(Photo Credit: GabrielPevide/Getty Images, courtesy of Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation)
NCAN created its first COVID-related resource page in early March. At that time, our members began shifting as many of their services
as possible to the digital realm (though that, as we know, is an imperfect solution for our students). We collected links to tools and articles that offered immediate insights and suggestions for what to do as much of K-12 and higher ed was shutting
its doors and moving online due to the pandemic.
This new page of articles explores what NCAN members and partners have been doing to support students since those earliest, most chaotic days.
After having more time to plan and adjust, college access and success organizations have devised innovative strategies to serve as many students as possible, despite continued school closures across much of the country.
We’ve categorized these stories into the three areas that are the focus of many questions NCAN has received from the field:
How to safely provide FAFSA completion assistance during the pandemic.
Effective practices for virtual postsecondary advising.
How to talk about fit and match, given the new financial realities many students and families are facing.
We will continue to update this page with additional stories of success as we discover them.
If you’d like to share a blog post or news article about what’s working for students right now, please email Kelly Mae Ross at rosskm@ncan.org.
If you have an example or template of a resource that you’re using with students this fall – for instance, a note to students explaining how you will deliver services this year – please share it with MorraLee Keller at kellerm@ncan.org. You can review the full list of the types of resources we’re looking to crowdsource at the bottom of this page.
Socially Distant FAFSA Completion Strategies
Several organizations have released chatbots that can answer questions about the FAFSA and/or direct students to additional FAFSA assistance resources:
College Board, in partnership with Benefits Data Trust, created a FAFSA chatbot called "Wyatt" that
can communicate with students via text message. Students must have a College Board account to access Wyatt.
Broward County Public Schools hosted virtual FAFSA nights throughout October, and the BCPS staff outlined the planning steps for these events on the NCAN blog. NCAN members can also access a Dec. 8 webinar in which BCPS staff elaborated on their successful virtual FAFSA assistance strategies.
The the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Connecticut College and Career Readiness Alliance partnered to launch a statewide FAFSA challenge to boost completion rates for the high school class of 2021. Eligible school districts can compete for a $10,000 prize and receive additional resources to help more students complete the FAFSA.
The Education Trust–New York and education organizations across the Empire State released the "Financial Aid for College: High School Toolkit"
to support high schools in helping all students complete financial aid applications. Although much of the content in the toolkit is specific to New York, there are many general principles and resources that will be valuable for those engaged in
postsecondary advising across the country. Don’t let the name dissuade you from opening the toolkit.
Get2College in Mississippi is hosting a drive-in FAFSA completion event as a way to offer socially distanced,
in-person assistance to students and families. Overall, they are using a multi-pronged approach that
includes snail mail (given limitations on student access to broadband and/or computers) to try to raise awareness about FAFSA completion and offer support.
Don’t let COVID-19 stop you from completing the FAFSA! Get2College helped Mississippi students during a drive-through FAFSA Day. #firstuhaftafafsahttps://t.co/ZtWy07HgTR
The Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation, in partnership with more than a dozen higher ed organizations (including NCAN), launched SwiftStudent to assist students who need to request adjustments to
their financial aid packages. This free digital tool helps students learn about the financial aid appeal process, review eligibility requirements, and customize free template appeal letters to submit to their college financial aid office.
NCAN’s #FAFSABrightSpots series
This blog post series features college attainment organizations around the country who were quick to devise creative new FAFSA support strategies during the early months of the pandemic.
NCAN hosted a webinar to provide an overview of the CAC guide. You can access the webinar recording and slides.
CollegeBound Foundation in Baltimore is hosting "CareerBound," a series of hourlong Zoom sessions for CollegeBound scholars and alumni to learn about
local job and internship opportunities. The organization shared about this effort and other virtual advising updates on the NCAN blog.
A group of students in Dallas recently shared their own ideas for how to improve college access services during the
pandemic as part of a “Design Camp” supported by the Gates Foundation. Dallas County Promise was involved with the project.
Michigan College Access Network, along with several partners, launched a free college advising hotline for students in grades 9-12. Most of the advisers staffing
the hotline are AmeriCorps members.
Several organizations in Texas came together to launch a public-private partnership called Future Focused Texas. The goal is to help maintain college enrollment rates in the state
by offering additional support to both college access professionals and students. One resource for students is a new chatbot called ADVi that can answer questions via text.
Washington Student Achievement Council has created a statewide texting chatbot that can answer student questions about postsecondary planning.
Fit & Match Conversations During COVID
CollegeTracks in Maryland created a plan for holding virtual meetings with high school seniors, college students, and their families to help decode and compare financial aid offers.
Email to a Friend