First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania’s Post

📢 New publication on what merit aid means to #CommCollege, co-authored with Frank Fernandez, Yuxi Qiu, & Matt Capaldi. Funded by William T. Grant Foundation, we collected detailed data on state merit-aid programs & identified a pattern of program designs. https://lnkd.in/gKhJZ5Rh Key takeaways: - Most state-funded merit-aid programs (68 out of 78) *can be* applied to CCs or associate degree programs. - Most programs (47 out of 68) fall into what we call “CC Marginalizing Programs” with 5% of recipients as CC students taking up 3.2% of total expenditures. - Only 4 programs primarily provide merit aid to CC students: ~90% of recipients attending a CC with 90% expenditures devoted. - The remaining 17 programs fall in the middle, with varying design features (e.g., award amount, first-/last-dollar, applicable to non-tuition costs). Assuming merit aid is not going away any time soon: - Include design features to support equity (e.g., part-time students, need-based criteria) - Define *merits* for CC students beyond academic achievements - Stop ed policies with eligibility on paper & exclusion in practice

During our seminar course (PSYC 400 in Fall 2022 at Queen's University), we were challenged to find a gap in higher education and propose a solution. We found research highlighting that financial barriers are a big deterrent for students who choose not to pursue higher education.  Despite the strain of financial barriers, a higher education degree is important for so many reasons. It can reduce the income gap, mitigate the effects of the poverty cycle, and is associated with a host of long-term health and well-being effects. In a market where 70% of new jobs in Canada require a post-secondary degree, the benefits of higher education are profound.  However, millions of dollars in scholarship money goes unclaimed each year, due to a lack of applicants. Considering the amount of debt students undertake to fund their higher education, and the number of students who do not pursue higher ed because of its financial burden, we wanted to find a way to bridge the gap. One of the factors that compounds the financial barriers is that students who require financial assistance only capitalize on available scholarship money if they feel they have the necessary skills to create a successful application (Hoff, 2013). In the Fall of 2023, we conducted market research and spoke to over 500 students at Queen’s. Our market research suggested that the majority of students feel unsupported during the scholarship application process and lack the tools, resources, and confidence to apply. This is the gap we are trying to address. While our project is not the only solution needed to increase accessibility to higher education, we believe in its ability to bridge the gap between students and unused scholarship funds. 

Please keep this in mind when speaking to students about higher ed.

Curious about the big topics in the North Carolina Community College System this year? The article below gives a great overview! ⬇️ #educate #inspire #support #yourcommunityyourcollege

🎯 FREE Tuition! Why Not? 💰 🏫 📚 Make sure you complete the FAFSA form. By completing the FAFSA form, if eligible, you’ll receive the Next NC Scholarship. There are no additional forms to fill out. Who is eligible? To receive the Next NC Scholarship, you must be: ▪ A North Carolina resident who is eligible for in-state tuition ▪ A high school graduate (high school equivalency completers are eligible) ▪ From a household with an annual Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $80,000 or less ▪ Enrolled in an eligible undergraduate curriculum program for the 2024-2025 academic year ▪ Taking at least 6 credit hours per semester (part-time students will receive a partial award) ▪ Meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards of the school you plan to attend ▪ A student who has completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA, with a resulting Student Aid Index (SAI) at or below 7,500 (once complete, the financial aid office at the college/university you plan to attend will determine and confirm eligibility.) *For a deeper look at the eligibility requirements, click here: https://lnkd.in/gc9B98ys 💲 Students attending a community college will receive at least $3,000 at any of the 58 community colleges across the state and have all of their tuition and fees 100% covered. Those attending a public university in North Carolina will get a minimum of $5,000. That pays for more than half, if not all, of tuition and fees at any of the 16 public universities in the state. Students with the greatest need for financial aid could qualify for even more funding to help make paying for college more manageable. 🗓 The Next NC Scholarship priority filing date is June 1, 2024 for UNC System schools and August 15, 2024 for NC community colleges. #FreeCollegeNC #education #college #nccommunitycollege #uncsystem #NCAT ##nextncscholarship #academia #graduation

“We find little evidence that the … program has any impact on college-going behavior.” Mixed results at best. A new study out of Brown University finds inconsistent results from “free college” programs. The version in Philadelphia mentioned in the quote above seems to be quite ineffective. Another program was studied and was found to produce a temporary “large impacts on community college attendance and … degree attainment”, except that it also “diverts students away from 4 year colleges”. In PA, a full 2/3 of the cost of community college is already paid by state and county taxpayers, and that doesn’t include free grant money from federal Pell and PHEAA state grants which may be available to students based on income. The question arises: would covering the remaining 1/3 of tuition costs have any meaningful effect on college enrollment? Seems doubtful. A related issue worth reflection: if someone gave you a gift worth about $30,000 when you were 19, would you take great care of that gift? Or would you take it somewhat for granted since it didn’t cost you anything? If there’s no skin in the game, what % of recipients would squander that gift? So many unresolved questions with these “free college” programs. Shouldn’t we be more careful and thoughtful with taxpayer funds?

Ready to take your education to the next level? Do you have a family member considering college? The SMCC Foundation is now accepting applications for scholarships for 2023-24. Last year, over 1,000 students applied for 300 scholarships! Investing a little bit of time completing an application could save hundreds of dollars towards your education. Even free college scholarship recipients are being considered! Check out the My Maine Guide for more info>My Money>What to do, then click on Foundation Scholarship Application. #SMCCcares #SMCCFoundation #scholarships #communitycollege #studentsuccess #SMCCcares

The full cost to attend the University of Pennsylvania for the 2024-25 academic year will rise 3.9% to $87,860, after a vote taken Thursday by the school’s trustees. The costs include tuition of $60,920, fees of $7,766, and $12,640 for a standard room and $6,534 for meals. The overall increase for undergraduate students is similar to last year’s hike when the board raised tuition and room and board 4% to $84,600. The percentage increases over the last two years return Penn to pre-pandemic-level hikes. Percentage increases were smaller during the pandemic. Penn noted that it also will increase its financial aid budget 4.5% to $311 million, noting that 46% of students receive need-based aid. The university enrolls more than 10,400 undergraduates. https://lnkd.in/egwmeKwg

Is it too late for the higher ed sector? There are quite a lot of colleges and universities downsizing and closing under our noses. You may have seen this article from Higher Ed Dive this week that Notre Dame College is closing. From 2014 to 2022, total fall enrollment at Notre Dame declined nearly 37%, from 2,281 students to 1,444, according to federal data. This is the reality for lots of colleges and universities. And in my opinion it's a terrible tragedy. People losing jobs they care about. Students losing a great local college as an option for their studies. Colleges are facing serious challenges with growing and maintaining their enrollments. The solution? Better strategies for enrollment growth. There are other factors that need to be considered. Such as ensuring the courses you're offering have sufficient demand. And your university has international partners to ensure a more global focus for enrollments. But it is crucial the marketing and lead nurturing strategies your university has in place are working. Source: Higher Ed Dive, article by Lilah Burke Read full article below 👇

OUT: FAFSA-induced pricing uncertainty.  IN: Coe’s Iowa Ready – Regent Price Match. To reduce the uncertainty surrounding making a college decision, the Iowa Ready – Regent Price Match assists Iowa high schoolers planning to enroll in college for the first time in the fall of 2024. Coe will provide scholarships and/or grants toward Coe's listed direct cost (tuition, fees, housing and meal plan) to ensure an out-of-pocket cost for students equal to or less than $21,060 – the average Iowa state universities' cost (including tuition, fees, housing and meal plan). www.coe.edu/iowa-ready