts

Why does Missouri need a CAN?

• Because data shows we are moving in the wrong direction

• Per January 2012 report from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities– U.S. ranks 3rd in degree attainment for 55-64-

year-olds– But DROPS to 12th for the 25-34-year-olds

We are moving in the wrong direction• 2011 report from The Education Trust

a) “…at every level – federal, state, and institutional – our leaders are making counterproductive [policy] choices.”

b) State merit aid grown at a rate triple of need aidc) Unmet need by income levels:

Family income Unmet need % of income needed

$17,011 $11,352 72%

$42,661 $11,493 36%

$67,844 $8,064 27%

$97,594 $2,339 21%

Borrowers with Excessive Debt

• Pell Grant recipient• Total family income less than $50,000• Parent’s highest education level less than a

Bachelor’s degree• Race Hispanic or African American

Why does Missouri need a CAN?

“Large-scale social change requires broad cross-sector coordination”

– Kania & Kramer, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter

2011 edition

Five Conditions of Success• Common agenda

– Slightly different goals and definitions undermine results

• Shared measurement– Consistency is critical

• Mutually reinforcing activities– Coordination of diverse

activities achieves overall plan

• Continuous communication– Builds trust, a common

vocabulary, and shared measurement

• Backbone support organization– Coordination takes time;

member organizations rarely have this time

Implementation Timeline• Official launch for the 2012-13 academic and state

fiscal year• Presented to the Missouri Coordinating Board for

Higher Education (CBHE) at an upcoming meeting• Steering committee nominations solicited April and

May; members chosen in June• Organizations invited to join as members May and

June• First steering committee meeting July 2012

How does MASFAP fit into a Missouri CAN?

• Financial aid policy is a critical component to access and success for under-resourced students

• The EAC was formed in the early 1990s when times were very different– Considering all of the information provided in this

session, SHOULD the EAC change its focus?– What types of activities should be the EAC’s

priorities?• Should MASFAP join a Missouri College Access

Network?

Missouri CAN Steering Committee• To Nominate yourself or another for the Missouri

CAN Steering Committee:– Nomination form coming in early April– Updates in April Digest along with a link to the form

• Steering Committee tasks– Determine official organization name, mission,

priorities, bi-laws, and goals– Define active working committees and determine

services and activities

To Volunteer for the EAC:

Thank you for attending!

Questions or comments may be sent to the 2012 EAC co-chairs:

Julie Meyer, julie.meyer@dhe.mo.govDan Dick, ddick@slu.edu