Summer Transition Grant Program Webinar

1. Summer Transition Grant Program Webinar Presented by Ginny Dodds, MN Office of Higher Education Hosted by MN State Colleges & Universities (MnSCU) ere Times New Roman 24pt. November 5, 2009

2. Summer Transition Program Grant • Passed during 2009 legislative session • $4.9 million per biennium from State Grant appropriation • One-time grant to students to help pay expenses for approved research-based summer transition programs offered by eligible postsecondary institutions • For students who graduate from high school after December 31, 2009 • Must take place during summer immediately following high school graduation

3. Eligible Institution • “Eligible Institution” means • Any public college or university operated by MnSCU or University Board of Regents • Any private college located in MN that • maintains academic standards substantially equivalent to those of comparable institutions operated in this state; • is licensed or registered as a postsecondary institution by the office or another state agency; and • by July 1, 2013, is participating in the federal Pell Grant program under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

4. Summer Transition Program • Summer transition program must, at a minimum: • Include instruction to develop the skills and abilities necessary to be ready for college-level work when the student enrolls in a program leading to credential • Address the academic skills identified as needing improvement by a college readiness assessment completed by the student (pre- and post-test required) • Not constitute more than the equivalent of one semester of full-time study occurring the summer following high school graduation • Be identified on a student’s transcript with unique identifier to distinguish it from other developmental courses/programs • Will count towards limit on postsecondary education used for state financial aid programs

5. Summer Transition Program • What does “research-based” mean? • Design of college’s summer transition program incorporates strategies identified in studies of successful high school-to-college transition programs • In general, successful summer transition programs have provided support services in conjunction with remedial academic instruction • Strong evaluation component to program • Comparison of program participants with control group • Comparison of different summer transition programs

6. Summer Transition Program Research • Center of Higher Education Policy Analysis, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California • SummerTIME 2007 Evaluation • It’s About Time: Temporal Dimensions of College Preparation Programs • Making the Grade in College Prep: A Guide for Improving College Preparation Programs • Clauss-Ehlers, Caroline S. and Wibrowski, Connie R. (2007, September 1). Building Educational Resilience and Social Support: The Effects of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program Among First- and Second-Generation College Students, Journal of College Student Development.

7. Summer Transition Program Research A variety of research-based studies have outlined the following 8 parameters of successful intervention programs: • Motivation: Create a desire to reach a goal • Substance: Develop specific skills rather than abstract skills • Independence: Encourage students to do independent work • Multiple approaches: Use multiple pedagogical approaches • High standards: Set high standards • Inquiry: Develop inquiry skills for students • Problem solving: View learning as an intellectual undertaking • Supportive context: Create a positive learning environment From Building a Successful Intervention Program for Under-Prepared College Bound Students: Analyzing SummerTIME VII, University of California, Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis, July 2009

8. Summer Transition Program Research Successful strategies have included, but are not limited to: • Peer counseling or mentoring by successful college upperclassmen who are members of the same groups traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education • Hands-on assistance with college admissions and financial aid applications, as well as information about the various types of financial aid available for college • Assistance with preparing for college entrance exams • The importance of postsecondary education and exposure to postsecondary areas of study and career opportunities, including visits from employers • Academic tutoring • Academic, financial or personal counseling • Exposure to college faculty, staff, and facilities, such as the financial aid office, registrar, library, extracurricular activities and organizations • “College knowledge” sessions on note taking skills, study skills, time management, how to talk to your professor, problem solving, student involvement, presentation skills, balancing social life with academics, etc.

9. Summer Transition Program Research Successful strategies have included, but are not limited to: • Provision of financial incentives for good attendance, such as offering a college scholarship upon completion or incremental disbursement of the summer transition grant • Attendance/completion improved 15% with $1,000 scholarship (SummerTIME2007) • Involvement of high school counselors and college admissions, financial aid, academic and student affairs and multi-cultural offices in program design • Active engagement of students in classroom activities • Opportunities for parental involvement • Clear goals that are measurable for accurate program evaluation • Culturally engaged teachers who motivate students • Continuing support services after students enroll in college or linking students to existing services offered by the college

10. Summer Transition Program • Q: Can a currently existing summer transition program at the college be used for this program? • A: Yes, if it meets or is modified to meet requirements for the Summer Transition Grant program TRIO? Power of You? Others?

11. Summer Transition Program • Q: Can a college accept students in its summer transition program who plan to enroll at a different college? • A: Technically, yes. However, there would be advantages to accepting only students planning on enrolling at the same college: • May not need to repeat college placement test for admission • May eliminate problems with transferring remedial work • Cohort effect may improve retention

12. Program Approval Factors considered: • Name of college assessment test that will be used to determine the type of developmental coursework needed for each student • Target population program will serve • Methods for marketing program to target population • Program goals and objectives, including the project’s timeline and milestones • Name, title and credentials of individuals involved in program design • How research on high school-to-college summer transition programs was incorporated into project design

13. Program Approval Factors considered: • Description of instructional methods that will be used to address academic deficiencies identified by college assessment test (standard developmental courses offered by institution, courses designed specifically for summer transition program, etc.) • How developmental course credits will be determined for purposes of determining the student’s enrollment level for the grant. (Typically, 30 hours of instruction is equal to one semester credit and 20 hours of instruction is equal to one quarter credit.) • Description of support services surrounding academic coursework that will assist the student with transitioning to the college environment

14. Program Approval Factors considered: • Proposed program schedule (hours of instruction, support services and other activities) • Whether financial incentives for attendance will be used (e.g., delayed disbursement of a portion of summer transition grant, college scholarship for best attendance, etc.) and method of tracking attendance • Whether or not program is currently offered as part of the federal TRIO programs or other outreach programs • Whether or not program has been offered in the past and, if so, program’s success in meeting goals and objectives • Qualifications, training and experience of all key personnel involved in program, including individuals involved in data collection and reporting for the evaluation component

15. Summer Transition Program Approval Dates • OHE emailed Request for Program Proposals to MN colleges on October 1, 2009 • Sent to admissions, student affairs, academic affairs, financial aid and campus diversity contacts • Intent to Submit Program Proposal form due at OHE by December 1, 2009 • Program proposals due by February 1, 2010 • Instructions in Request for Program Proposals • OHE will contact campus if information missing, unclear • This is NOT competitive grant process • Campuses will be notified of approval by March 1, 2010

16. Summer Transition Grant Award • Intent is to help student cover costs for summer transition program • Award calculation budget is the MN State Grant program award calculation budget • Tuition and general fees for 15 credits • Subject to semester tuition cap of $5,244 for 4-year degree program and $2,904 for 2-year program • Living cost allowance of $3,500 for 15 credits • Award calculation budget is prorated on a per-credit basis if student is enrolled for fewer than 15 credits

17. Summer Transition Grant Award • Award calculation enrollment level based on credits (or credit equivalencies) of remedial course work and other program activities • OHE will need to determine how other program activities can be translated into credits • Most likely standard formula will be used: • 30 hours of activity = 1 semester credit • 20 hours of activity = 1 quarter credit

18. Summer Transition Grant Eligible Student • Program intended to serve students from groups underrepresented in higher education, though others not excluded in statute • U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen as defined for federal and state financial aid programs • MN resident as defined for state financial aid programs • Not more than 30 days past due on child support obligation

19. Summer Transition Grant Calculation • Award calculation when EFC/PC > $0 is: State Grant term award budget adjusted for enrollment level - 46% student share - Term adjusted parent contribution (dep) or EFC (independent) • 9-month FM PC prorated to 96% then divided by 2 (sem) or 3 (qtr) • 9-month FM EFC prorated to 86% indep with deps; 68% indep w/o deps then divided by 2 (sem) or 3 (quarter) - Pell Grant (only if Pell Grant actually received) = Summer Transition Program Grant (minimum $50 sem; $33 qtr)

20. Summer Transition Grant Calculation • Award calculation when EFC/PC = $0 is: State Grant term award budget adjusted for enrollment level - $1,200 summer work expectation - $ 0 Pell Grant = Summer Transition Program Grant (minimum $50 sem; $33 qtr)

21. Summer Transition Grant Calculation • For student with $0 EFC for 2009-2010, Summer Transition Grant for summer 2010 would be: MnSCU 2-YrMnSCU 4-YRUofM/Private 4-Yr 15 credits $4,642 $5,487 $7,544 12 credits $3,474 $4,150 $5,795 9 credits $2,305 $2,812 $5,246 6 credits $1,137 $1,475 $2,299 3 credits $ 0 $ 137 $ 549 • Some students might also be eligible for Federal Pell Grant, if accepted into credential program

22. Summer Transition Grant • Colleges not required to charge students for summer transition program, but can • If amount of student’s calculated grant exceeds direct educational charges, college would disburse excess amount to student for books and living costs • Intent was to reduce work hours to concentrate on academic preparation • Colleges may disburse excess amount in installments to encourage program attendance and completion

23. Summer Transition Grant • School’s definition of summer term used for other state financial aid programs will be used • Most schools combine mini-sessions into one summer term • If term crosses fiscal year (July 1), it is considered crossover term • Crossover terms can be funded from either aid year • Must select same aid year for Summer Transition Grant and Pell Grant, IF Pell Grant being subtracted • State Grant application deadline for aid year selected applies • FAFSA must be received by FAFSA system no later than 30 days after start of summer transition program

24. Administration of Grants to Students • OHE will seek advice from campus financial aid administrators re: program implementation and design • Possible working group • At issue: • Should program be designed to match State Grant, whereby schools submit data batches to OHE and draw down funds? • Should program be designed like Work Study and Postsecondary Child Care Grant, whereby funding advanced to campuses and campus submits final report with student data and awards? • Should grant program be handled by program director or financial aid office?

25. Summer Transition Program Evaluation Component • OHE must establish and convene a data working group to develop: • Data methodology used to evaluate program’s effectiveness at improving academic performance, including identification of comparison groups • Timeline for institutions to submit data to OHE • Must report annually; first report to Legislature due March 15, 2011 • Procedures to ensure consistency of data collected • Data group must: • Have members with expertise in data collection and delivery of academic programs to students • Represent the types of institutions offering transition programs • Help OHE director analyze and synthesize data for annual evaluation report submitted to legislature

26. Summer Transition Program Evaluation Component • At a minimum, evaluation data collected must include: • Demographic information about participants (income, family size, age, gender, race, parents’ educational attainment) • Names of high school from which student graduated • College readiness test used to determine the student was not ready for college-level academic work • Academic content areas assessed and the pre- and post-scores received on the readiness test • Description of services, including any supplemental noncredit academic support services provided to students • Data on registration load, courses completed, and grades received by students during transition program • Retention of students from summer to fall term and subsequent terms • Other data identified by evaluation group

27. Summer Transition Program Evaluation Component • Transition Program participants will need to be tracked even if they transfer to another college • OHE can use ISIR/State Grant database to determine if student enrolled for fall and subsequent terms • Potentially, OHE can contact these campuses for data on subsequent enrollment (e.g., GPA, etc.) • This means students must sign release form • Language will likely be included into Summer Transition Grant program student application

28. QUESTIONS??

29. Contact Information • Program approval and grant administration: Ginny Dodds Manager, State Financial Aid Programs MN Office of Higher Education 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 St. Paul, MN 55108 Ginny.Dodds @ state.mn.us (651) 355-0610, Toll-free (800) 657-3866 Program evaluation: Meredith Fergus, Research & Policy Analysis (651) 259-3963 Meredith.Fergus @ state.mn.us