University Business - November/December 2011 - (Page 29)

It’s now possible to transfer a student’s financial information electronically from an IRS form to FAFSA. In a pilot, H&R Block asked clients if they’d like help with the transfer. It had a “huge impact,” says Scott-Clayton. However, community college officials are watching the Pell Grant debate nervously. Already, the roll-back on year-round grants has cut summer enrollment. If the fast-growing, very costly program loses funding, it will force more community college students to borrow—or drop out. Pell advocates propose redesigning the grants to provide incentives for students to move quickly to a degree and for colleges to control tuition costs. Some suggest educational savings accounts that would give low-income students control of how they use their postsecondary aid. In any case, these issues are front and center. President Obama’s campaign to increase the number of college-educated Americans will rely heavily on community colleges and their students. How can community colleges help those students persist and complete? There are no simple solutions, but at least conversations continue. groups can help break down barriers. To reach out to Spanish-speaking parents, Pierce College in Los Angeles collaborated with California’s “I Can Afford College” campaign to provide bilingual workshops, Spanish-language materials, and messages on Spanish media. Community colleges in five states have partnered with Single Stop USA, which helps low-income students obtain food stamps, health insurance, child care subsidies, and earned income tax credits and provides legal and financial counseling. Coordinating with local high school counselors to provide information to students on college affordability and aid, as the College Board suggests, can prevent a last-minute rush at the financial aid office. • Create a one-stop shop. Miami Dade College has opened Single Stop offices on two campuses and is opening a third. “We are able, in essence, to provide students with expanded financial aid to stay in college and complete their degrees,” President Eduardo Padrón has said. • Teach financial literacy to students. At Tidewater Community College (Va.), students who want federal loans must fill out a current budget and a post-college budget that includes their expected salary (using links to online pay information), living expenses, and the loan payment. “Students increasingly are turning to financial aid to help meet rising college costs,” even at community colleges, says Deborah DiCroce, Tidewater’s president. “We want them to understand it’s an investment in their future and take it seriously.” The plan started this fall and feedback has been positive. Some students say they’re borrowing less. Others are surprised to see how much or how little they’re likely to earn for different courses of study. DiCroce hopes students will be motivated to complete a certificate or degree, as the money has to be repaid no matter what. Joanne Jacobs covers K-12 and higher education at http://joannejacobs.com and http://communitycollegespotlight.org. She lives in Los Altos, Calif. Resources “The Financial Aid Challenge” (College Board), http://advocacy.collegeboard.org/publications “Green Lights & Red Tape: Improving Access to Financial Aid at California’s Community Colleges” (The Institute for College Access and Success), http://ticas.org/pub_view.php?idx=274 “Keeping Students Enrolled” (Demos), www.demos.org/publication.cfm?currentpublicationID=769F 5B63-3FF4-6C82-5D29C84924E45EA8 “New efforts to raise U.S. college graduation rates” (Hechinger Report), http://hechingerreport.org/content/new-efforts-toraise-u-s-graduation-rates_5955/ “Still Denied: How Community Colleges Shortchange Students by Not Offering Federal Loans,” (The Project on Student Debt), http://ticas.org/pub_view.php?idx=737 “Trends in Community College Education: Enrollment, Prices, Student Aid and Debt Levels,” (College Board Advocacy & Policy Center), http://advocacy.collegeboard.org “With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them,” (Public Agenda), www.publicagenda.org/theirwholelivesaheadofthem to subsidized loans, some students take out high-priced private loans, Cochrane says. There is some progress. The U.S. Education Department simplified the FAFSA, though students still struggle to fill out the forms without help. universitybusiness.com November/December 2011 | 29 http://www.joannejacobs.com http://www.communitycollegespotlight.org http://advocacy.collegeboard.org/publications http://www.ticas.org/pub_view.php?idx=274 http://www.demos.org/publication.cfm?currentpublicationID=769F5B63-3FF4-6C82-5D29C84924E45EA8 http://hechingerreport.org/content/new-efforts-toraise-u-s-graduation-rates_5955/ http://hechingerreport.org/content/new-efforts-toraise-u-s-graduation-rates_5955/ http://www.ticas.org/pub_view.php?idx=737 http://advocacy.collegeboard.org http://www.publicagenda.org/theirwholelivesaheadofthem http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - November/December 2011

University Business - November/December 2011
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Financial Aid
Viewpoint
Education Gateways
Models of Efficiency
Business Intelligence Gets Smarter
Internet Technology
Independent Outlook
End Note

University Business - November/December 2011