A joint venture between the state of Delaware and the United Way of Delaware is providing free personal finance coaching and empowerment services, including many related to college and career readiness, to Delaware residents.
The initiative’s formal name is the Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership (DFEP), but it’s better known publicly as Stand By Me.
Since 2013, Stand By Me’s NextGen College Funding Project (CFP) has provided comprehensive, wraparound financial literacy services and Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) support to nearly every high school in Delaware. Currently, CFP serves 43 schools. CFP was ushered into high schools to respond to statewide goals to increase both FAFSA completion rates and the number of students enrolling in postsecondary
institutions.
CFP is a school-based program that provides financial aid information, resources, and direct assistance to high school juniors and seniors and their families. In addition, CFP offers professional development assistance and opportunities for school counselors
and college advising staff. CFP staff members are trained experts in financial literacy education and financial aid.
CFP staff members provide a range of services and resources to schools. Participating schools can select from various CFP services to supplement their existing programs based on their needs and interests. Some of the items featured on CFP’s menu of services
include:
Financial Aid Presentations: CFP offers several presentations for juniors and seniors. Typically, CFP staff facilitate presentations both in person and virtually at
the request of individual schools. However, since COVID, presentations are offered virtually on a weekly, come-one-come-all basis. Presentations run about 45-60 minutes.
Grade 12: Paying for College – Provides an overview of the many options available to students and families to fund a college education. Topics covered in the presentation include FAFSA procedures, scholarships application processes,
grants, and federal loan programs.
Grade 12: Scholarship Presentation – Covers state, national, and private scholarship opportunities available to high school seniors. Students and families receive guidance on how to navigate the scholarship application process.
Grade 11: Paying for College – Helps prepare juniors and families for completing the FAFSA in their senior year. Facilitators discuss the ins and outs of securing financial aid for college, including the FAFSA, scholarships, grants, and loans.
FAFSA Walkthrough – Provides step-by-step instructions for completing the FAFSA. This walkthrough aims to familiarize students and families with the FAFSA. If students or families need further guidance, they can schedule an appointment
with a CFP staff member.
FAFSA Completion Appointments – Students and families receive one-on-one assistance from a CFP financial aid expert to complete the FAFSA. The hourlong appointments,
acquired via a well-published link to Acuity, are conducted via Zoom. Appointments are also available in Spanish.
FAFSA Workshops – Schoolwide events to promote financial empowerment, education, and awareness to high school students and their families.
CFP also offers an extensive list of online resources for families, students, and educators. Some resources featured on their website include:
"Since 2013, FAFSA completion rates in Delaware have risen from 46% to 64% due to SBM NG’s intervention and the willingness of school personnel to engage with our team," said Sally Coonin, the director of NexGen Programs, "FAFSA has become a familiar
concept over the years as a result."
While the CFP team only provides services to juniors and seniors at this time, their colleagues on the NextGen College, Careers, and Cash (CCC) team host in-school
financial empowerment and literacy instruction for freshmen and sophomores.
The CCC program offers two custom-designed curricula (each three hours long) to participating Delaware high schools: "CCC: Explore for 9th grade" and "CCC: Envision for 10th." "Envision" may be used in other grades, as school needs dictate. The curricula
consist of interactive and engaging classroom workshops on understanding the connection between fruitful career and financial decisions, developing an early awareness of financial aid, and managing money to support lifestyle goals.
Since 2018, 26 schools statewide have used the CCC curricula, which has impacted over 11,000 Delaware high school students.
Cory Dunt, program manager for CCC, explained the impact of the program: "CCC allows students to begin making postsecondary decisions based on data, not just on a whim, as early as 9th grade. When they are researching a career of interest in CCC, and
they see what the entry-level educational requirements are, they can begin charting the rest of their high school career to guide them to where they need to be, instead of waiting until senior year to make a hasty, uninformed decision."
We asked CFP staff members to share any advice for others seeking to build and sustain partnerships with the state, community organizations, and school communities to do this work effectively.
Coonin emphasized: "There is value and importance in knowing your school community. You have to get a sense of what their needs are. Don’t assume that you know what a school needs." She continued, "Go in with a partnership mindset. At the heart of this
work is relationships. You have to spend time building trust and authentic relationships with school and district level champions to maximize the impact of the services."
Candace Powell Kinard, the program facilitator, coordinator, certified financial educator for NexGen Programs, illuminated the need for states to evaluate their postsecondary planning practices and outcomes. "There may be a lot happening in your state
that you are not aware of, and some may be successful and others may not. States have to establish a strong understanding of the data available to set a baseline of metrics and standards."
Other insights and lessons learned from CFP staff during a recent interview include:
Training is invaluable. Individuals providing financial aid assistance must have an expert-level understanding of the FAFSA to provide exceptional support and guidance to students and families.
Professionals must be open to participating in ongoing training and remaining flexible to the changes and challenges that arise when navigating the FAFSA application process.
Enlist local college financial aid professionals as partners to provide one-on-one support and guidance to families and students during workshops, presentations, and other FAFSA-related events. SBM NG offers its FA partners a small stipend for their
engagement. Their knowledge and commitment are invaluable.
Funding is key to expanding these opportunities and resources to school communities. States and funders must dedicate money to ensure that the services are high-quality and sustainable. The best funders understand the importance of returning resources
to the state in the form of educated youth as well as Pell Grant funding.
NCAN looks forward to following along with the NextGen CFP and commends the team there for their commitment to providing high-quality FAFSA completion services.
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