Adult Degree Completion Projects
To build upon the research findings, best practices and recommendations in the study Assessment of Opportunities and Models for Adults to Complete the Baccalaureate Degree at Virginia’s Four-Year Institutions, SCHEV awarded over $300,000 to support Virginia’s 2 and 4-year educational institutions to develop research-based projects that will demonstrate achievement of intermediate outcomes leading to increased degree completion for Virginia’s adults who have earned some college credit. Click here to see the list of 2012 IADC grantees.
Access Providers Middle School Advising Program
CACGP will support the expansion of services to middle school students through a partnership with Access College Foundation in the Tidewater region in order to increase early awareness amongst students and families of potential careers and access to postsecondary education options and financial aid.
Research
CACGP supports two research studies. One study, a follow-up to the 2010 SCHEV CACGP Access Provider Study, will examine disparities of student performance and college-going plans between high and low achieving school districts with similarly high populations of low-income students and other area demographics. A report is expected by Summer 2012. The second study, Assessment of Opportunities and Models for Adults to Complete the Baccalaureate Degree at Virginia Four-year Institutions, was released to the public in March 2012. It examines Virginia’s 25-64 year-old adult population and the programs available to them in their educational pursuits, with an emphasis on bachelor degree completion programs available at Virginia’s public and private, non-profit, four-year institutions. Findings and recommendations from the study are included in a fact sheet and summary booklet. Background for the study and report findings and recommendations may also be viewed in a presentation (updated) provided to the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment.
Career Planning System
CACGP will support the expansion of user functionalities of the Virginia Community College System’s Virginia Education Wizard career planning system to increase access to information about potential careers and postsecondary options and financial aid.
Collateral Campaign
CACGP will continue to support its “I am the One” media campaign, designed to motivate students to value and take responsibility for their dream of going to college, through the production and dissemination of free incentive materials. This effort will be supplemented by a study to determine effective media outreach.
Counselor Professional Development
The Virginia College Access Network will provide professional development opportunities for middle and high-school counselors and college financial aid and admissions administrators to learn about effective models for mentoring and working with students from low-income families.
“Super Saturday” FAFSA Workshops
In partnership with the Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (VASFAA), CACGP will provide “Super Saturdays” at locations across the state to provide information on the financial aid process and to assist students and their families in completing the FAFSA form.
Access and Financial Aid Education Programs
With support from CACGP, Virginia Tidewater Consortium will offer access and financial aid education programs to promote enhanced knowledge in students and families from low-income and under-represented groups on the following topics: a) career planning and the importance of postsecondary education; b) academic planning and pre-college course selection; c) application and admission processes; and d) financial aid and funding sources. Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) will produce and distribute the 2012–2013 Opportunities: Preparing for Higher Education Guide and Workbook containing Virginia-specific information on the college admissions process and financial aid resources.
Access Provider Programs
CACGP will support direct services to high school students and their families through two partnerships.
1) Project Discovery will provide advising and exposure opportunities to economically challenged students and their families through its current statewide network of 21 locations and will establish three new programs servicing new districts; and
2) Greater Richmond Area Scholarship Program, Inc. (GRASP) will continue and expand advising services, with a focus on financial aid and scholarships, at schools with high populations of low-income students. For areas where there are no current access provider programs, CACGP will support the Virginia College Access Network in conducting outreach and providing technical assistance through Virginia College Access Toolkits created to help organizations, with an interest in providing access services to students and families in underserved areas, develop access programming.