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College Goal Sunday

College Goal Sunday. Changes in Higher Education: The Impact on College Goal Sunday College Goal Sunday Forum May 25, 2010. College Goal Sunday. Tim Christensen Program Manager, Direct Loan Transition Education Services Vangent, Inc. Agenda. Recent Legislation FAFSA Simplification

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College Goal Sunday

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  1. College Goal Sunday Changes in Higher Education: The Impact on College Goal Sunday College Goal Sunday Forum May 25, 2010

  2. College Goal Sunday Tim Christensen Program Manager, Direct Loan Transition Education Services Vangent, Inc.

  3. Agenda • Recent Legislation • FAFSA Simplification • College Access Challenge Grants • Volunteers and Money • Q&A, Success Stories, and Discussion

  4. Recent Legislation • March 30: President signed Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 • Education initiatives started with president’s budget proposal-May 2009 • Continued with Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act-July 2009 • Stalled in Senate-December 2009

  5. HCERA • Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (Public Law 111-152) • Passed by House and Senate on March 25 • Signed into law by President Obama on March 30

  6. HCERA Key Provisions • Eliminates Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) • No new (first disbursed) Stafford, PLUS, or consolidation loans after June 30, 2010 • Income-Based Repayment (IBR) • Beginning July 1, 2014, new borrowers will qualify for IBR if standard repayment exceeds 10% of discretionary income • Currently 15% • “Discretionary income” is amount of AGI that exceeds 150% of the poverty line for the borrower’s family size

  7. HCERA Key Provisions, cont. • IBR, cont. • Loan forgiveness occurs after 20 years of repayment • Decreased from 25 years • In-School Consolidation • Borrowers with loans in Direct, FFEL, or held by the government may consolidate into a Direct Consolidation Loan • Must consolidate between July 1, 2010 and July 1, 2011

  8. HCERA Key Provisions, cont. • Consolidation, cont. • Must have at least one loan in each of two of the three programs • Must not have entered repayment on at least one of those loans • Increased Pell Grants • Maximum $5,550 in 2010-11 (up from $5,350 this year) • At least $6,000 by 2017 • Indexed to Consumer Price Index for five years starting in 2013

  9. HCERA Key Provisions, cont. • Servicing Contracts for State Non-profits • State entities not owned or controlled in whole or in part by a for-profit entity • Have principal place of business in that respective state • Eligible for Direct Loan servicing contracts in that state • Must meet servicing standards • Secretary may reallocate, increase, reduce, or terminate allocation based on performance

  10. HCERA Key Provisions, cont. • Assistance to Institutions Participating in the Direct Loan Program • $50 million for technical assistance • ED has provided checklists, guides, and a “suite” of Webinars • In-depth telephone support through Student Aid Internet Gateway/Central Processing System tech team • Campus support visits • No direct grants to schools

  11. HCERA Key Provisions, cont. • Community College and Career Training Grant program • $2 billion over four years • Designed to help unemployed and others facing barriers to employment • Support for HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other MSIs • College Access Challenge Grants (more to come)

  12. HCERA Key Provisions, cont. • Pays off most of the FY 2011 Pell Grant shortfall • Provides $10 billion for deficit reduction

  13. SAFRA Provisions Dropped • Changes to need analysis that would have eliminated consideration of assets • Asset caps for Pell Grants and subsidized Stafford Loans • Elimination of Perkins Loan Program in favor of Federal Direct Perkins Loan • And a few others

  14. FAFSA Simplification • “Skip logic” allows applicants to skip questions not relevant to them • Questions about parents’ financial information eliminated for students who are: • At least 24 • Married • Single screening question before existing three questions about homeless status allows most to skip

  15. FAFSA Simplification, cont. • Allows men over age 26 to skip question about selective service registration • Students who qualify for simplified needs formula skip asset questions • Questions about untaxed income and other financial information presented in simplified “check box” format

  16. FAFSA Simplification, cont. • In January 2010, students using online FAFSA to apply for aid for the remainder of 2009-10 can retrieve tax information from IRS and transfer to FAFSA • Students can link from FAFSA to state financial aid applications • Schools that find FAFSA over-simplified can use CSS Profile (currently about 250)

  17. FAFSA Simplification, cont. • FAFSA simplification is an ongoing, iterative process • College access professionals are challenged to stay on top of changes • Families need to be kept informed

  18. Good News, Yet Challenges • Pell Grants are increasing • FAFSA simplification is well underway • The big challenge: Agencies that often took the lead in outreach and information services are being forced to cut staff and services

  19. College Access Challenge Grants • We’re going back to the Health Care and Reconciliation Act now • Purpose: • Foster partnerships among federal, state, and local governments and philanthropic organizations • Matching challenge grants • Aimed at increasing the number of low-income students prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education

  20. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Challenge Grants provide funding for: • Information on college and career planning for students and families • Professional development for guidance counselors, financial aid administrators, and college admission counselors • Need-based grant aid for low-income students

  21. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Match required • Federal funds may pay up to two-thirds of the cost of activities and services • States must provide non-federal funds equal to one-third of costs • Match may be cash or in-kind • It cannot be waived • Sources may include states, private organizations, or both

  22. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Who may apply: • Any state agency designated by the governor of the state • If a state is awarded a grant and fails to meet its matching requirement, the Secretary will reduce the state’s award proportionately and may re-award those funds to a philanthropic organization

  23. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Qualifying Students and Families • Must make activities and services available to all qualifying students and families regardless of: • Choice of postsecondary institution • Type of student loan received • Server of such loan • Student’s academic performance • Cannot charge a fee to participate • Cannot require students to meet any condition other than eligibility for Title IV aid

  24. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Priority • Must be given to students and families who are living below the poverty line applicable to the individual’s family size

  25. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Funding status • FY 2008: $66 million • FY 2009: $66 million • FY 2010: $150 million • This is a 127% increase • Formula-driven • Minimum award was $330K in 2009 • Increases to $1.5M in 2010 • Range up to $7.6M in 2009 and $15M in 2010 (California)

  26. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Sub-Grants to Non-Profits • May award sub-grants to one or more non-profits or partnerships of organizations provided they: • Were in existence on or before September 27, 2007; and • Participate in activities and services related to increasing access to higher education

  27. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • FY 2010 application became available May 17, 2010 • Deadline: July 2, 2010 • Contact: • Karmon Simms-Coates • E-mail: karmon.simms-coates@ed.gov • (202) 502-7807

  28. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Arkansas launched “Say Go College Week” in February that ended with College Goal Sunday • As a result, 47% more high school seniors completed the FAFSA in College Goal Sunday than in the prior year • Kansas supplemented existing CGS funding with CACG funds • CGS attendance increase 30%, from 838 students in 2008 to 1,091 in 2009

  29. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Maine expanded CGS to include additional sites, additional nights, and FAFSA completion lab events. • Attendance increased 16% over prior year • Michigan created a college access network, launched a college access Web portal, and brought local providers into the conversation • CGS participation increased 51%

  30. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Mississippi partnered with GEAR UP to launch its first-ever CGS event • Approximately 400 families attended 22 sites staffed by 250 volunteers • 22 students (one per site) were awarded $500 scholarships • The Montana CACG team videotaped families filling out the FAFSA for its go2collegeMT Web site • Also working on FAFSA completion tutorial

  31. College Access Challenge Grants, cont. • Puerto Rico developed a pilot based on CGS to bring FAFSA completion via UPR to high schools • 59 high schools participated, 100 are expected in 2010, and all will participate in 2011 • South Carolina expanded CGS to provide intervention by local institutions and partnered with TRIO and Foster Care • Over 900 students received support

  32. Volunteers and Money • Potential varies from state to state • Make sure every prospective funding partner knows about College Goal Sunday • Promote and network persistently • Seek opportunities for collaboration • Be able to answer the “what’s in it for me” question (the value proposition)

  33. Organizations to Connect With • State department of education • State loan servicer, if available • State association of student financial aid administrators • TRIO organizations • State College Access Network, if there is one • State GEAR UP organization

  34. Organizations to Connect With, cont. • State university system • Community foundations • Private philanthropy • Business and industry • Others? You suggest • Reference: CAM Budgeting Brief • http://www.pathwaystocollege.net/pdf/CAM-Budgeting.pdf

  35. Discussion • Q & A • Success stories • Other comments Thank You! Tim Christensen timothy.christensen@vangent.com 703-284-5809

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