The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) is one of a growing number of agencies nationwide offering a comprehensive, statewide approach to college and career readiness.
Currently, 14 outreach counselors offer support services across the state’s 120 counties. Through AmeriCorps programs and the Kentucky Campus Compact collaborative, KHEAA also sponsors 32 near-peer student advocates to provide college access services to students.
"Our extensive outreach programs are at the core of our mission to expand educational opportunities by providing financial and informational resources that enable Kentuckians to reach their higher education goals," says KHEAA director of outreach services,
Kim Dolan. "We are constantly evaluating and enhancing our programs to best meet the needs of students and families."
KHEAA outreach counselors, near-peer advocates, and staff members provide high-impact programming to middle and high school students. Services are tailored by age group to support financial empowerment and college preparation for students.
The organization also extends college access supports and guidance to parents and caregivers, nontraditional students, adult learners, military personnel, and veterans who wish to earn a postsecondary credential. Additionally, KHEAA provides financial
literacy training and programming to students as early as elementary school.
Some of KHEAA’s services and resources include:
Statewide professional development conferences for school counselors.
Counselor Connection: A monthly newsletter tailored to K-12 counselors on college access and financial aid resources.
It's Money Baby: A financial literacy guide for students of all ages.
College Planning Guide: A comprehensive list of guides, brochures, and audio recordings for high school students and their families at various grade levels.
Adults Returning to School: A three-part guide on financial aid and educational opportunities in Kentucky.
Several of these items are available in Spanish on the KHEAA website.
In addition to providing an extensive list of resources to districts and schools, KHEAA sponsors the Kentucky (KY) Goes to College campaign. The KY Goes to College Campaign offers wraparound
services and support to schools and organizations interested in boosting students' appetite and engagement in college readiness activities. The four major initiatives in the KY Goes College Campaign are:
These initiatives offer high school juniors and seniors valuable information on college admissions and financial aid processes. Students receive guidance from trusted adults, community leaders, school counselors, and higher education professionals on
how to set their postsecondary goals and finance their college education.
Similarly, college access professionals and counselors receive support from KHEAA to participate in these initiatives. KHEAA provides comprehensive professional development opportunities and the opportunity to earn continuing education credits for professionals
who participate in the FAFSA Completion Challenge and related programming.
Strategic Shifts in Outreach During the Pandemic
As was the case for many state agencies and college access networks, the pandemic presented KHEAA with obstacles to implementing and sustaining college access practices in schools and districts.
Before the pandemic, KHEAA relied on schools and CBOs to gain access to students and families. Once schools went remote, KHEAA had fewer opportunities to disseminate resources and information.
To foster direct connections with students and families, KHEAA leaned heavily on social media. With the help of live content, student vloggers (“video bloggers”), and cross-promotion with partner organizations, KHEAA exponentially increased its engagement
and presence on social media through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Engagement on social media has proven to be an effective method to reach students and their families with valuable updates and information regarding college access activities.
KHEAA has also revamped how it provides direct services to students and families. In addition to traditional in-person activities, outreach counselors now offer virtual one-on-one appointments. Students and families can schedule appointments through
Calendly.
Beyond redirecting services and approaches to outreach, KHEAA also used additional funding from an NCAN grant to boost FAFSA completion rates during the pandemic. KHEAA representatives emphasized that the grant dollars allowed them to 1) get the resources
they needed to help transition their services to an online platform, 2) provide iPads to staff and partners, and 3) equip school counselors and other college access professionals with the knowledge needed to help students complete the FAFSA.
"As we move out of the thick of the pandemic, we are committed to engaging and supporting all of our stakeholders in person as much as possible, while also continuing the social media and virtual outreach we developed to meet students and families where
they are," said Dolan. "Even as our programs and services evolve, our mission remains the same – to improve access to postsecondary education for all Kentuckians."
While this blog offers a brief account of college access activities in Kentucky, NCAN encourages members to explore the KHEAA platform further. We consider KHEAA's products and publications
to be both high-quality and rigorous, and we look forward to following along as they develop more!
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