State Budget Profiles

Last week I posted about the state of higher education appropriations nationwide. If you haven't read that yet, I encourage you to do so - in large part because it gives a brief summary of how those appropriations could impact the College Access Challenge Grant Program.

This week, I've found a resource that provides state budget profiles that specifically highlight educational spending.

Check out Oregon's profile.

Question of the Week - 1/31/12

We want this blog to be a repository of sorts - a place where you can find news and resources about college access, your go-to spot for finding the forms and information you need to successfully complete your CACG project, and an interactive environment for sharing your ideas with other Oregonians who are working to ensure that our youth achieve their dreams.

We're still working on the interactivity - and we're introducing a new feature ... each week or two, we'll post a question related to college access, and we'll ask you to share your thoughts in the comments section. We know you're busy, so the questions won't be too arduous. We do hope, though, that you'll take 30 seconds to share - and that you'll read what your colleagues have to say. I'm betting we'll all learn some new tips and best practices!

So, without further ado, our first Question of the Week:

What is one thing you do on a daily or weekly basis to promote a college and career-going culture in your organization?

In the News: 2 in 3 Oregon Students Graduate High School in 4 Years

You have likely seen the recent news on graduation rates in Oregon:

"Oregon high schools again failed to graduate one of every three students last year. More than 11,000 young people in the high school class of 2011 dropped out. State school Superintendent Susan Castillo cheered the increase in the state's on-time graduation rate, which rose from 66 percent for the classes of 2009 and 2010 to 67 percent for the class of 2011. But Gov. John Kitzhaber called the 67 percent rate 'unacceptable.'"

What do you think about Kitzhaber's statement? And what do our graduation rates mean for college access?

Read the story in The Oregonian and then share your thoughts in the comments.

Middle School Outreach Consortium

If you work with middle school students, you'll want to add these events to your (and their) calendar. Sponsored by the Oregon Middle School Outreach Consortium, the "College: Yes You Can" informational sessions promise to offer families a range of fun activities to help set students on the path to higher education.


Download the bilingual flyer now!

In the News: State Support for Higher Ed Falls

As per The Chronicle of Higher Education, "Higher education's oracles and prognosticators began warning of a "cliff" in state appropriations shortlyafter the $767-billion federal economic-recovery act passed, in 2009. Now data show just how high that cliff was. Total state support for higher education declined 7.6 percent from the 2011 to the 2012 fiscal years, according to an annual report from the Grapevine Project, at Illinois State University, and the State Higher Education Executive Officers." See also Inside Higher Ed for another article on the same topic.

There are any number of reasons to care about this - not the least of which is that Oregon's own funding for higher education fell 8.0% between the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years. Oregon's not alone, obviously - and while we're not in quite the dire straits of other states, there doesn't seem to be much relief on the horizon. The following graphic from The Chronicle article illustrates how each state is faring:

FAFSA on Twitter

 Do you tweet? Or do you follow those who do? If so, you might want to start following @FAFSA. Federal Student Aid started a Twitter account just a few days ago, saying:

We plan to use Twitter to support an ongoing conversation around student aid. To kick this off, Martha Kanter, the Under Secretary of Education, will be hosting "FAFSA Office Hours" where she will solicit and answer students' FAFSA questions live on Twitter. The event will take place on January 26th at 4:30pm (Eastern Time) and will be the first in a monthly series of Q&A sessions that Federal Student Aid will host on Twitter.

 

For more information about @FAFSA and the FAFSA Office Hours, including sample tweets and Facebook posts you can use to raise awareness among your students, visit the "What's New" section of www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov <http://www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov>

In the News: The Shocking Truth About Graduation Rates

A recognized expert in college counseling Lynn O'Shaughnessy authors "The College Solution," a blog for students, parents, and counselors, about the college search and application process. In a recent post, she wrote, "I met a teenage girl during the fall who was excited about applying to Hampshire College. She had visited the campus in Amherst, MA, had met professors and talked with students. She was smitten. She and her mother felt good that they had done their due diligence on the college, but then I asked them a question that drew a blank stare: Do you know what Hampshire’s four-year graduation rate is?"

And then Ms. O'Shaughnessy goes on to tell us about a website that provides oodles of information about colleges' graduation rates - and uses interactive graphs and charts to do it! I tend to agree with the first commenter on her blog (a well-respected dean of admission), who reminds us that such information is helpful but -as with all data- it should always be considered in context and not as the sole determining factor in a student's decision-making.

That said, what I like about College Results Online is that a user can find accurate data about retention and graduation rates - and not just the overall rates, but also for special populations of students. You can also compare universities side-by-side, showing data about average costs, faculty, student & college characteristics, and a host of other information. Check out this quick comparison between two of Oregon's universities:

See all those tabs? This resource has an incredible amount of information, just waiting for you to investigate!

In the News: Three Reasons to Consider a Public University

"Public or private? In state or out? Theses are just some of the decisions a college-bound student will have to make. Lindsey was an attractive college applicant. She had top grades, excellent test scores, and a number of service and leadership experiences on her résumé. For many of her peers, those things translated into attendance at private, out-of-state schools.
"Lindsey's choice was different for a number of reasons, but here is one of the most important, and one that might resonate with you."

Read about Lindsey's three primary reasons for choosing her in-state, public university at U.S. News and World Report. Then round out your research by reading about 5 Reasons to Choose a Community College and The Pros and Cons of Private Colleges. (Remember to always read opinion pieces with a critical eye - some of the reasons listed in these articles will be spot on; others may not resonate so much with you or your students.)

In the News: OSU & Willamette University Team Up for Law

Are you working with any students who dream of being a lawyer? A new partnership between Oregon State University and Willamette University's law school might be of interest:

"College students can earn undergraduate and law degrees in only six years, under a new “three plus three” program announced Wednesday between Oregon State University and Willamette University College of Law.

Under the program, participants will spend three years at OSU in Corvallis, then three years at Willamette’s Salem law school. The program potentially cuts one year out of the time normally needed to earn a law degree."

Read an article about the partnership from The Portland Tribune. Then get the facts on eligibility from Willamette.

My College Dollars

I'm guessing the teens you work with aren't much different from the ones I know - Facebook plays a huge role in their social life. And, increasingly, it's a primary source of information. We could fight that, or we can do as MTV has done and help point students to good & accurate news through the Facebook interface:

MTV, home to television shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Teen Mom,” might be the last place many students would think to turn for guidance about financial aid. But on Wednesday the network is launching a Facebook application to help students efficiently navigate the financial aid morass.
The application, called “My College Dollars,” is a joint project of MTV, the College Board, the Get Schooled campaign and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The idea for the app came from Devin Valencia, who won the Get Schooled Affordability Challenge against some 200 other entrants.  She worked with designers to make her idea a reality using a budget of up to $100,000.

Read more about the new Facebook app at The Choice and Fast Company.

In the News: College Is Not For Everyone

The chairman of the Washington, D.C. city council has proposed college readiness legislation that would impact all students in that city. The proposal reads

To require that all students in Public High Schools apply to at least one post-secondary institution before graduating; to require that all Public High Schools instruct students on the application process, how to apply for financial aid; any relevant materials needed for parents; any other preparation courses necessary to streamline a transition to post-secondary education; to require OSSE to gather information on the number of students that actually attend a post-secondary institution; and to require that every student take the SAT or the American College Testing program (ACT) before graduation.

In Oregon, we have our own legislated goals about higher education attainment, and I think it's prudent to consider that within a national framework. Thus, the DC proposal is one to keep an eye on. I'm particularly interested in hearing what opponents have to say, and more than that - I'm interested in what YOU have to say.

A college president says that college isn't for everyone. Read her thoughts about the DC proposal and then share your own in the comments below.

In the News: The Future of Higher Education

If you've got some time, this conversation between the leaders of the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, Pitzer College, and the California Community Colleges, offers an interesting perspective on what's to come in higher education.

Together, they strive to answer the following questions:
"What is the future of higher education in America? Is the four-year degree model with students living on or near a campus, is the idea of creating a well-read, well-rounded cohort of critical thinkers perhaps outdated? Can the nation's colleges and universities prepare students for the competitive challenges of a global economy?"

Read about the panelists and listen in on their discussion from KPCC.

In the News: Liberal Arts Degrees Are an Asset at Some Companies

"Technology training and know-how only get you so far in this economy. It turns out many employers now are looking for workers with a broader set of skills. Packaged food giant ConAgra's IT internship program, for example, values a degree in journalism or biology as much as one in computer science. The trend is putting a crimp in the conventional theory that specialization in higher education pays.
...
"The big message for today's college students is to remember that they're preparing now for a lifetime of work, not just for that first job they're going to get right as they graduate. And what we're hearing from employers over and over again is that students really need a combination of broad skills and abilities that you get from a really good college education."

Listen to the story or read the transcripts at NPR.org.

Topical Discussion #1: Creating a College Going Culture

We're thrilled to be offering our first-ever CACG Topical Discussion. We think we're starting the series out "right" with an interactive presentation on Building a College Going Culture with Patricia Clark, the Senior Program Manager at UC Berkeley's Career Academy Support Network.


The following is an edited version of the presentation:



The following documents will be used during the discussion: Agenda, PowerPoint presentation (will also be shown via the player), and Informational Packet.
We encourage your active participation in the discussion and hope that you'll support that goal in a few important ways:

1. If more than one person from your organization is watching the live webcast, we strongly encourage you to do so in the same room and from the same computer. There may be times when Ms. Clark asks participants to discuss an idea in small groups, and being with your team will facilitate your ability to do so.
2. We have enabled the "comments" section of the blog and strongly encourage you to share your thoughts and questions as they come up throughout this workshop. (Quick tutorial on how to add comments: first, click on the post title, then scroll down until you see a box labeled "Post a Comment." Type your comment in the box, select the appropriate "Comment as" choice, and click on the "Publish" button. You may comment anonymously, but I urge you to identify yourself by name and/or organization.)
3. For one agenda item, you will have the option of participating via the blog comments feature, discussing as a group at your site, or calling into a conference line to talk with other remote participants. At that time, you may call 866-810-0965. The call ID# is 3507115#.

Opportunity! National Youth Science Camp Applications Available

Courtesy of our friends at Oregon Pre-Engineering and Applied Sciences (OPAS), comes information about the National Youth Science Camp. Check it out - and encourage and eligible students to apply!

 

Encourage high school seniors to apply for the 2012 National Youth Science Camp!

The National Youth Science Camp (NYSC), hosted and sponsored by the National Youth Science Foundation, is an intense all expenses paid three-week camp (June 27-July 21, 2012) that honors and challenges two graduating high school students from each state and others from selected countries around the world. Scientists who work on some of the most provocative topics in science today present lectures and hands-on science seminars and linger to interact informally with the student delegates. Delegates are challenged to explore new areas in the biological and physical sciences, art, and music with resident staff members. Opportunities are provided for delegates to present seminars covering their own areas of interest and research. The NYSC will be held at a facility located in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. A visit to Washington D.C. permits delegates to visit some of the nation's premier scientific, governmental, and cultural facilities. More information is available at www.nysc.org.

To apply, students must download the application packet from http://2012.nysc.org/delegates/apply/ and follow the enclosed instructions. Applications must be received by Cheryl Kleckner at the Oregon Department of Education no later than February 17, 2012.

And if you have students who are interested in engineering or computer sciences, encourage them to check out the Get Real blog. It's maintained by an OUS intern, who's a current Portland State University student. Updated three times a week, the relatively brief posts are "all about making engineering and computer science a reality for you."

Oregon College Access Network Symposium

 Save the Date!

The Oregon College Access Network (OrCAN) will be hosting a symposium on March 15, 2012. This gathering of college access practitioners from around the state promises to be a great opportunity to learn more about Oregon's 40/40/20 goal and to discuss the role we all play in accomplishing it.

Learn more about the symposium on the OrCAN website.

Special note to CACG sub-grantees:
If you are thinking this is a symposium you'd like to attend, but it isn't in your budget ... please remember that we have professional development funds available for members of your staff. See the Handbook for more information and then complete the Professional Development Funds Request form.

Undocumented: You're admitted! Oh Wait ... No You're Not

Mohammad's story includes sitting in an admissions office with an acceptance letter in hand. Until the admissions counselor tells him they've made a mistake - they missed the box he'd clearly marked stating that he was not a U.S. citizen: "He said that because I wasn't born here, I wasn't good enough for the university."

And so continues our series on being an undocumented student:

It's FAFSA Time!

There's no denying that January is the month for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). While the tuition payment dates may seem far off, even for seniors, the deadlines for filing the FAFSA and accessing all forms of federal and Oregon state aid for which a student might be eligible are fast-approaching:

Priority deadline for 2012-13 Oregon Opportunity Grant
February 1, 2012

Don't forget to watch the Opportunities Calendar ticker on the sidebar of the blog (just there --> to the right of this page) for workshops and other events at which students and their families can receive assistance in completing the forms. The biggest push, of course, is via College Goal Oregon, with events occurring throughout the state on every Saturday in January.

If you're looking for ways to remind your students of the importance of the FAFSA, you might want to consider downloading the College Goal song by College Goal Sunday Florida Radio. Or you can link to it from here:

College Goal

If your students prefer their music with a little video, the Charta Squad's got a pretty fun one:

And once you've got your fill of the multimedia, I'd recommend you head on over to The New York Times' blog about college admissions, The Choice. There you'll find a series of posts in which the founder of FinAid.org, Mark Kantrowitz, answers questions about the FAFSA. I've learned something from each of the first two segments (with more coming each day this week), and I'm confident you will, too.

Here's a teaser of the kinds of great information you'll find there:

In the News: Unemployment Varies by College Major, Study Shows

"Employment rates are higher for recent college graduates than for those with less education, but job prospects vary by major, according to a report released on Wednesday by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. ... Still, regardless of major, going to college is a good bet, the report shows. The overall unemployment rate for recent bachelor's-degree recipients is 8.9 percent, compared with 22.9 percent for recent high-school graduates and 31.5 percent for recent high-school dropouts."

To read the article, head over to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Undocumented: A Day in the Life

Continuing our series on being an undocumented student -and ultimately- in how best to serve them in their quest for higher education, we present this video on a day in the life of an undocumented college student:

In the News: Stop Letting High School Courses Count for College Credit

Given the semi-recent emphasis on helping students earn college credit while in high school as a means to incentivize enrollment in postsecondary institutions, I'm curious to hear what you all think about this opinion piece by Boston University astronomy professor Michael Mendillo.

Dr. Mendillo legitimately asks some interesting questions: "[D]oes anyone ever ask if it makes sense from an educational perspective? Do we really feel that the best students in a given discipline have no need to experience courses in nonrelated fields? Is this the best way to prepare America's educated citizenry?"

Read more of his questions and thoughts, as well as a host of comments by other members of the higher education community in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Then come back here and tell us what you think, based on your experiences with students who earn college credits while in high school.

In the News: Why Policymakers Should Care about Children's Savings

"'Creating a Financial Stake in College' is a four-part series of reports that focuses on the relationship between children’s savings and improving college success. This series examines: (1) why policymakers should care about savings, (2) the relationship between inequality and bank account ownership, (3) the connections between savings and college attendance, and (4) recommendations to refine children’s savings account proposals."

Access the already-published first report at the New America Foundation, where subsequent reports will soon be available.

In the News: Community College 101

"In the face of rising tuition costs, more students are opting to attend their local community college to get an associate’s degree or take their core classes at a cheaper price and then transfer to a private or public university for a full bachelor’s degree.
"Approximately 40% of U.S. undergraduate students attend community colleges, and students who are 18 to 24 years old make up the largest age group, according to a study by the College Board."

 

Read more at FoxBusiness.com.

In the News: College Is Still Worthwhile

Whew! It's good to know that studies back up the work we do, isn't it?

"With college costs soaring and new graduates struggling to land jobs, is higher education still worth the money? Yes, according to an analysis by one recent college graduate who has studied the issue carefully. Sarah Millar, who is now gainfully employed as a research analyst at ConvergEx Group in New York, examined the topic in a new report combining hard numbers with her own experience as a 2011 graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut."

Read more about Ms. Millar's study at the Los Angeles Times.

The ABCs of College Planning

Who doesn't love a good ABC book? And if you're in the business of helping kids prepare for college, then what could possibly be better than a post on the ABCs of college preparation?

That's just what you'll find at NevadaAppeal, where guest author Brian Underwood takes you (and your students) all the way from "Apply Yourself" to "Zeal," without skipping over "FAFSA" or "Questions."

Check it out!

In the News: Best Values in Colleges

College rankings lists can be controversial and should probably always be taken with a grain of salt. Of course, that doesn't mean they don't have their place. Sometimes you can even glean good tidbits from the information they provide.

That may be true in the case of Kiplinger's "Best Values" listings. In the past month, they've published their Best Values in both public and private colleges and universities. Earlier in the fall, U.S. News & World Report offered their take on the best values, regardless of the type of institution.

If you're like me, you might take a moment to notice that the following Oregon schools make at least one of the lists (in alphabetical order): Corban University, George Fox University, Lewis & Clark College, Reed College, University of Oregon, University of Portland, and Willamette University.

In the News: Don't Believe Scholarship Myths

"The worst thing about all of the myths surrounding college scholarships is that they stop students from believing that they have a chance of receiving aid, and frequently prevent them from applying for scholarship opportunities."

College advisor Lee Bierer recently took an opportunity to debunk (and, in some cases, confirm) some of the most popular myths about college scholarships. Read the following list, guess which you think are true or false, check check your responses by reading the article, then be sure to share the knowledge with your students.

• The only people who receive scholarships are the top scholars and athletes.
• Most scholarship awards are small and not really worth the time and effort to apply.
• Scholarships are only for minorities or those with great financial need.
• The competition is just too plain tough.
• You need to wait until you are accepted to apply for scholarships.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/27/2872479/dont-believe-scholarship-myths.html#storylink=cpy

Check your responses at The Charlotte Observer. Then head over to U.S. News & World Report to see a list of the top ten resolutions for scholarship seekers.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/27/2872479/dont-believe-scholarship-myths.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/27/2872479/dont-believe-scholarship-myths.html#storylink=cp

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/27/2872479/dont-believe-scholarship-myths.html#storylink=cpy"

In the News: For-Profit College Students Face Higher Debt, More Unemployment, Report Finds

The Harvard study referenced in yesterday's post about for-profit colleges' benefits and drawbacks is gaining traction in the news media:

"Students attending for-profit colleges wind up with much higher student-loan debts, are less likely to be employed after graduation and generally earn less than similar students at public or private nonprofit schools, according to a recent paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research."

Read more at The Huffington Post or campusprogress.org. You can also check out a handy bulleted list of the primary findings.

New Blog "Series": On Being Undocumented in Oregon

As I talk with each of the CACG awardees during the introductory phone calls, I continue to hear that serving undocumented students is one of the biggest common challenges. We are working to find ways to share knowledge, resources, and tools to better serve these students. If you have any resources that you'd like to share with the group, please let me know!

Over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be featuring videos and/or other items that introduce us to what it means to be undocumented. We'll "meet" some students who have decided to share their stories -often at risk of deportation of them or their families- and we'll learn a bit about what day-to-day life is like for them.

I know many of you have talked with your students about their struggles or concerns, but others in our group are still learning about the very real issues facing this special population of students.

Today's video comes from the Northwest Immigrant Youth Alliance:

If you know of any resources, videos, or other items that will help as we explore this topic on the blog, please let me know. I'd love to be able to share them with others.

Each post in this "series" will be tagged "Undocumented." Searching on that tag will pull up all the posts related to the topic.

In the News: Higher Ed Board Considers Raising Summer Tuition and Fees

"The State Board of Higher Education will consider next week a proposed average 8.9 percent increase in summer tuition and fees at the state's seven public universities. "

To read more about this issue, head on over to The Oregonian.

In the News: Benefits and Drawbacks of For-Profit Colleges

The good:
"For-profit colleges ... are more successful at retaining students in their first year and graduating them from short-term programs than are public or private nonprofit colleges"
The not-so-good:
"[S]tudents who attend for-profit colleges are less likely to be employed than comparable students from nonprofit institutions, and tend to have lower earnings six years after enrolling. They also carry heavier debt burdens and are more likely to default on their loans."

Read more and find a link to the study that gave rise to these statistics at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Holiday Cards from Colleges/Universities

One of my new favorite things to do around the holidays is to watch the video greetings sent out by colleges and universities. I know some people might think that's a little bit silly and nerdy, but I'll own up to the fact that I'm fascinated by campus cultures - and I'm starting to believe that we can learn a lot about a campus' culture by how they portray themselves through media.

The thing about these holiday cards is that they often involve a wide spectrum of college personalities - students, faculty members, staff, and often the president gets involved. Some are scripted; some are off-the-cuff greetings from a large swathe of the community. Some are funny; others are quite serious. Many show off the talents of their student bodies. Quite a few show off the beauty of their campuses, including a spotlight of their winter weather (be that snow, rain, or warm sun). All of them give us a brief glimpse into the life of their students.

Colleges around the country are pretty different from one another, and a student's comfort (and -therefore- success) may be dependent on a university's campus culture. I think viewing these cards is a great way to start to get a feel for just how seriously an institution (or its leadership) takes itself.

A pretty good list has been compiled by Nancy Griesemer of DC College Admissions Examiner. Clicking on even just one of her YouTube links will pull up a whole bunch of others she hasn't mentioned. The Chronicle of Higher Education also got in on the act, putting together their own list. I've also done a bit of poking around and found a few from our own home state.

Check out the Oregon Duck's whimsical greeting:
Or learn about the favorite holiday traditions of Lewis & Clark's students, faculty, and staff:

Or bake a little with Oregon State: