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E-Learning Courses
The National College Attainment Network's (NCAN's) e-learning courses are divided into the following nine modules:
Admissions AdvisingThe ACT TestThis course provides an overview of the ACT test, test section components, scoring, and the registration process along with an introduction to MyACT. In addition, there is information regarding resources available to students and school counselors for ACT test preparation. The course also contains information about the new super scoring process. Cost: Free for NCAN members and non-members The SAT Suite of AssessmentsThis course offers an in-depth look at the digital SAT Suite of Assessments (SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9) and their role in connecting students to a wealth of opportunities. You will explore the latest updates to the Blue Book and the test-day toolkit, designed to streamline and support the testing experience. In addition, the course provides a comprehensive guide to the resources available on Big Future, empowering students as they plan their post-secondary pathways. This includes tools for exploring college and career options, as well as information on scholarship and recognition programs that can help students achieve their academic and professional goals. Through this course, you will gain valuable insights and practical strategies to maximize the benefits of the SAT Suite and Big Future resources, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive in their educational journey. Cost: Free for NCAN members and non-members Admissions Advising for First-Generation College-GoersThe college admissions process can be an intimidating project for any family, but especially for first-generation families. This course will introduce you to profile information about first-generation students and the challenges they may face in the admissions process. You will learn how to help students understand “best fit” and assisting them through the admissions timeline. This course will provide you with practical guidance and resources you can use with your students. A review of the Common App is also included. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members College Fit and MatchThis course is undergoing updates and not available - we will update the web site when it's open for registration! College fit and match have significant financial and academic implications for students - among others. Ensuring that students apply and enroll in their best fit and match college increases the likelihood of postsecondary attainment. This course will help you clarify the difference between fit and match and understand the implications of undermatching. This course will also help you prepare to analyze your application and enrollment data to evaluate match. Interactive activities will test your match knowledge and help you identify the best tool to improve your students’ fit and match. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $99 for non-members Technology in AdvisingThis unit will help you understand why technology and online resources should be part of your advising strategy. It will cover how technology can enhance the effectiveness of your mission-driven work, and make you, your team, and organization more efficient. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members Additional Advising OptionsCareer AdvisingThis course will provide advisers with a holistic approach for coaching their students through the career exploration process. It outline frameworks, key questions, and tools to empower advisers to best support students to explore, affirm, and pursue careers of meaning and purpose. Topics discussed during include:
Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members Virtual College AdvisingEngaging students virtually provides the opportunity to have unprecedented access to students, both in disseminating information and providing advising. Through this module you will learn how to: set up virtual advising using common communication platforms; ideas for building rapport with students and families in the virtual context; strategies for managing student caseloads and virtual outreach; an understanding of how to construct effective text messages for individuals and mass messaging; and designing a year-long college advising curriculum. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members Developing EngagementFamily EngagementThis course will provide tools and tips for college advisers to build rapport and engage the parents/caregivers of the students that they serve. Preparing families for college involves academic planning, financial aid, and clear conversations. Family encouragement is a critical influential factor that can help students stay motivated on their matriculation to college. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members Financial Aid AdvisingFederal Financial Aid ProgramsThis course provides the learner with the opportunity to understand several terms associated with financial aid and federal aid programs. Concepts such as cost of attendance, expected family contribution, financial need, etc. are introduced. The content also includes detailed descriptions of the federal grant, loan and work-study programs. This course is designed to be a quick introduction to the basic knowledge associated with federal financial aid. Cost: Free for NCAN members and non-members Financial Aid 101This course provides the learner with a more in-depth look at financial aid, student eligibility requirements, the financial aid application process and finding scholarship resources. The FAFSA Completion Tool is featured along with resources that further detail the application process. The two federal courses combined provide a fundamental understanding of the federal application process and aid programs available. Cost: Free for NCAN members and non-members Interpreting Award Letters and Understanding AffordabilityEvaluating and comparing award letters can be complicated, especially when thoughtfully assessing affordability and considering student loan debt burden. However, carefully evaluating offers is critical for students and their families! In this course, you will identify what steps need to be taken to receive a financial aid offer, learn how to carefully review and evaluate award letters, including how to discuss student debt, and acquire skills to support students through an informed decision-making process. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members 2026-27 FAFSA Completion Fundamentals (Formerly FAFSA 101)This course contains information for the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA completion can be confusing for the student and sometimes for the people helping them complete it too! This unit dives deep on best practices, tips, and tricks for FAFSA completion, highlighting common misperceptions and roadblocks to assure accurate and on time completion. This is not your typical FAFSA 101 page by page - it will test your knowledge, build your confidence, and in turn - support your students! Cost: Free for NCAN members | $119 for non-members 2026-27 FAFSA follow-up and VerificationSubmitting the FAFSA is one of the first steps in the financial aid process. There are many more steps your students must take to ensure they receive the financial aid they deserve. This course will address common challenges and best practices of FAFSA follow-up steps, including the importance of reviewing the FAFSA Submission Summary for potential issues, navigating special circumstances that may arise, and verification. By the end, you will be equipped with practical tips and resources for providing ongoing support to your students as they navigate FAFSA follow-up, fostering successful completion. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $119 for non-members 2026-27 Difficult FAFSA ScenariosAssisting students with FAFSA completion is not always easy. Every student brings with them different life experiences. In this course, you will review a series of unique situations of a student or parent FAFSA completion scenario, including provisional independence, when it is appropriate to make a correction, FSA ID issues, and identifying the correct contributor. You will learn how to advise students, where the policy/guidance is located, and how the online application looks when completing the process. Intended audience: College Advisors Inclusive Student AdvisingServing Students in Foster Care with the Postsecondary Process and Retention 2024-25This course provides an overview of the foster care system and its impact on post-secondary education outcomes. It highlights the unique challenges of students in foster care and strategies to support them as they navigate the path toward higher education. Cost: Free for NCAN members l $59 for non-members Working With and For Undocumented StudentsThis course is undergoing updates and not available - we will update the web site when it's open for registration! In this course, you will participate in an interactive experience to learn how to best work with and for undocumented students in higher education. Participants will learn and review immigration and education policy such as DACA, understand the national and state contexts that impact undocumented students’ experiences, and brainstorm active ways to create educational environments that are welcoming and liberating to all students, regardless of immigration status. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members Advising Youth Experiencing HomelessnessIn this course, you will become familiar with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act/Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act. You will also come to understand the educational rights of homeless children and youth and gain insight into the challenges that homeless children and youth face. This will assist advisors to be able to better prepare students who experience homelessness with college access/attainment. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members Opportunity YouthIn this course, you will come to understand the definition of and characteristics associated with opportunity youth. You will be provided with a list of barriers they face as well as strategies and best practices to serve these students on the path to and through college. Real student stories will be shared as examples of ways to serve opportunity youth, and to help you see the impact that an access program can have on students’ lives. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members Adult LearnersThe stark divide between Americans with and without postsecondary credentials became apparent during the pandemic of 2020 and 2021. Americans with degrees were largely able to retain employment while working from home while those without degrees lost positions or put their lives at risk working frontline essential jobs. Working adults provide both an opportunity and a challenge for colleges, universities, businesses and their communities. Adult learners can improve their lives and those of their children by advancing their educations, but they require flexibility and support to get over the finish line and contribute to the strength of the local workforce. This course will introduce you to adult learners and all the ways that you can support them on their educational journeys. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members Handle With CareThis course empowers advisors to support student mental health, focusing on first-generation college students. Through "Handle with C.A.R.E." principles, participants grasp mental health concepts, identify challenges, and address urgent issues. It emphasizes effective communication, advisor roles, and self-care. Guidance on student referrals, resource utilization, and follow-up strategies ensures ongoing support and success. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members Reviving Motivation: Helping Students Overcome Apathy and ThriveThis course equips advisors, educators, and support professionals with the tools and strategies needed to recognize and address apathy, anxiety, and related challenges in students. Participants will explore practical techniques for building trust, fostering resilience, and promoting meaningful engagement. Topics include identifying behavioral and emotional warning signs, implementing collaborative advising approaches, and navigating referrals to additional resources through a warm handoff. By creating supportive communities and empowering students with actionable strategies, this course aims to inspire motivation, resilience, and success in every student’s journey. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members Using Data to Strengthen Student OutcomesMetrics for College Access and SuccessIn this course, you will learn more about the basics of data, some principles of working with it, and NCAN’s Common Measures. Through an exploration of the different access and success metrics included in the Common Measures, you will gain a better understanding of what data points to track and why. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members Analyzing DataThis e-learning course will go more in depth in three areas of data. We will introduce the data scales, the DIKW pyramid, and ways to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data for your program. Join us to dive into some of the key concepts of data analysis. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $39 for non-members Defining Your MetricsThis e-learning course will cover a range of topics to consider when choosing and defining the metrics for your program. We take a closer look at the components of a logic model, discuss some things to consider when creating a data collection plan, and various components of proxies. Join us to learn more about these things and how they all relate back to your program aim or mission. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $39 for non-members Using Data and Analytics for Improving Program Insight & OutcomesAssessing your programs' impact and performance outcomes requires data collection and analysis. Using data to make sense of your program goals, objectives and trends can be difficult. Even within "data savvy" organizations, people frequently struggle with what information to collect and how to use the information they collect and leverage "analytics" to unlock insights into program performance. Simply stated, data analytics is the science of analyzing data to make conclusions about that information. This session will break down the concept of data, provide a gentle introduction to analytics, and demystify how to use both for decision-making. Session activities will allow participants to create a plan for using evidence-based practices, data, and analytics to track and improve organizational outcomes. In building this plan, participants will determine what is the right data to collect, ways to help make sense of the information they have, identify project team players, and provide the right people with consumable results. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $99 for non-members Increasing Persistence and Completion RatesCollege Success 101College Success is swiftly becoming the next step in expanding college access programs. This course is designed to give helpful strategies on how to sustain these programs. It will introduce terminology, share national statistics, offer helpful tips, and provide examples that can be modeled by other organizations. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members College Success 102"College Success 102" is designed to build on the foundational strategies covered in "College Success 101" by introducing advanced techniques to support college students. This course focuses on strength-based approaches, effective use of texting programs, leveraging social media for student advising, combating summer melt through summer bridge programs, and developing near-peer mentorship programs. Participants will gain practical insights and tools to enhance their college success initiatives and better support their students. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members Developing Cultural CompetenceSkills for Developing Multiculturally Competent AdvisorsThis interactive course will equip college advisers with the skills needed to enhance their cultural competency as they support students from multicultural backgrounds seeking to enroll in college. The course also provides tips, terminology, and resources so advisers can be more culturally aware of the student and families they serve. The intended audience for this course is college advisors. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members Building Bridges: Diversity FoundationThis e-course is designed to equip those in the college access space with the knowledge and skills necessary to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for all students. Participants will explore the core concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and learn practical strategies to address systemic barriers and promote student success. The course will cover topics such as implicit bias, cultural competence, and advocacy, while providing opportunities for self-reflection and skill development. By the end of this course, participants will be empowered to enhance their advising practices and become champions for equity and inclusion in higher education. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members Beyond Basics: Strategic Approaches to Inclusive ExcellenceThe Beyond Basics: Strategic Approaches to Inclusive Excellence module builds on foundational concepts to equip participants with practical tools for implementing diversity and inclusion strategies in educational and organizational settings. Through self-guided learning, participants will explore intersectionality, address systemic barriers, and develop skills in allyship, policy creation, and facilitating difficult conversations, enabling them to drive meaningful change. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $79 for non-members Advocating for StudentsNote: This module is targeted at those who do advocacy work for their organizations or wish to learn basic advocacy guidelines. Policy and Advocacy 101The Policy and Advocacy 101 course helps nonprofits understand how they can advocate, and even lobby, for government action that can help increase college access and success for students. The goal of this course is to learn what nonprofits can legally do, and the best strategies for achieving those goals. Topics covered include the difference between advocacy and lobbying, how to be an effective advocate, and how to prepare for a meeting with an elected official. Cost: Free for NCAN members | $59 for non-members Policy and Advocacy 201 - Meeting with Your RepresentativePolicy and Advocacy 201 is a deeper dive into how college success professionals can lead successful advocacy efforts. This unit will cover the basics of meetings with elected officials, how to coordinate meetings, and how to craft compelling advocacy stories. The goal of this unit is to prepare participants to engage in advocacy and to help them build relationships with their representatives. Cost: Free for NCAN members l $59 for non-members |