In October 2021, South Florida’s local college access network, Bridge2Life (B2L), launched an innovative pilot project that provides no-cost, step-by-step Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
assistance to students and families through a helpline.
211 Broward is a local, comprehensive, anonymous helpline that provides individuals and families with critical connections to health and human services resources and crisis support. 211 Broward’s specialized
services include programs for children with behavioral health and special needs, veterans, caregivers, teens, and more.
There are more than 200 of these 211 helpline agencies across the U.S.
In partnership with 211 Broward, the B2L FAFSA Counselor Program provides phone, text, and email support to individuals seeking FAFSA answers and information. The program currently has one active
call counselor, also known as a B2L specialist, who responds to calls and provides referrals for the entire county. The specialist is available 25 hours a week, from late afternoon to early evening.
The B2L specialist is an existing team member of the 211 Broward Helpline center who has been trained on how to create an FSA ID and complete the FAFSA application. The B2L specialist participates in ongoing training and dry runs to test their knowledge
of the FAFSA and approaches to solving complex challenges that can arise when completing the FAFSA with students and families.
Some examples of the comprehensive resources provided to the specialist include:
B2L plans to train additional specialists in the future.
“Our B2L specialists understand the importance of providing socio-emotional support beyond the FAFSA. They are caring adults who are able to provide one-on-one support to students and families while acting as an extension of intra-school college advising
and guidance staff,” said Colleen Lockwood, B2L’s collective impact leader.
Students and families who want to engage with the B2L specialist at 211 Broward can schedule 30-minute appointments by telephone or through the B2L website. If individuals require more assistance
after their 30-minute appointments, the B2L specialist will provide additional times to meet. To support students and families, the B2L specialist will follow up by phone or text every two weeks to ensure they receive the assistance and resources
they need. Bilingual staff and telephone interpreter services are also available to help callers access information in their language of choice.
The program’s novelty has prompted strategic waves of marketing from the Broward County Public School (BCPS) system. To increase engagement with and utilization of the helpline services, BCPS is advertising the program through districtwide email listservs,
school-based counselors, and college advising teams. Student interns at B2L have also assisted with creating informative and engaging digital content to promote the program through social media.
Additionally, B2L offered a $20 incentive for seniors who submitted proof of completing the FAFSA in October. Currently, the organization is offering a $10 incentive to seniors who complete the FAFSA from now through March.
“We have been really pushing this program in our schools,” said Carol Lopez, supervisor of college and career readiness at BCPS, “And we believe that the numbers will continue to increase as the program continues.”
While the program is still in the early stages of implementation, recently reported data from 211 Broward suggests promising signs of impact for the BCPS community. From October to December 2021, the helpline addressed 172 calls regarding college and
postsecondary planning questions, financial aid assistance, socioemotional support, and other related topics. Of the families and students who utilized the helpline during this time, 94% had an overall positive satisfaction rate. Callers reported
feeling empowered and well-supported by the B2L specialist to complete their FAFSA applications and college planning journeys.
NCAN is excited to see the development of this new and exciting approach to boosting FAFSA completion rates. We will continue to monitor the progress and implementation of the B2L FAFSA Counselor Program, as we believe it can become replicable and scalable
across different communities and states.
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