GCTC STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM BENEFITS ACCESS FOR COLLEGE - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM “Your foundation begins here”

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

• An initiative geared toward increasing access to

public benefits for community college students

• Supporting colleges developing sustainable models

that build benefits access into the everyday activities across of the college

BACC is a partnership between CLASP, the American Association

• f Community Colleges and five

foundations

BENEFITS ACCESS FOR COLLEGE COMPLETION

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

FINANCIAL NEED CONTRIBUTES IN MANY WAYS TO FAILURE TO COMPLETE

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

Providing students who are struggling to make ends meet with information about public benefits and assistance in applying for them will improve student success and college completion rates and reduce material hardship.

HYPOTHESIS

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

WHAT ARE “PUBLIC BENEFITS”?

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Health insurance (Medicaid and CHIP)
• Family programs
• TANF, child care subsidies, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food

and formula, free and reduced school lunch

• Refundable Tax Credits
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) & American Opportunity Tax Credit

(AOTC)

• Special programs
• Disability benefits, Veterans benefits, Unemployment Insurance (UI),

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), Workforce Investment Act (non- Title II)

• Community Resources

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

PUBLIC BENEFITS CAN FILL THE GAP

Source: Economic Policy Institute, “State of Working America,” http://www.stateofworkingamerica.org/charts/view/182

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

GATEWAY COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Benefits Access for College Completion

NEED FOR INITIATIVE

• 75% of Gateway students report incomes at or

below 150% of poverty level indicating a higher risk of dropping out of college due to financial reasons.

• 90% of Gateway students are eligible for

Federal Pell Grants designed to help low-income individuals gain access to postsecondary education.

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

INITIAL PLANNING

• Strong Support from Core Team, College Leadership and additional

champions

• Plan was created to equip staff and faculty with the appropriate level of

training to provide access to benefits

• Started small with 5 cohorts then expanded to the entire college
• Training Included:
• Poverty Awareness Day and Poverty Simulation
• Student testimonials
• Marketing Themes
• Take 5 Seconds
• Short Term Assistance for Long Term Success
• Hiring a Success Coach

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

SUCCESS COACH

Success Coach provides intrusive case management and serves as point person.

• Inform students about the existence of programs
• Help students understand how to apply
• Screen students to determine if they are eligible and assist them to apply
• Assist students to provide needed documentation and understand any

barriers to eligibility

• Follow-up with benefits programs/local offices to troubleshoot on behalf of

individual students

• Advocate for policy changes that streamline benefits receipt for students

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

SUSTAINABILITY

• Embedding as a routine college function and offer access through a

variety of momentum points through the entire Gateway experience

• Add in and not an add on
• Provides multiple delivery options to encourage students to apply
• Incorporating in emergency funds at college
• Early Alert-transition to Starfish
• Expanding to other departments (ex. VETS, Human Service

Program)

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

AMAZING RESULTS

BACC Student Comparable Student

Total Students Served to Date (March 2014) 307 N/A Average GPA 2.75 2.24

Retention Rate of BACC Students (Spring 13- Spring 14):

73.6% 54.7%

Estimated Retained Revenue (Spring 13-Spring 14):

$142,091 N/A

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

Where we are today………. Case management by providing referrals and resources for:

• Student Self Check
• State benefits
• External-Community Resources (housing, utility assistance)
• Internal College Resources

Empowering students:

• Teaching them to self-advocate
• Organization techniques

Developing Peer Mentoring Program:

• Outreach to students
• Classroom presentations, marketing
• Continue to build community relationships
• Advocating for their fellow peers

BACC to your ROOTS

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

GETTING STARTED

• Identify the need on your campus
• Seek buy-in from leadership
• Seek out individuals on campus and in the community

already doing this work

• Form a committed team
• Create an action plan
• Strengthen community partnerships
• State agencies (Gateway-Kentucky and Ohio)
• Safety Net Alliance

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

INTEGRATION

• Integrate benefits discussions/application into college

functions

• Financial aid, career services, support services, advising and

counseling processes

• Integrate a module about benefits in orientation,

student success courses, and other courses

• Use students to help market, do outreach, and serve

students

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

LESSONS LEARNED

• Receiving buy-in from leadership and

employees: Faculty and staff are looking for ways to assist students to make ends meet but don’t have time.

• Getting students in the door: Providing public

benefits is new for the college, and receiving it from college staff is new for students.

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

WHY DON’T MORE STUDENTS ACCESS BENEFITS?

• Lack of information, misinformation about eligibility
• Don’t know that programs exist
• Think they are not eligible
• Don’t know how to apply or where to get help
• Feel the benefit is not worth the hassle
• Don’t see themselves as target for public benefit programs
• Applying is often time consuming, frustrating
• Same information collected

multiple times

• Need documentation of income,

family status

• Stigma and other social/cultural

barriers

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STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM

CONTACT INFO

Shellie Baker Shellie.baker@kctcs.edu Sarah Young Sarah.Young@kctcs.edu

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