College access professionals are constantly trying to break down numerous barriers for students, from a lack of knowledge about postsecondary educational opportunities to these opportunities’ often high costs and beyond. A common phrase we hear in the
education space that contributes to these issues’ persistence is “lack of capacity.” But what if we leveraged the knowledge of college access professionals who have retired to increase our capacity? The Michigan College Access Network’s (MCAN) nascent Retired Educator FAFSA Specialists (REFS) program aims to do just that.
The REFS Program kicked off in the spring of 2024 to engage retired school counselors and other former educational professionals to help boost FAFSA, or Free Application for
Federal Student Aid, completion and the enrollment of adult learners ages 21-24 in Michigan’s community and tribal colleges. “REFS” is both the name of the statewide program and the title of those former educational professionals employed to serve
in this role for students. Like some other states, Michigan has a statewide degree completion goal known as “Sixty by 30,” which aims to increase the number of working-age adults with a certificate or postsecondary degree to 60% by 2030. While REFS supports students of all backgrounds to access some form of postsecondary education, the
main goal of the program is to engage Michiganders who are not currently participating in Michigan Reconnect, the state’s scholarship program that allows eligible adults to attend
their district’s community college tuition-free.
How Did They Do It?
The conversations all started in January 2024 when Michigan Reconnect expanded to the state’s 21-24-year-old population. This shone a light on an opportunity for the state to bring students back to postsecondary education who had graduated high school
during the COVID-19 pandemic but who decided not to enroll in college. MCAN and the MiLEAP Department brainstormed statewide strategies about how to increase and accelerate FAFSA completion
for this population, especially students of color, first-generation students, and those from low-income backgrounds. Thus, the REFS Program was born!
MCAN hired a part-time program manager to lead the REFS program’s day-to-day operations. Soon after came the recruitment of retired educators such as former school counselors and academic advising specialists. Interested applicants submitted their resumes
and three professional references to demonstrate their knowledge and experience working with these specific student populations. Since the launch of the REFS program, MCAN has filled 22 positions, achieving its goal of having two REFS for each region
of the state.
When it came to informing potential students that REFS were available to advise them, MCAN admittedly did not have much advertising budget. MCAN also realized there aren’t many 21-24-year-olds waiting around for someone to help them go to college. They
utilized the summer months to get their boots on the ground so REFS could go out into their communities to share flyers and information about this new resource available to folks looking to engage in or reengage in college.
After a successful pilot of the program, REFS moved over 1,000 students into Michigan Reconnect and contacted over 6,000 students in total. Thanks to MCAN’s important partnership with the state’s education department, REFS could access information about
students who said they were interested in going to college via the Michigan Reconnect interest form. From there, REFS helped the students in their respective regions with the FAFSA (a requirement for Michigan Reconnect), the Michigan Reconnect application,
and their college application. The REFS’ jobs don’t stop here, though. Once students complete their applications, REFS help ensure they complete their post-admission checklists, including picking a major and signing up for orientation. The REFS program
manager additionally ensured everyone felt on track to support their students by conducting weekly trainings and check-ins with REFS.
Results and Lessons Learned
One of the biggest lessons MCAN learned was the importance of an internal formal HR process. Because the REFS only worked about 16 hours per week, MCAN decided to bring all 22 of them on as consultants. While the hiring process worked well, MCAN was trying
to strike a balance that ensured all REFS, regardless of their technological background knowledge, felt confident completing administrative tasks such as logging hours and expenses. For example, the REFS came to MCAN with a wide variety of skills
where some knew how to use Excel and customer service management software while others did not. After their pilot program, MCAN was able to transition the REFS from using Excel timecards to electronic timecards and train them on to how to use an external
expense system without inhibiting REFS’ abilities to serve their students.
A Look into the Future
With the great success of the REFS program this year, MCAN is hoping to expand the program so REFS can serve anyone over the age of 18, specifically those who are looking for a pathway to college and who are eligible for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship.
Additionally, with funding from the ECMC Foundation, MCAN boosted its outreach to students by creating the Summer Educator FAFSA Specialist (SEFS) program. SEFS are currently-employed
school counselors and higher education professionals who support FAFSA completion for students from the classes of 2023, 2024, and enrolled college students. With the combination of the SEFS and REFS programs, MCAN should be able to expand its support
of students from a variety of ages across Michigan.
Oftentimes, word about college access initiatives like the REFS program doesn’t get shared across state lines. It is our hope that this knowledge sparks some conversations and brainstorming sessions among other states about the unique ways you might consider
engaging and/or re-engaging students in postsecondary education. The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) would like to thank Patrick Brown for sharing the ins and outs of MCAN’s REFS program. If you are interested in implementing a program
like the REFS program in your state or community and would like to learn even more, we encourage you to contact Patrick Brown at patrick@micollegeaccess.org.
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