Advocacy & Education: Your Voice Needs to be Heard

1. Advocacy & Education: Your Voice Needs to be Heard Julie Fopma Associate Director of Admissions Iowa Wesleyan College Iowa ACAC Government Relations Chair

2. Today’s Session • What is Advocacy? • Iowa Issues • National Issues • Take Action & Get Involved

3. Advocacy 101

4. You are an Advocate! • “Advocacy” is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as public support for a particular cause or policy, or pleading a case on someone else’s behalf. • As a professional: you are an expert on college access • As a constituent: you are an expert on your community Source: www.nacacnet.org

5. Why Lawmakers Need You • They work for you! • Lawmakers depend on constituents and advocates to learn about emerging issues or problems • Lawmakers are held accountable for how well they deal with the needs and wants of constituents Source: www.nacacnet.org

6. Do the Math • 535 members of the House & Senate= several thousand bills and amendments in any given session • A given member of Congress can work on approximately 100 bills and amendments • There are probably 10 bills lawmakers really care about • The likelihood that our issues make in into the top 10=very slim! Source: www.nacacnet.org

7. Iowa Issues

8. Professional School Counselors • Counselors: • work to meet the academic, career and personal/social needs of every student through the delivery of a comprehensive school counseling program • promote academic achievement for every student • use data to support programs • Keep legislators informed on how important counselors are in helping student achievement in our schools • It is important to make sure everyone understands the role of a school counselor on every level—local, state and federal

9. Rural Access • Economic difficulties disproportionately affect rural communities. Small schools, cuts in faculty & budget issues contribute to districts’ inabilities to provide the skills & programs necessary for many students from rural communities to have access at the same levels of higher education as those from larger, more stable school districts. • 4 of 10 ACT-tested 2008 high school graduates took less than a core curriculum. • Only 22% of ACT-tested 2008 high school graduates met all four benchmarks. • Of those students who took a core curriculum, only 27% were college ready. • Fewer than 2 in 10 eighth-grade students are on target to becoming college ready. Source: The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students are on Target for College and Career Readiness before High School, ACT, 2009.

11. Institution Funding • Community Colleges • Regent Universities

12. Iowa Tuition Grant Iowa Tuition Grants are distributed to Iowa residents enrolled at one of Iowa's eligible private colleges and universities.  Priority is given to applicants with the greatest financial need.  The maximum grant is $3,500 per year for up to four years of full-time, undergraduate study.  Part-time students may be eligible for adjusted amounts. Eligibility Criteria: • Iowa resident • Undergraduate enrollment • Enrolled at an eligible Iowa private college or university

13. Iowa Tuition Grant • 14, 856 Iowans received the ITG in 2010- 2011 • $43,513,448 in total appropriated funds for 2012 Source: Iowa College Student Aid Commission

14. Branstad’sOne Unshakable Vision: World- Class Schools for Iowa Plan: • The report says Iowa must become more selective and supportive of teachers and principals, set clear expectations and fair measures for student learning, and nurture innovation in schools to restore the state's standing as a leader in education, according to a news release. • Attract and support talented educators with an increase in starting teacher pay, more selective teacher preparation programs and improved recruiting and hiring practices. • Create educator leadership roles in schools and develop an evaluation system that requires annual and multiple evaluations of all educators. • Develop a four-tier teacher compensation system with apprentice, career, mentor and master levels and substantial pay raises for teachers who move up. • Set goals for student outcomes, including a 95 percent high school graduation rate and top statewide performance on national standardized assessments.

15. National Issues

16. NACAC Items for the 112th Congress • College Access Agenda • Access to Quality Counseling • Need-based Financial Aid • Rigorous Curriculum for All Students • Student Protection Agenda • Protect Students in the Admission Process • Protect Student Borrowers • Protect Taxpayer Dollars

17. Access to Quality Counseling • Amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to include the current provisions of the Pathways to College Act • Amend the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) to include a definition of “comprehensive school counseling program” • Increase funding for GEAR IP and TRIO in FY 2011 • Increase funding for ESSCP in FY 2011 so that funds are available to secondary schools

18. Need-based Financial Aid • Maintain investment in the Pell Grant • Increase investment in other need-based aid programs, including SEOG and Work Study, according to the recommendations of the Student Aid Alliance • Implement measures to improve access to student aid through simplification of the application process and making loans more affordable for student borrowers

19. Rigorous Curriculum for All Students • Broaden allowable uses of ESEA Title I funds to allow the neediest high schools to develop and support innovative approaches to improving curriculum, including dual enrollment or early college programs in partnerships with colleges and universities • Help states make K-12 funding more equitable. Improved access to resources mean improved opportunities for student achievement and improved postsecondary options.

20. Protect Students in the Admission Process The U.S. Department of Educations regulatory efforts that protect student and the integrity of the Title IV Federal Student Aid programs are critically important to prevent aggressive and misleading recruitment tactics. NACAC urges support for program integrity regulations for college admission activities, in particular: • Incentive Compensation • Misrepresentation of Information to Students • Definition of a High School Diploma • Ability to Benefit Tests Source: NACAC

21. Protect Student Borrowers Private student loans are one of the riskiest ways to pay for postsecondary education, as they typically have uncapped, variable interest rates that victimize borrowers who can least afford them and reward irresponsible lenders. Private loans also lack the basic consumer protections and flexible repayment options of federal student loans. • Amend the Higher Education Act (HEA) to require that colleges certify private loans and inform student of any untapped federal loan eligibility before taking on a private student loan. • Amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to include financial literacy education in college counseling programs to equip students with information necessary for taking on federal and private loans. • Amend bankruptcy law to enable private student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy. Source: NACAC

22. Protect Taxpayer Dollars There exists an opportunity for fraud and abuse in weakening in the HEA’s 90/10 Rule. This provision was enacted to ensure that in institution must receive 10% of its revenue from a source other than the federal government, assuring that the business sustain some degree of market viability. This rule also helps protect against “sub-prime” practices that target low-income students for their taxpayer-funded education benefits. • Strengthen the 90/10 Rule to protect federal student aid program, ultimately taxpayer, dollars. • Amend the HEA to include funds from the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs when calculating the 90/10 Rule. Source: NACAC

23. The Pathways to College Act (tabled for 2011) • The Pathways to College Act would provide competitive grant funds to high need school districts for the purpose of improving college going rates of all students. Eligible grant recipients would be required to use grant funds to provide the following: • Professional development for high school counselors in postsecondary advising • One on one meetings with a school counselor to develop a postsecondary plan for every student • Information for all student and their families on the college application process, paying for college, and preparing for college • Development of a school-wide plan to increase college-going culture in school  Source: NACAC

24. The DREAM Act (tabled for 2011) • The Dream Act of 2009 is a legislative fix for undocumented students, for whom current immigration laws provide no path to citizenship, despite the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court decided in 1982 that such students should not be held liable for their immigration status.  Approximately 60,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools annually, but are unable to enroll in college because they are ineligible for in-state tuition. • Under this legislation, undocumented students would be permitted to apply for conditional residency status if they have graduated from a U.S. high school and have been admitted to an institution of higher education.  Such students would be granted permanent residency if they obtain a college degree, complete two years toward a postsecondary degree, or serve in the military within six years of obtaining a high school degree or a Graduate Equivalency Diploma (GED) while maintaining good moral standing. Source: NACAC

25. Education & the Economy • 90% of the fastest growing jobs in America require a postsecondary credential or training. (US Dept of Education, 2007) Only 40%, or 11.5 million, of 18-24 year olds are currently enrolled in college (American Association of State Colleges and Universities, 2010) • The average income for individuals with a bachelor’s degree and employed full time was 65% higher than for those with only a high school diploma and employed full time (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008). Graduates who earn a bachelor’s degree or higher can be expected to earn 66% more over a lifetime than those who only complete high school (Georgetown Center on Education & the Workforce, 2011) Source: NACAC

26. Education & the Economy • In 2000, 31% of adults surveyed said a college education is necessary for economic success; in 2008, 55% said a college education is necessary for economic success (Public Agenda, 2009). A separate survey in 2010 found that 89% of voters agreed with the statement that “to really get ahead in life a person needs at least some college education beyond high school, whether that means university, community college, technical or vocational school” (Achieve, 2010). • College graduates typically pay 134% more in federal income taxes and 80% ($5,900) more in total federal, state, and local taxes than the typical high school graduate (College Board, 2007; 2010). Source: NACAC

27. Take Action & Get Involved

28. Get Involved • Visit the Hill—February 22, 2012, Embassy Suites, Des Moines • FREE Event with a travel stipend for counselors bringing students • NACAC Legislative Conference • www.nacacnet.org • Action Alerts • Listservs/MemberToMember • Write/E-mail • Local Legislative Briefings • At church, grocery store, on the street • Vote

29. Action Alert

30. GovRel Intel

31. Legislative Activity

32. Julie Fopma jfopma@iwc.edu 319.385.6239 319.931.8148