We were joined by NCAN Director of Technical Assistance MorraLee Keller as well as Laurie Meggesin, executive director of the Florida College Access Network, and Maria Carvalho, director of high school and postsecondary operations at The College Crusade of Rhode Island and winner of NCAN’s 2017 College Access Practitioner Award of Excellence.

NCAN’s MorraLee Keller and Kim Cook, Florida College Access Network’s Laurie Meggesin, and College Crusade of Rhode Island’s Maria Carvalho met with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at the FSA Training Conference.

“Part of what we hear from our partners around the state is that the FAFSA form is intimidating and overly complicated for students and families,” Meggesin (pictured below) said. “Simplifying the FAFSA form and making it available through a mobile app to utilize the technology that our students are most accustomed to today will help more students access the financial aid they need to attend college.”

Keller drove home the need for further simplification, pointing out that we need to "stop asking poor kids to prove over and over again that they are poor."

Carvalho also took the opportunity to thank DeVos for supporting the restoration of year-round Pell Grants.

"As a native Rhode Islander, the Pell Grant holds special meaning, as the late Claiborne Pell also hails from the Ocean State,” Carvalho said. “The Pell Grant makes it possible for the students we serve at the College Crusade to attend college who might not otherwise have the means. For many, it is the deciding factor on whether or not they can afford to attend college.”

Leaders from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators also attended the meeting, and explained the wide-reaching impact of the months-long IRS Data Retrieval Tool outage that began in March.

We appreciate the opportunity to share our perspectives with DeVos and are pleased to see FSA taking steps in a direction that’s helpful for the students our members serve.

NCAN knows that entirely too many students eligible for federal financial aid fall out of the pipeline during the FAFSA process. To illustrate, we are releasing this infographic titled “The Leaky FAFSA Pipeline.” It shows that of an estimated 1.8 million low-income high school seniors, just 548,000 (31%) will arrive on-campus using the Pell Grant for which they are eligible.

(click here to enlarge infographic)  

The biggest leak in the pipeline comes at the FAFSA submission stage, where we estimate that more than 45 percent of students may not even submit an application. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we see that the top reasons for not submitting a FAFSA are that students:

• did not know how or that they could;
• are debt averse or think their credit is too low (note that their credit is not taken into account at all, a piece of misinformation that could be corrected with early awareness);
• are not pursuing college; and/or
• think the form is too complicated.

Another major leak comes much further along in the process. Of the estimated 817,000 seniors who will complete a FAFSA, half will be selected for verification. In a blog post earlier this year, NCAN described what we dubbed “verification melt,” or a failure to complete the verification process that derails a student’s receipt of a Pell Grant. Although 78 percent of students not selected for verification go on to receive a Pell Grant, just 56 percent of students selected for verification do so. The 22-percentage-point disparity here, absent any evidence that students selected or not selected for verification are meaningfully and systematically different, is attributable to the verification process itself.

Summer melt is also a major leak in the FAFSA pipeline and claims 25 percent of students who do complete a FAFSA.

All of these leaks could benefit from policy and practice solutions. FAFSA submissions could be increased if more students had early awareness of the financial aid available to them and had a more streamlined FAFSA process overall. Reforms to the verification process, which one witness testifying at the HELP Committee’s hearing noted takes up 25 percent of her financial aid professionals’ time, could both free up resources to help students on college campuses and decrease the verification melt phenomenon. Behavioral interventions like text message nudging have been shown to increase postsecondary enrollments, but these interventions, unfortunately, are not widespread or accessible to enough students who could benefit.

Simplifying the FAFSA has been a topic of Congressional discussion for years, and NCAN applauds the bipartisan hearing that called attention to various approaches for moving forward with this policy aim. Our Leaky FAFSA Pipeline infographic serves as a reminder of the consequences the current system has for students. It can be improved at various points, and we hope that policymakers, working with practitioners and researchers, will do so.

For those interested in FAFSA verification and stories of its impact, The Chronicle of Higher Education published recent reporting by Eric Hoover that is required reading.

Summary

In alignment with “one grant” and “one work-study,” the PROSPER Act also moves to “one loan.” It would be named the “One Loan,” and would have three parts: One Loan for undergraduates, One Loan for graduate students, and One Loan for parents. This shift would make permanent the elimination of the Federal Perkins Loan Program and also would eliminate the subsidized Direct Stafford Loan that is currently available to students with demonstrated need. The One Loan would determine interest rates in the same way that the current Stafford loan interest rates are determined: by using a market-based rate with a cap.

The One Loan's biggest changes affect loan limits and repayment plans, in addition to moving to an annual student loan counseling from the current model of entrance-and-exit-only counseling.

Chief among those changes is the streamlining of the student loan repayment programs and elimination of virtually all types of student loan forgiveness. Public Service Loan Forgiveness would be eliminated, although students with currently eligible Stafford Loans would still be able to participate (i.e., they would be grandfathered in).

If this bill were to pass, there would be two repayment plans: a standard 10-year plan based on the current market-based student loan interest rates, and an income-based repayment (IBR) plan. This new IBR plan would limit the amount of interest that could accrue over a lifetime to whatever interest a borrower would have accrued under the standard 10-year plan. No time-based loan forgiveness would remain. Participants would also be required to pay a monthly minimum of $25, up from no dollars now.

On the loan limit front, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators has a good summary table of the changes. For dependent students, annual undergraduate loan limits would rise to $7,500 for the first year of study, $8,500 for the second year, and $9,500 a year after that. For independent students and dependents whose parents cannot take one of the redesigned parent loans, the annual loan limits are increased to $11,500 for the first year of study, $12,500 for the second year, and $14,500 after that. Parent loans would have limits for the first time, of $12,500 per year per student.

The bill also raises the aggregate loan limits, but to a level that's lower than the cost of borrowing the maximum amount each year for four years. Dependent undergraduates would have an aggregate loan limit of $39,000, which is $4,000 above the maximum limit for four years of borrowing ($35,000). Independent students and students whose parents cannot take out parent loans would have an aggregate loan limit of $60,250. These students would accumulate $56,250 in debt if they took out the maximum amount each year for four years.

In one of the bigger changes to the student loan program, institutions of higher education would be able to set lower loan limits in certain situations. Colleges could set lower limits for an entire institution, for specific programs of study based on their projected earnings, or based on students' enrollment level (e.g., an institution could choose to only allow part-time students to take partial loans). The bill prohibits institutions from limiting an individual student’s ability to borrow based on other factors, but include exemptions for those students to receive higher limits in certain cases.

NCAN's Take                     

This approach to streamlining student loans will make borrowing for college more expensive for students. The increase in loan limits, elimination of the in-school loan subsidy, and elimination of all time-based loan forgiveness will make loans more expensive. 

Increasing loan limits is a natural response to the rising cost of college, but the PROSPER Act does not attempt to curtail these rising costs or make an equal investment into need-based grant aid that would support low-income students desiring two- or four-year degrees.

Allowing institutions to adjust loan limits could have mixed effects on students. Some may benefit from lower total debt, but others may be priced out of college completely without access to those loan dollars, particularly if their loans are limited to a level below today's totals.

And finally, time-based loan forgiveness provides a safety net for low-income students who do not have other resources to fall back on, pursued college to improve their lives, and want to repay their school loans once and for all so they can make other investments.

Overall, this loan proposal must be taken in the context of the PROSPER Act as a whole. This loan proposal does not make sense for low-income students without additional investment in need-based grant aid that is not present in this bill.

Member Feedback

"We are very concerned that the elimination of the subsidized loan programs will drive low-income students into the private loan market, which is very often unfavorable and unfriendly to the neediest students," 10,000 Degrees said.

"Lower loan limits are a good idea in theory, but they only work if something is done about the cost of attendance as well," College Now Greater Cleveland said. "Otherwise, these changes just leave low-income students with a larger financial aid gap they have to figure out how to fill."

More on the PROSPER Act

NCAN Members Urge Further Examination of HEA Proposals

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Grant"

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Work-Study"

Summary

As written, the PROSPER Act would make changes to two components of HEA that have the potential to generate greater access to higher education. The provisions in the bill aimed at providing high-quality consumer information and a more simplified federal aid process could lay the groundwork for a more transparent and navigable higher education system. Moreover, it is feasible that these amendments could spur greater awareness of the federal resources available to students and families in the college search process.

The House Republicans’ bill would replace the College Navigator with a College Dashboard. In an effort to illustrate the pathways and outcomes of students at the institutional and program level, the Dashboard would expand upon the Navigator data and provide consumers with valuable information for perhaps the most important investment of their lives. Students and families would have access to a multifaceted, consumer-tested website that illustrates the outcomes of students who received federal aid. Prospective Dashboard data points at the program level include completion rates, average debt incurred, and median earnings data five and 10 years upon completion.

Simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is another provision outlined in the first draft of the PROSPER Act. The proposed modifications would create a FAFSA mobile app (something the U.S. Education Department already plans to do), raise the household income threshold for the simplified needs test to $100,000 from $50,000, and expand the role of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which expedites the application process. Additionally, it would allow students to continue applying for federal aid with prior-prior year income data.

NCAN’s Take

Providing access to data that will enable prospective college students to better understand how students have fared at institutions and programs they are considering is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Those data, however, would only represent federal aid recipients. This leaves out 30 percent of the student population, thereby painting an incomplete picture for consumers. NCAN believes that students would be better served by a more complete Dashboard.

NCAN has largely supported efforts to simplify the FAFSA, and firmly believes that adjustments made in this space should prioritize the needs of the lowest-income students. Moreover, NCAN has modeled a Streamlined FAFSA allowing any student whose family receives a federal means-tested benefit to automatically qualify for a zero Expected Family Contribution.

Both of these items could portray postsecondary enrollment as a more realistic opportunity, and in turn foster increased awareness of the federal resources at the fingertips of students and families. FAFSA simplification has the potential to eliminate unnecessary obstacles for college hopefuls and begin reducing the annual figure of untapped federal aid that regularly amounts to tens of billions of dollars. Meaningful and whole data could allow those planning their college experience to steer clear of institutions that have not served students well financially or academically. NCAN feels strongly that if these improvements are made and marketed well, college graduation will rightly appear to be more of an achievable feat than before among the students we serve.

Member Feedback

”Expanding the Simplified Needs Test to a high income level is one step towards simplifying the FAFSA,” according to Alabama Possible. “However, it doesn’t go nearly far enough for our students who are navigating difficult family situations and have limited financial literacy.” 

“The Florida College Access Network supports legislation that helps Florida students enroll into a postsecondary institution and earn a high-quality degree or credential while minimizing student debt.  Reforms to simplify the FAFSA and streamline federal financial aid programs are welcome, so long as they are research-based and encourage college access, affordability, attainment and economic outcomes for all students, particularly for low-income and first-generation students.”

More on the PROSPER Act

NCAN Members Urge Further Examination of HEA Proposals

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Grant"

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Work-Study"

Summary

The Federal Work-Study program allows institutions to provide funding for students to work, either on or off campus (with limitations), to earn money that can be used to defray the cost of a higher education. Institutions of higher education receive a lump sum of dollars from the federal government, and then determine which students are eligible for work-study awards based on their enrollment. Currently, the total lump sum for each college is determined in part by the length of time an institution has participated in the Federal Work-Study program. This formula gives an advantage to older institutions, including elite ones enrolling fewer low-income students, over younger colleges. 

Under the PROSPER Act, this allotment by historical participation would be phased out over five years. The replacement formula would determine institutional funding using two equally weighted factors: the total Pell Grant dollars sent to an institution, and the total need of an institution's undergraduate student body. The new program would be funded at $1.7 billion, nearly double the usual current funding of just under $1 billion. 

Additionally, the Federal Work-Study program would create a bonus fund that rewards institutions who have high Pell Grant recipient graduation rates. The limitations on types of employment are also lifted, allowing for a larger portion of off-campus jobs and removing the requirement that a proportion of jobs be focused on community service.

NCAN's Take

NCAN has long advocated for a change to the formula that allocates which institutions receive what portion of the Federal Work-Study student aid dollars. Increasing the overall size of the program and shifting to a formula that is half-based on the proportion of Pell Grant dollars going to an institution are both positive steps for increasing low-income student access to work-study jobs, which are proven to increase their chances of graduation when compared to other types of jobs. 

Member Feedback

“Aligning work-study with Pell Grant distribution makes sense, as does incentivizing institutions with higher Pell Grant graduation rates, as this means low-income students are getting the academic, financial, and social-emotional supports they need to persist to a degree on those campuses,” said Lee Friedman, chief executive officer of College Now Greater Cleveland, one of NCAN’s founding members.

More on the PROSPER Act

NCAN Members Urge Further Examination of HEA Proposals

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Grant"

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: Consumer Information & FAFSA Simplification

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Loan"

If you ever wondered how AVID got to be the country’s largest college readiness program, serving 1.5 million students annually in 46 states and 16 other countries/territories, surely Executive Vice President Rob Gira would be one of the key reasons. Rob is retiring this month after a remarkable career, and NCAN wishes this surfing Californian epic waves and blue skies. We hear that a bad day of surfing always beats a good day at work.

Summary

The PROSPER Act makes the Pell Grant the only federal need-based grant and eliminates the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). The Pell Grant maximum award would remain at $5920 through 2024, and summer Pell would remain part of the program. 

Students who take 15 credits a semester during the traditional academic year would be eligible for a $300 bonus, but those using the grants in the summer would not be eligible for a bonus during that time. 

Students would be required to participate in annual counseling and receive an annual update of the their estimated remaining Pell award eligibility. Students who receive Pell awards for three consecutive semesters without earning any credit hours (or equivalent) would not be able to receive additional Pell Grants.

Pell Grants would be distributed on a weekly or monthly basis at the discretion of the institution, with payments being roughly equal. However, an exception would allow for the upfront payment to be larger to cover immediate expenses such as tuition. 

NCAN's Take

While NCAN has supported streamlining the federal financial aid programs previously, this streamlining must be done in a way that does not shrink the overall federal financial aid pie. Eliminating SEOG without at the very least allowing the Pell Grant to resume its automatic increases will create gaps in the financial aid packages of students over time. Without extending these adjustments, students can expect the value of a Pell Grant to cover only 23 percent of the cost of a four-year public education in 2024, down from 29 percent today. 

While a Pell Grant bonus is the best way for the federal government to incent completion within the Pell Grant program, it is important to note that many low-income students choose to take 12 credits due to family or work obligations. The amount of this bonus will help students attending in a traditional pattern, but is unlikely to be enough to convince post-traditional students to forgo additional work hours to take another class. 

The ”Aid Like a Paycheck” concept requires additional research before implementation. However, should it be implemented, this bill should at least clarify that the “unequal” upfront payment should include upfront costs such as books and materials so that students are fully prepared to learn on the first day of class.

Member Feedback

“The Pell Grant’s value is the deciding factor on whether a low-income student will attend college,” says Maria Carvalho, director of high school and postsecondary operations at The College Crusade of Rhode Island and the winner of NCAN’s 2017 College Access Practitioner Award of Excellence. “The freeze on a Pell increase would force students to rely increasingly on the 'one loan' and would increase overall lending for low-income students.”

“We are pleased to see the proposal around a Pell Grant bonus,” said Traci Kirtley, chief program officer at College Possible. “This is exactly the kind of wise use of funding we believe can help encourage students to make choices that we know are more likely to lead to success.”

More on the PROSPER Act

NCAN Members Urge Further Examination of HEA Proposals

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Work-Study"

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: Consumer Information & FAFSA Simplification

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Loan"

To move the needle on college completion requires a focus on the country's low-income students, who currently complete at a rate of only 12%.

NCAN members suggested the PROSPER Act offers an opportunity for discussion about some interesting ideas, and some areas of concern. The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis and the Florida College Access Network both issued statements of mixed response.

“While there are some provisions in this act we support, such as redistribution of work-study funds, there are others that will take a toll on the students least able to bear it," SFSTL said. "Students supported by the Foundation and St. Louis Graduates rely on income-based repayment options and student loan interest subsidies, and many would not be able to attend college without this critical support from the federal government.”

FCAN said reforms to simplify the FAFSA and streamline federal financial aid programs are welcome, so long as they are research-based and encourage college access, affordability, attainment and economic outcomes for all students, particularly for low-income and first-generation students.

"While some proposals in the PROSPER Act show promise to achieving these ends," the statement reads, "FCAN encourages further examination on those provisions, in particular those related to efforts that reform student loan programs, repayment plans and accountability measures for institutions that fail to demonstrate a commitment to serve the needs of their students." 

In the federal student aid arena, the PROSPER Act moves to a one grant, one loan, and one work-study system, and addresses other topics such as FAFSA simplification, financial aid counseling and consumer information. NCAN has supported a streamlining in the past, but the devil is always in the details.

Streamlining must be accomplished in a way that does not shrink the pie of federal student aid, and it is unclear at this time whether the addition of a Pell Grant bonus and expanded Federal Work-Study program balance the elimination of the Subsidized Stafford Loan, the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), and the majority of student loan forgiveness through income-driven repayment. On the whole, students must be able to afford college – up to and including four-year degrees - up front and have a safety net when repaying at the end. 

NCAN looks forward to participating in this conversation. For a deeper dive on specific areas of the bill, follow NCAN's blog and Twitter feed this week.

More on the PROSPER Act

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Grant"

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: "One Work-Study"

Breaking Down the PROSPER Act: Consumer Information & FAFSA Simplification

Students in high-poverty school districts do not always complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the same rate as their lower-poverty peers. Large gaps in these rates exist between wealthy and impoverished school districts across the country. Overall, these gaps remained largely the same from June 2016 to June 2017, but it is possible to close them. Many standout districts across the country are achieving high FAFSA completion rates in spite of their high-poverty status.

NCAN compared these rates in an October report by Lindsay C. Page and Danielle Lowry at the University of Pittsburgh. As shown in the table below, certain school districts had higher FAFSA filing rates than what was predicted for them. These districts come from a wide range of states and are excellent examples of districts doing well.

*Note: Data are from the U.S. Department of Education and NCES Common Core of Data. This district's actual FAFSA completion rate may be higher but, due to the U.S. Department of Education’s style of reporting, the highest possible value for FAFSA completion is 80%.

These school districts stood out for using unique and innovative methods to drive FAFSA completion. NCAN members in Yuma, AZ, Philadelphia, PA, Cincinnati, OH, and Kansas City, MO shared their strategies.

Yuma, AZ

NCAN member Arizona College Access Network (AzCAN) is very active in the Yuma Union High School District. Yuma has partnered with AzCAN and the Helios Education Foundation to participate in the College Knowing & Going initiative, which helps students with postsecondary planning and FAFSA completion. Yuma has worked diligently over the last few years with Helios to raise the quality of education within the district. 

The city of Yuma is located on the Arizona-California-Mexico border, hours away from the nearest major metropolitan area. It is primarily an agricultural community and there is only one nearby community college. Despite this isolation, Yuma exceeded its predicted completion rate of 45.17 percent and achieved an actual rate of 58.13 percent in 2017. 

The district initially noticed that FAFSA numbers were lacking and moved up financial aid events from midway through the school year to closer to the beginning of the year. “They are building on what they started last year,” AzCAN Director Linda Jensen said. They began targeted outreach to students using more one-on-one meetings and additional group events to provide opportunities to complete the FAFSA.

Additionally, the district was driven by its student-level FAFSA data, and has been using these data innovatively to achieve local goals. Through the federal FAFSA Completion by High School and Public School District tool, any district or state can view the number of locally submitted and completed applications for first-time filers under age 19. Jensen said the entire district has been “paying attention to numbers and curriculum and quality and service to students, and they are really seeing the payoff for that work.”

At San Luis High School, the 12th grade guidance counselor spends extra time working with the student-level data to develop individualized, targeted intervention plans to ensure students are not falling through the cracks. The other five high schools in the district are planning to adopt this method to achieve the same success. The district recognizes that achieving high FAFSA completions rates falls on everyone.

“The message has been very clear that we’re all in this together, and it’s not just the counselors,” Jensen said.

Philadelphia, PA

This year, The School District of Philadelphia staff began to think differently about their FAFSA completion events, which previously were scattered with low participation. They aimed to increase the meetings’ attendance and effectiveness, starting with an awareness campaign for a new competition between high schools. At the city’s College Signing Day, the school with the highest FAFSA completion rate received an award to emphasize that FAFSA completion is a top priority. For the current filing cycle, the district will expand to five awards.

Philadelphia is committed to its students’ academic success. The district and its superintendent recently committed to a goal of having 100 percent of their students ready for college or careers when they graduate. This goal coincided with a citywide effort to increase FAFSA completion rates with the FAFSA Completion Challenge. Philly made great strides in 2017 by achieving a 72.81-percent completion rate, well above its predicted rate of 57.48 percent.

District officials knew that achieving this ambitious goal would require a team effort. They partnered with NCAN member College Possible, as well as other active members in the area such as the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable, to bring high-quality coaches into 19 high schools to provide one-on-one support for students attempting to complete the FAFSA. But not before the Office of Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Education Department, trained them as a group on how exactly to work with students.

College Possible coaches typically work in a cohort model, meaning each coach works with the same 40 students throughout the year. Coaches worked hard to raise awareness and spread information while also hosting completion events in English classes and after school when the district as a whole held events. For the current filing season, College Possible will expand beyond the cohort and use student-level data to target its approach for each school.

“College Possible puts forth extensive efforts to make sure that our students complete the FAFSA, in order to help remove financial barriers on their journey to higher education,” the organization’s Program Director Precious Mines said. “Over the past year, it has been a pleasure to partner with The Philadelphia School District at large with concentrated efforts to assist students across the city of Philadelphia to do the same.”

Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati Public Schools is committed, as a district, to removing access and affordability barriers to postsecondary education. NCAN member GRAD Cincinnati has partnered with schools in the district to ensure that students have what they need to be successful. In 2017, Cincinnati achieved an outstanding 80-percent FAFSA completion rate, nearly double its predicted rate of 45.67 percent.

GRAD Cincinnati has a strong presence in many of the high schools, but one that stands out is Oyler School. The students there are primarily first-generation, so GRAD decided the greatest impact would come from one-on-one meetings through a “FAFSA Café.” Members of the college access team meet families for coffee in the GRAD office at least once before the families begin the FAFSA with help from the team. They provide this individual support while also hosting FAFSA Finish Nights and College Seminar classes. 

Cincinnati Public Schools and GRAD are committed to using data to drive change. At Western Hills University High School, a team comprising the school’s only school counselor, senior class faculty members, and other essential administrators to increase the completion rate using evidence-backed methods. “Team FAFSA” increased one-on-one financial planning meetings and was intentional about scheduling meetings in advance to improve logistics. Additionally, follow-up phone calls to confirm appointments helped families keep them. A detailed tracking document helps staff monitor the application process for seniors.

The district’s focus on having good data and family engagement has paved the way for achieve great completion results. "Family engagement is the key that unlocks the financial opportunities afforded to college-bound students through the FAFSA," said William Harris, the family engagement coordinator at Western Hills.

Kansas City, MO

In 2016, NCAN awarded Kansas City a FAFSA Completion Challenge grant as a means to raise the FAFSA completion rate by at least 5 percent among the district’s graduating class. The NCAN-member organization that administered the grant was the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), which partnered with Kansas City Public Schools to achieve that goal. In 2017, Kansas City saw a FAFSA completion rate of 67.56 percent, compared to a predicted rate of 49.45 percent. 

MARC brought together members of the College Advising Corps, counselors, and leaders within the district’s administration to discuss their challenges in FAFSA completion. The grant allowed MARC and the district to build relationships and because of this collaboration, they began to address those problems.

A large chunk of Kansas City’s population does not speak English and would benefit from translated materials, but the district lacked funding. With the help of MARC, the district created translated materials in Vietnamese, Swahili, and Spanish that were then distributed to families. The grant funding made this possible and helped bridge the gap with parents.

“We have to engage parents in a more meaningful way and needed more consistent language with other partners so there was no misinformation,” said Sheri Gonzales Warren, MARC’s community & economic development manager. Technical FAFSA language can be confusing for people who have never experienced it before. Parent engagement was key, so a January mailing explained the importance of the FAFSA using simpler language that was consistent across both organizations with the hope that this change would reduce confusion.

Additionally, MARC and the district partnered with the local community college to host a celebration party, which students could attend if they completed the FAFSA by the state priority deadline of Feb. 1, as well as a college application. The party location allowed students to spend time on a college campus and was very successful, with more than 500 attendees including the superintendent and other district leaders. Overall, an informed and engaged district leadership and efforts driven by student-level data helped lead to Kansas City’s great FAFSA completion rate.

These districts and members achieved great results during the last filing cycle and will continue to improve in the current and future cycles.

Our students are primarily low-income, students of color, and students who are first in their family to attend college. They are seeking affordable pathways to higher education – whether that be a four-year degree, two-year degree, or high-quality credential. If passed, this bill would create multiple new opportunities for our students: a Pell-bonus for taking 15 credits per semester in an award year, an expansion of the Federal Work-Study program, an increased threshold for the Simplified Needs Test in the FAFSA from $50,000 to $100,000, early awareness of the availability of financial aid, and additional loan-counseling for students. These items all have the potential to increase access and affordability for our students.

However, this bill highly prioritizes short-term programs while making significant changes to the financial aid programs that students need to access longer-term degrees. While the former option is appropriate for some students, research shows that underrepresented students are best-served at four-year institutions. Thus, any action to expand apprenticeship or certificate programs should not come at the expense of college affordability. Eliminating all loan forgiveness provisions while also increasing borrowing limits will put students into greater debt.

The bill would also disburse financial aid in the form of a paycheck, give financial aid administrators the ability to limit the size of student loans by groups of students, and change how consumer information is shared with students. These changes could be positive or negative for our students, depending on how they are implemented.

NCAN will be taking a deep dive into the bill and will keep our members up to date. The NCAN membership looks forward to participating in the ongoing conversation with the House of Representatives and the Senate as they create the next Higher Education Act. Members with feedback about how the bill will impact their students should contact Policy and Advocacy Director Carrie Warick.

NCAN offered our thoughts on the hearing topic through a written statement that Senate HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) offered into the record.

Here are some of the themes that emerged at the hearing:

• FAFSA on a Postcard/App: The FAFSA should be short and easy to access. Given this week's concurrent announcements by U.S. Education Department officials at the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Conference, this should be an easy win. However, a shorter form would make apps much more user-friendly.
• Determining Pell Eligibility Separately from Other Aid: Several witnesses advocated for determining Pell eligibility separately from other aid eligibility, so the Pell eligibility process could be more straightforward. A simple phone app or look-up table were suggested to help students understand as early as middle school their likely eligibility for a Pell Grant. NCAN supports simplifying the aid application process in a way that helps students easily understand their aid eligibility years before applying for college, but would not support creating two federal forms or processes.
• Three Factors to Determine Pell Eligibility: There was discussion around simplifying the Pell eligibility formula to only use three factors: adjusted gross income, family size, and number of dependents in the family. Which definition of “dependent” – the one used by the IRS or the one used by FSA – was not made clear. However, there were several references to transferring all three data elements from the IRS. The IRS definition of dependent is less generous than the current FSA definition, but it is also much easier to understand.
• Universality of a Federal Process: There was broad agreement that whatever path is taken to simplify the FAFSA, it must work for states and institutions to avoid a return to a patchwork of application forms where students must complete a federal form, a state form, and multiple institutional forms.
• Verification Must Be Addressed: Several witnesses and senators spoke clearly about the barriers of the verification process. In particular, it was clear that students cannot access aid without completing this process, which hinders their ability to continually pursue their education.
• Homeless and Unaccompanied Populations: A homeless advocate and former homeless student, Elaine Genise Williams, testified powerfully about the barriers for homeless and unaccompanied youth to completing the FAFSA, particularly with verification. She added that for students no longer in high school, proving homelessness or a similar status can be challenging. That's because paperwork from a high school deeming a student homeless, at-risk, or unaccompanied may not be accepted for a young adult filing the FAFSA.

In a bold vision laid out over two days at the 2017 Federal Student Aid Training Conference, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Chief Operating Officer Dr. A. Wayne Johnson outlined significant changes coming to the Office of Federal Student Aid in the next several years.

“This overhaul is long overdue,” DeVos said. “Students and their families should be treated like the valued customers they are and should have access to the tools needed for success. Today’s announcement is a significant first step in our commitment to improving the experiences students, parents and borrowers have with FSA and in bringing federal student aid programs into the 21st century.”

NCAN’s MorraLee Keller and Kim Cook, Florida College Access Network’s Laurie Meggesin, and College Crusade of Rhode Island’s Maria Carvalho met with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at the FSA Training Conference.

Calling for the Higher Education Act to start from a blank slate, DeVos gave a broad speech that ranged from the Trump Administration’s focus on job training and apprenticeships to announcing that the FAFSA would move to a mobile app. She pointed out that Federal Student Aid manages the largest consumer loan portfolio in the country, and said, “The goal is a customer experience that will rival Amazon or Apple’s Genius Bar.”

Using an amusing audio clip of the dial-up internet noise, Secretary DeVos said the FSA infrastructure was built when we all still used phone lines to surf the web. The new vision for FSA includes moving the FAFSA and other myStudentAid services, such as loan repayment, all onto a mobile app. 

A. Wayne Johnson, the leader of FSA, picked up this morning right where the secretary left off. “Starting today, FSA is changing – and changing in a good way,” he said. Stating that high school graduates complete the FAFSA at a rate of 58 percent, Johnson noted he would like to see that figure climb close to 100 percent. Further, everyone who has an aspiration for education beyond high school should complete the FAFSA to at least see their options, he said.

"We feel like our concerns have been heard and appreciate that FSA is putting students first in this endeavor," NCAN Executive Director Kim Cook said. "NCAN and our members have long advocated for a simpler FAFSA that will move the needle on college completion, and a mobile aid application will help achieve that end."

Johnson moved on to share the blueprint for FSA’s Next Generation (Next Gen) Financial Services Environment. This transition would change the alignment of contractors managing student loans and customer service, and move all services to a “mobile-first, mobile complete” experience. In the first half of 2018, FAFSA will move onto a mobile app called MyStudentAid, which will also include a loan repayment portal and ability to check your credit score, among other features. Starting in fall of 2018, StudentAid.gov and FAFSA.gov will be fully integrated, allowing applicants to switch between the web and mobile. The features were highlighted in a smartphone-esque video promo.

Beyond just services and user experience, Johnson also said that the Department of Education would like to see a simpler FAFSA that would make using the mobile app easier. He said the department has been engaging in conversations about how to best do this, mentioning both NCAN and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) for our work on the topic and our conversations with his team. 

Acknowledging the need for Congressional action, Johnson alluded to yesterday’s Politico report that the department has built a 36-question FAFSA. Secretary DeVos has also publicly stated her support for simplifying the FAFSA, commending yesterday’s Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing.

“Washington has been talking about simplifying the FAFSA for years, but now is the time for action,” she said. “Students and schools have demanded and truly deserve a better, simpler process.”

Simplifying the FAFSA to increase the number of students accessing financial aid is one of NCAN’s top advocacy goals. NCAN will continue to engage with leaders both in Congress and at the department to recommend the changes that will most benefit our students.

FSA Chief Operating Officer A. Wayne Johnson spoke in Orlando this week about aligning the student aid experience with the current technology and giving students a “world-class” experience when it comes to the entire financial aid process.

The first iteration of the mobile app, expected to debut in spring of 2018, will accept FAFSA submissions and automatically display EFCs and expected Pell Grants. Users will be able to log in and complete sections on the app or FAFSA website with their identifying information and save key, and the information entered will be saved in real time. A future version of the app will allow students and parents to complete their sections at different times, on different devices, and they’ll be joined together prior to submission.

"The mobile app is going to be amazing,” said Holly Morrow, vice president of knowledge at NCAN member uAspire. “Huge game changer. Not just about completing the FAFSA via a phone, but a whole suite of student-facing and engaging items."

Indeed, Johnson’s vision for the mobile experience extends far beyond just an app for the FAFSA. The app may include concepts such as a “myChecklist” section that would create for customers a personalized checklist based on where they are in the student aid lifecycle. Another feature, the “mySchool” section, would allow colleges to provide customized content for their students. And the features keep going: “myMoney” would introduce a prepaid debit card that students could use to receive financial aid refunds from institutions, as well as receive money from family, send money, or pay bills. As students are moving through the aid cycle, “myLoans” would enable them to manage their student load debt and access their credit score and reports.

Another idea in the works is “myRewards,” which would allow students to sign up for an FSA rewards program. FSA is also seeking conceptual input on potential “myMessages and “myGrants” sections.

The first versions of the app will not have a feature to make corrections to the FAFSA or view and print a Student Aid Report. However, students and parents will be able to use the app to transfer their data using the IRS DRT. The app will require an FSA ID to log in and complete sections, but undocumented parents will still have to submit the paper signature page to complete their FAFSA submission.

Throughout the conference, FSA staff let attendees test the pilot app and provide input and feedback to make sure it’s as user-friendly as possible. NCAN applauds FSA’s efforts and vision as we head into the future of new student aid cycle. Johnson’s vast experience in the credit card and student loan industries should allow for a dramatic upgrade in online and mobile services for students and families.

Research has shown that a lack of resources and support for rural Texans has created a population that knows less about college planning and is less likely to enter or complete postsecondary education than its urban peers. Only 11 of every 100 Texan students considered low-income in 8th grade will complete a postsecondary degree or certificate within six years of their high school graduation.

The AgriLife Extension Service is aiming to change this pattern by bringing college access and success services to 27 sites in Texas over four years. The service program, which received a $3 million grant from the Greater Texas Foundation for this initiative in September, is focused on improving the lives of Texans through the promotion of education, individual health and environmentalism.

To help the AgriLife Extension Service achieve its goal of getting more rural Texan students to and through college, NCAN and College Forward – based in Austin – will provide the services with expertise on college access and success.

“NCAN is excited about this opportunity to level the playing field for rural Texas students," said MorraLee Keller, NCAN's Director of Technical Services, who will be overseeing the project. "Our hope is to support these students so that they enroll and complete a credential or degree at the same rate as those in urban and suburban settings.”

To make this goal a reality, NCAN will provide the AgriLife Extension Service with professional development training for those in direct service delivery positions, coaching sites as they set up programs and helping with data collection and analysis.

Until now, most of NCAN's work in Texas has focused on urban areas.

"With the largest rural population of students in the country, there is tremendous need for providing quality programming and support to this population located in small schools in isolated settings," NCAN Executive Director Kim Cook said.

College Forward will provide training for agents, curricula for students and parents, summer melt and college completion support services, and data management services.

Austin Buchan, CEO of College Forward, says the collaborative efforts of the organizations involved will "lead to a proven, scalable model that transforms the lives of thousands of underserved students across Texas’ vast rural landscape."

With the guidance of College Forward and NCAN, the AgriLife Extension Service hopes to create a "college-going culture" in rural Texas. The initiative is built around the idea that If more students are given access to a higher education and complete degrees they can expect higher wages, better career prospects, improved health, and increased civic engagement, making for a better, more equitable state.

With more than 900 participants, approximately 340 messages to 120 members of Congress, and nearly 2,400 tweets and retweets, the 2017 #Thankful4Pell campaign was NCAN’s biggest yet. Never in four years of this annual advocacy effort have we seen such impassioned and consistent engagement from members and partners eager to express their appreciation of Pell Grants to the elected officials who make crucial funding decisions about the federal aid program. 

Below is a collection of standout tweets using the #Thankful4Pell hashtag during Nov. 13-19, 2017.

• Our most-active tweeters – those who sent the most tweets overall, including retweets – were @CommonApp, @nasfaa, and @Manzar360.
• Looking at retweets only, @tstockstein, @alicax, and @iMentor ranked among our top contributors.
• When it comes to original tweets, @alsernabjj, @SFofStL, and @uAspire were highly prolific.
• Our most popular contributors were @officialOlay, @EdTrust, and @ACTStudent.
• Factor in impact (tweets multiplied by number of followers), and @getschooled, @ReachHigher, and @AVID4College are ranked highly.
• Finally, who doesn’t love a visual aid? @ASAPlan4College, @ACTEquity, and @UCRU_Crusade were among our top picture-sharers. 

Thank you to everyone who participated for speaking out for low-income students and making this year’s campaign such a success!

The Simple FAFSA Act of 2017, introduced today by Democrat Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-01), continues an important conversation in simplifying one of the most complicated steps in the college-going process: applying for financial aid. Every year, $2.7 billion in Pell Grants goes unclaimed because college students don’t fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. 

Blunt Rochester and several of her House colleagues – including Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Democrat and ranking member of the House education committee – present a plan to increase access to higher education and break down these barriers to financial aid by simplifying the FAFSA in a way that would stop asking low-income students to repeatedly prove that they are poor, and eliminating burdensome questions for all filers. 

“The Simple FAFSA Act of 2017 will move the needle on today’s FAFSA completion rate of only 61 percent among high school seniors,” said Kim Cook, executive director of the National College Access Network. “Most importantly, the bill helps those who need the aid the most by eliminating financial questions for those families already receiving a means-tested benefit, sending a clear message that student aid is available.”

The bill’s other co-leads, all Democrats, are Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53), Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Northern Mariana Islands), and Rep. Ami Bera (CA-7).

Today’s bill adopts an idea that college access practitioners, financial aid officers, and the philanthropic community all agree upon: students should answer as few questions as possible based on the complexity of their financial situation. The pathways proposal presented in the Simple FAFSA Act resembles a model tested by NCAN in January 2017. The key component? Ensuring that only students whose families file tax schedules would be required to answer the most complicated, financial questions. Students who receive a federally means-tested benefit, and have thereby demonstrated that they do not have the means to pay for college, would not be subject to any financial questions in the FAFSA process. Finally, students who do not receive a means-tested benefit, but also do not file tax schedules, would answer limited financial questions.

"The Simple FAFSA Act of 2017's proposed revisions to the FAFSA application process tackle the most common and complicated challenges facing our low-income students and families,” said Austin Buchan, CEO of College Forward in Austin, TX, an NCAN member program. “The proposed changes come by way of years of rigorous student-centric and economic analysis, and strike a sound balance between those two priorities. College Forward is confident that, if passed, this bill has the potential to clear unnecessary roadblocks that, for too long, have stood in the way of our students' post-secondary success." 

NCAN and its members look forward to participating in a robust conversation about FAFSA simplification, which is one of NCAN’s top priorities. Please click here for more information on NCAN’s stance on FAFSA simplification.

NCAN member College Now Greater Cleveland also expressed support for the new bill's provisions.

"It is designed to help students pursue and complete post-secondary education.  College Now has been serving students for over 50 years — removing barriers that negatively impact educational attainment," College Now Chief Program Officer Dr. Michele Scott Taylor said. "The Simple FAFSA ACT of 2017 seeks to further eliminate barriers and provide equity in opportunities and outcomes for our most vulnerable population.”

Another supporter of the bill, NCAN member The College Crusade of Rhode Island, said the legislation "makes great strides in streamlining the FAFSA process, especially with regard to reducing the frequency at which low-income students will need to complete the FAFSA."

"This legislation addresses many of the obstacles that low-income and first generation students encounter when it comes to applying for financial aid," College Crusade President and CEO Andrew Bramson said. "The Simple FAFSA Act of 2017 will greatly enhance our ability as a college access program to help students complete all of their financial aid procedures so that they can spend more time focusing on their studies and accomplishing their academic goals."

Troy Miller, associate director for research and policy at NCAN member Florida College Access Network, said financial need represents the largest gap in college access among the state's high school graduates, who leave behind over $100 million in Pell Grants each year by not completing the FAFSA.
 
"We support NCAN's efforts, and any legislation, that stands to make the FAFSA easier to complete, easier to understand and helps to improve college access, persistence and completion,” Miller said.

Rich Nickel, president and CEO of NCAN member College Success Arizona, echoed that sentiment.

“We applaud recent efforts to simplify the FAFSA process,” he said. “With all the barriers students from working families face in obtaining a college degree, completing often redundant financial aid paperwork to continually prove their need for assistance, should not be one of them. We know how critical a college degree is for lifetime success, and are encouraged to see purposeful conversation, and meaningful proposals to reduce the barriers for low-income students to access financial support to go to college.”

Just because a program submits a student through StudentTracker does not mean you will necessarily receive data back on that student. This omission could be due to one or more of the following:

1. The student may not have actually enrolled in a postsecondary institution;
2. The student may have chosen to place a “FERPA block” on their academic record. In this case, the NSC cannot release their student-level information. However, note that all students who are “matched” are accounted for in the StudentTracker aggregate report, whether they have a FERPA block or not. Let’s say, for example, that a student has a FERPA block on their records from institution A but does not have a block on their records from institution B. Then the student-level detail file will only show the records from institution B (i.e., a partial record for this student will be presented. Nationally, about 5 percent of students have FERPA blocks);
3. The student’s postsecondary institution may not participate with the NSC. The NSC currently covers 97% (19.8 million) of currently enrolled postsecondary students from 98% of all public and private institutions, but coverage does vary within sectors. If, for example, a student has attended two institutions, one of which does participate with the NSC while the other does not, then the student-level detail file will show a partial record for this student (i.e., their records from only the participating institution will be shown);
4. The student’s postsecondary institution may not have submitted current-term data by the time your program submits their request file. In this case, the “newest” data will not display on the student-level detail file. If this student is brand new to postsecondary education, then they may show as unmatched and no records will be displayed;
5. There is a discrepancy/typo in the high school or college data (previously submitted to the NSC) – then it’s likely that the record housed at NSC will differ from the information the program has for the student;
6. There are multiple students with the same first name, last name, date of birth combination. If there is no other identifying data to distinguish which student is the “correct” one, then the NSC will err of the side of caution and not return any records for this student; and/or
7. There may be data discrepancies in the program’s StudentTracker submission file which prevent students from being matched and returned on StudentTracker reports.

We want to try to cut back on the last item in the list above. Here are some tips and tricks that will hopefully improve your program’s match rate with the NSC.

• DO NOT put nicknames in the first name field! Especially DO NOT put something like: William “Bill” or Peter “Pete” or Elizabeth “Liz”
• DO put something like: “Peter” or “Pete” (with no quotations). The NSC’s algorithm will search for different common permutations of a name to try to make a match.
• DO NOT use periods, punctuation, or numbers as part of a name.
• DO use Sr or Jr (no periods) and Roman numerals such as I, II, etc. in the suffix fields.
• DO NOT include suffixes in the last name field (e.g., Bill P. Andrews, Jr. should not have “Andrews, Jr.” in the last name field). Put suffixes like this in the name suffix column separate from the last name.
• DO NOT put full middle names. The first letter of the middle name is sufficient.
• DO put middle initials whenever possible. This may seem counterintuitive, but the first initial can help to break ties among students with otherwise identical names (Joe A. Smith vs. Joe R. Smith). Spelling out the full middle name just provides one more place where data could mismatch. For example, if you know that Rebecca’s middle name is pronounced phonetically “Kelly,” it might be spelled Kelli, Kellie, Kelley, or Kelly, and it might even be that you misheard it and it is actually Kelsey. Putting any one of these spelled out names when the name is actually spelled a different way might cause a mismatch whereas just putting a “K” for the middle initial will help to preserve a match.

The NSC addresses many questions about matching and reporting in a reportabout its StudentTracker for High School service. It describes the efforts NSC has undertaken to try to increase match rates:

Name variations account for the largest number of inexact matches that we encounter, and we have developed robust algorithms to handle most of them with very high levels of confidence. For example, common misspellings, hyphenated names and shortened names are all taken into account in our proprietary logic. Our algorithm allows matches when names differ within a small tolerance level, or by common nicknames and Anglicizations of foreign names, provided that other data elements support the match. This logic incorporates our experience in working with the historical data that we house – well over a billion enrollment records covering 21 years. Our algorithms also accommodate common data entry errors that appear in names and dates of birth (again, provided that they are corroborated by other data elements).

For a more technical look at matching with the National Student Clearinghouse StudentTracker, consider Dynarski, Hemelt, and Hyman’s The Missing Manual: Using National Student Clearinghouse Data to Track Postsecondary Outcomes(2013).

Worth remembering is that there are trade-offs between efficiency and accuracy in a system like this. Programs will need to identify their own tolerance for the balance between these two principles. By using the StudentTracker service, programs can upload large lists of students in one batch and receive results for many of them all at once, saving time and effort. Advisors individually contacting students may be able to ascertain enrollment and completion data that is unmatched by the NSC for one reason or another and consequently get “credit” for that student’s outcomes. On the other hand, programs may also receive data on non-responsive students through the StudentTracker. Especially as programs grow the number of students they serve, a hybrid model of getting enrollment and completion information for the bulk of students and supplementing with advisor outreach may be optimal and lead to the most comprehensive understanding of these student outcomes.

Data mismatches are frustrating for many programs that work with this data, especially because programs often feel that the data they receive underrepresent their positive student outcomes. What is clear is that the National Student Clearinghouse is committed to continuously improving its matching algorithm, coverage of postsecondary institutions and students, and the process by which programs use StudentTracker to obtain data on their students’ outcomes.

With special thanks to the NSC StudentTracker Services team and especially Jill Indugula.

Over the past two weeks, Congressional Republicans have released two different plans to fulfill their pledge to cut taxes and simplify the tax system: one in the House and one in the Senate. Both bills are named the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but the content that affects higher education differs in several places.

At the big-picture level, both bills add approximately $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. In a time of fiscal austerity, adding to the deficit could set up future fights about government programs and their funding levels. Republicans argue that their plan makes the tax code simpler, but NCAN has long held that simple should not equal less. Unfortunately, in certain areas related to higher education, the simplification of the tax code could lead to fewer benefits for Americans trying to pay for college.

In the House bill, the piece that will most affect our students is the elimination of the student loan interest rate deduction, which currently can be used in addition to the standard deduction. In the Senate bill, which keeps the student loan deduction, the most alarming change is the complete elimination of the state and local tax deduction, which could discourage states and local municipalities from collecting tax dollars needed to fund higher education.

Early estimates from the American Council on Education state that together, all changes to higher education-related taxes in the House bill will save the government $65 billion over the next 10 years – which is another way of saying that Americans pursuing higher education will pay $65 billion more for it. Expect to hear a lot about the student loan interest rate deduction in the coming debates, especially with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D – NY) including it on his list of items Democrats most object to in the tax plan. 

The Senate bill keeps, or does not change, several of the current higher education tax benefits as outlined in the table below, and also greatly decreases the dollar amount taken away from students through changes to tax proposals.  

With large differences in the two bills beyond higher education, the House and the Senate will need to reconcile them before a final version is sent to the president’s desk. This process is known as “going to conference,” where a conference committee from both chambers will negotiate compromises, or trade-offs, in areas of the bills that are different. It is also possible that one chamber just decides to vote on the other chamber’s bill as-is, though both chambers have wings of their party they must appease. Republicans have announced a goal of passing tax reform by the end of this year, with most provisions implemented in 2018 (for taxes filed in 2019). However, they must also finish the fiscal year 2018 government funding, which ends Dec. 8. Related to that deadline, Democrats are insisting that a solution for Dreamers is included in that legislation. It will be a very busy two months ahead for Congress. 

By the end of this week, the Senate bill will have gone through the committee “mark up” process where most amendments are made. Afterward, it will be more clear what the final two bills will look like, and NCAN will look for opportunities to voice any support or opposition for the proposals as needed. If you have particular feedback on either of the tax bills, or areas where you’d like to see NCAN take a position, please email me.

Student Loan Interest Deduction

The House bill includes a proposal to eliminate the student loan interest deduction. Currently, tax filers can take this deduction “above the line,” meaning they can still benefit from it while using the standard tax deduction. This deduction is currently targeted at low- and middle-income earners with an income eligibility phase-out. The Senate bill does eliminate this deduction.

State and Local Tax Deduction

Both chambers recommend changes to the State and Local Tax Deduction, known as SALT, which allows taxpayers to deduct a portion of the taxes they pay on income and property at the state and local level from their federal taxes. In the House plan, taxpayers would still be able to deduct up to $10,000 in property taxes, but the Senate plan eliminates this ability entirely. State and local tax dollars are used to pay for public schools and public colleges. If this deduction is eliminated, it is possible that there will be pressure to cut state and local taxes, or opposition to any new taxes.

Charitable Giving Deductions

Changes to the standard deduction for single filers, joint filers, and head of household filers could affect how Americans approach their charitable giving. While charitable donations are still a tax deduction for individuals or families who itemize their deductions, there is disagreement about how the increase in the standard deduction will impact giving. Supporters of this change argue that taxpayers will pay less overall and therefore have more to donate. Detractors say fewer Americans will give because the higher standard deduction will negate their motivation to itemize deductions when charitable giving decreases one's tax liability in the current tax system.

Tax Breaks On Tuition Discounts

The new House tax bill eliminates the tax break on tuition-related expenses. This includes employer reimbursed tuition, discounts colleges give their employees on tuition for themselves or their families, and the break on tuition provided through graduate assistantships and fellowships. Under the new tax bill, recipients of those benefits would need to pay tax on them as though they were income. The Senate bill keeps this provision.

Higher Education Tax Credits

The House version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminates both the Hope Scholarship Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit, “consolidating” them into the American Opportunity Tax Credit, saving $17 billion over the next 10 years. The new AOTC would provide a 100-percent tax credit for the first $2,000 in certain higher education-related expenses, and then would provide a 25-percent tax credit for the next $2,000. Families would be able to claim the AOTC for up to five years, but the benefit is cut in half in the second year. Additionally, part-time learners or those in non-degree programs who can currently use the Lifetime Learning Credit would not have access to the AOTC. The Senate bill does not make any changes to the higher education tax credits.

Excise Tax on College Endowments

Approximately 65 private colleges could face a 1.4-percent excise tax on their endowments under both bills. Colleges that would qualify to pay the tax under the new tax bill are private institutions enrolling more than 500 students, with over $250,000 in endowment dollars per student. However, the tax bill defines full-time enrollment differently than the Higher Education Act, so the exact number of qualifying institutions is still an estimate. Public colleges are exempt. The House bill proposal originally included closer to 200 schools, but amendments were made in committee following the introduction of the bill.

Student Loan Forgiveness for Death or Disability 

A new education tax benefit is included in the House bill only. Student loan borrowers whose debt is forgiven due to death or disability will no longer have to pay income tax on that benefit.

529 and Coverdell Accounts

The House bill would require that Coverdell Education Savings Accounts be rolled into 529 plans. The Senate bill would not change these savings accounts.

Because of the Pell Grant program's profound impact on higher education and college access specifically, the National College Access Network, NCAN members, and student advocates are all joining together this Thanksgiving season to express our thanks. We know how much Pell Grants mean to you and our students. So this week, please take just a few minutes to advocate for the crucial federal aid program by telling your elected representatives and being part of our fourth annual #Thankful4Pell campaign.

From Nov. 13-19, visit our website to seamlessly share your story with members of Congress via a letter, Twitter, or Facebook. We’ve provided sample text and tweets for students and professionals, but suggest personalizing these communications as much as possible, and when sending them through our online campaign platform, including both your home and work addresses to be sure you reach the relevant lawmakers. NCAN member-served students who write to lawmakers and mention their college access/success program will be entered to win one of five $25 Amazon.com gift cards.

In addition to tweeting and Facebooking lawmakers directly through our online platform, you can download a social media filter to overlay the Thankful4Pell logo onto your profile pictures. Supporters should tweet throughout the week about why they appreciate Pell Grants using the #Thankful4Pell hashtag. And on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. ET, @collegeaccess will host a Twitter chat about the importance of Pell Grants. Follow along and chime in using #Thankful4Pell!

Almost one year into a new presidential administration and Congress, we’ve already seen lawmakers remove $1.3 billion from the Pell Grant reserve and put another $3 billion in cuts on the table. At the same time, a possible increase to the maximum award in 2018-19 is in jeopardy. With the looming possibility of both a possible increase to the maximum award and a cut to the reserve fund, November is the perfect time to highlight the importance of the Pell Grant program to help more Americans gain postsecondary credentials and contribute to our country’s prosperity. 

Last academic year, more than 7.6 million students - including 33 percent of all undergraduates - benefited from receiving a federal Pell Grant. Without this support from the federal government, many low-income students would not be able to pursue education beyond high school – education that is increasingly important for entry into the competitive workforce. Yet the value of the Pell Grant continues to fall as college costs rise.

Questions? Contact NCAN Communications Manager Allie Ciaramella.

Sample social media posts:

1.  Go here to easily write, tweet or Facebook your elected officials about why you're #Thankful4Pell: http://ow.ly/z75C30gov48 
2. Pell Grants helped tens of millions of low-income Americans get a college education, & they matter now more than ever. I'm #Thankful4Pell!
3. In 2015-16 Pell Grants provided more than 7.6 million students with critical aid for higher education. I'm #Thankful4Pell!
4. Has receiving a Pell Grant changed your educational or personal trajectory? This Thanksgiving season, share why you're #Thankful4Pell.
5. Did you know? Pell Grants were originally - and aptly - named the Basic Education Opportunity Grant Program. #Thankful4Pell
6. As college costs rise, the Pell Grant's value falls. Let's tie Pell to the cost of inflation so more students can succeed. #Thankful4Pell
7. Umesh is #Thankful4Pell because it's helping a generation of future leaders get to and through college. http://ow.ly/akzx30g1orc
8. Research shows that need-based aid like Pell Grants increases enrollment of low-income students. #Thankful4Pell
9. Over 60% of African American & 50% of Hispanic undergrads rely on Pell to attend school. #Thankful4Pell
10. Pell Grants supply crucial funding for the 92% of low-income students who receive free money for school. That's why I'm #Thankful4Pell
11. Finish this sentence to share your story: I'm #Thankful4Pell because...
12. Pell Grants help prevent low-income students from dropping out of school. I'm #Thankful4Pell.
13. Do you have a Pell Grant? This week we're sharing why we're thankful for the program. Join the conversation using #Thankful4Pell.
14. Darius is #Thankful4Pell because it minimizes his student loan burden. Read his story: http://ow.ly/Q9X030g63YY  
15. I'm #Thankful4Pell because it's been making higher education more accessible for 45 years. Why do Pell Grants matter to you?
16. Pell Grants already make community college tuition-free or mostly free for millions of low-income students. That's why I'm #Thankful4Pell.

Candace stated that it probably would not have been possible for her to attend college without financial aid, unless she was willing to take on a large amount of student loan debt.

"Financial aid enabled me to have a college experience without having to worry about financial burden,” she said. “Without it, I probably wouldn't have been able to complete college in four years.”

Two years after graduating from Jackson State University with a bachelor’s degree in English, Candace earned a master's degree and is now working in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s public affairs department. While she's happy in her current job, she plans in the near future to open a community-based academic success center. 

Candace thinks her community in Jackson needs more college access programs like Woodward Hines because the public schools there don't have the necessary resources.

"A lot of counselors in the schools don't have the time to dedicate to each student,” she said. Candace wants to ensure that low-income students have all the information they need before ruling out college as an option for them. What many don't know is that 92 percent of low-income FAFSA applicants receive grants. 

"There are a lot of students who say ‘college is too expensive’ or ‘I can't go to college because my parents don't have any money’," she said. "And they are afraid they will have to take out loans because a lot of parents who are low-income are a lot of times already in debt."

When Candace is able to open her academic success center, she wants to make sure it’s in a location that’s easily accessible to students. She remembers her parents having to drive her to the outskirts of town to get help when she was applying for college, and realizes that not everyone has that option.

Overall, Candace sees raising awareness about resources like the FAFSA, local scholarships, and counseling services as the key to getting more low-income students to apply for college. She wants to spread this information to other students from low-income backgrounds so they can access a higher education and attain a rewarding career, as she has.

But she knows it up to colleges, universities, state and federal institutions to share her goal of improving college access before low-income students can bridge enrollment and completion gaps nationwide.

"They should allocate more funds and make sure people actually know about it."

More than 50 percent of students served by NCAN members finish college within six years of enrolling, compared to 31 percent of similar students nationally[i]. While some would say that’s pretty impressive, NCAN members know it’s not good enough. We want all students who start college to earn a degree!

So, what can NCAN members and others do to increase college completion rates? Recent studies of member organizations identified three practices that appear to positively impact degree attainment: data-driven decision-making, a continuum of services from high school through college completion, and strong partnerships with higher education institutions.

Data-driven decision-making

Using data to inform decisions pays off at both the student and programmatic levels. Tracking academic performance allows staff to identify students with problems and intervene to keep them on track, avoiding pitfalls such as not meeting degree requirements. Data can also help staff determine whether specific program elements are achieving the desired outcomes and change, and discontinue those that don’t. If having 8th graders spend a week on campus fails to increase 9th-grade enrollment in college preparatory courses, for example, a program might choose to redirect its resources to activities proven to positively affect student outcomes.

Data are essential for accountability. Organizations can check whether advisors are meeting their performance objectives and help them improve. Data also can help a board of directors determine if the executive director is achieving the organization’s goals and assist funders with deciding where to invest for the greatest return.

Implementing data-driven decision-making requires spending time to find a tracking system that meets organizational needs and makes it relatively easy for staff to input data and generate reports. Organizations also need someone to manage the system, train staff, and troubleshoot problems. While data-tracking systems involve significant investment, their payoff is great in terms of improved productivity, increased degree completion rates, and spurring successful fund-raising.

A continuum of services

A continuum of services from high school through college increases students’ prospects of earning a degree. The transition from high school through the early college years is fraught with challenges for first-generation students whose parents lack the information and experience to guide them. Students must complete a number of confusing tasks before they can matriculate – everything from securing a loan and paying their college bill to selecting first-semester courses and arranging affordable housing. Assistance with completing these tasks increases the enrollment of low-income students by 8-12 percentage points[ii].

Low-income students who receive navigational coaching during their freshman year are more likely to return for their second year than students overall[iii]. Coaches help students deal with social and emotional problems that interfere with their studies, connect them with campus support services, and teach them to be effective self-advocates. Such support results in higher rates of college persistence compared with low-income students generally[iv].

Support through college completion also pays off financially for students by increasing their likelihood of graduating and reducing time-to-degree. Most low-income students borrow for college based on their belief in higher education as a way to escape poverty. Students who leave college before graduating or take more than four years to earn a bachelor’s degree, however, face severe financial challenges. Because college dropouts have not earned a credential to qualify for a job that commands higher wages, they are likely to default on their education loans, resulting in a negative credit rating and limiting their ability to buy a car or resume their education. Students who take longer to complete a degree incur greater debt that could hamper them financially.

College access organizations realize the return on the financial investment they make in preparing students for college when students earn a degree. Consequently, it is in organizations’ self-interest to do as much as possible to support students throughout their college experience. Ultimately, what an organization spends on pre-college programming will be considered an effective use of resources only when the students served complete college.

Higher education partnerships

Strong higher education partnerships offer students considerable support above and beyond what college access organizations can provide. One of the most valuable resources is a staff person designated as a “campus angel” who can connect students with support services, advocate for them on campus, and inform partner organizations when they are in trouble. Many institutions are willing to make exceptions for students when they know a partner organization is supporting them. Other examples of the benefits students derive from partnerships between organizations and higher education institutions include being able to register early for classes and having a faculty or staff member assigned as a mentor.

In addition, some higher education institutions earmark institutional scholarships and grants for students from partner organizations. Strong partnerships also can result in students receiving better aid packages because institutions know that the assistance students receive from the college access organization increases their chances of getting a degree.

Want to learn more?

For more on these practices and others, consult NCAN's synthesis of lessons learned from four case studies of Benchmarking Project participants as well as individual case studies on Act Six, Bottom Line, I Know I Can, and Philadelphia Futures.

Austin Buchan, CEO of College Forward, and Avalon Baldwin, Data Management & Evaluation Associate at 10,000 Degrees, will show more than 100,000 tech professionals how artificial intelligence can keep low-income and first-generation students on track to graduate college at Salesforce's international conference, Dreamforce, on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

"I think there's a lot of hoopla and buzz-wordiness when it comes to artificial intelligence and predictive analytics," Buchan said. "It's just kind of this new shiny thing that people get excited about. But for us, it's not about building cool stuff, it's about better servicing students." 

The largest technology conference in the world takes place Monday through Thursday in San Francisco, but Dreamforce will live-stream the NCAN members’ product keynote address on Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT at this link. Later, the video will be posted on YouTube.

College Forward used the Salesforce platform to develop its own data collection and analytics system, CoPilot, which can track the entire “life cycle” of their students through college applications, enrollment and graduation. CoPilot is now available for purchase on Salesforce's app store, and it's being used by 40 college access organizations across 20 states. 10,000 Degrees is one of these organizations.

Now, CoPilot is the first program on the Salesforce AppExchange to have the company's new "Einstein" product involved. Einstein is an artificial intelligence tool that will use the data collected by CoPilot to predict the outcomes of the students it serves. CoPilot will be able to use this new technology to predict students' needs before they become crises. 

Einstein can flag students predicted to face certain challenges – for example, non-matriculation – so the advisors or mentors at any organization using CoPilot can then to give those students the help they need. (Einstein is currently in testing and is not yet widely available.)

"Hopefully once we get this thing really cranking we'll be able to scale up our organization quicker because we'll be engaging with our students in a smarter way, making sure we're not just providing a one-size-fits-all service to our students, but that it’s very tailored to where they are," Buchan said.

Buchan and Baldwin say promoting CoPilot and Einstein at Dreamforce isn't just exciting from a technological perspective, it’s an important opportunity to talk about the disproportionately low graduation rates of low-income students, and how that can be changed.

"I see this as an opportunity to shed light on the problem we're trying to solve," Buchan said. "I've been pretty adamant that the content of our speech will include some data points to get people fired up about this problem."

Baldwin is a first-generation college student herself, who came from a low-income background. She was served by 10,000 Degrees during high school and college. After graduating, she received a fellowship from 10,000 Degrees and now works there full-time. She and Buchan think adding her perspective to the keynote address will show Salesforce customers why the work college access organizations are doing is so important and why equipping these organizations with new technology would allow more students to succeed, like Baldwin has. 

Buchan said it's up to non-profit organizations to continue developing and taking advantage of new technology that can help serve students more efficiently. 

"I really believe the for-profit sector is not necessarily the best-equipped to solve this problem," he said. “No one else is going to do this and we have to step up our game. I don't want the historical confines of what people think non-profits can and can't do to hold us back."

Samps Taylor's future was unclear until he found the tuba.

"When I was in high school I didn't really participate in a lot of extracurriculars," Samps said. "I kind of just came to school, did what I had to do, and then left. In 10th grade I was looking for something to do so I thought, 'What about band?'"

Playing music became not only a hobby for Samps, but a potential career. After facing lots of discouragement from people who said majoring in performance arts would never lead to a job, Samps met a coordinator and mentor at the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), Khristopher Hobbs, who told him otherwise. 

"Most of the time people tend not to major in music because they think they can't make a career out of it," Samps said. "But really it depends on you and the amount of work you want to put in. That's why when I told Khristopher I wanted to major in music, he wasn't one of the people who told me, 'That's probably not a good idea.' He actually supported me." 

Now Samps is a sophomore studying Instrumental Performance at Alcorn State University. He plays tuba, piano and snare, tutors students in music theory and instrumentation, and arranges his own pieces for band. 

Samps knew Alcorn State would be the perfect place to study music when he visited to audition in high school, saying the assistant band director was friendly and put him at ease – and complimented his performance. 

For Samps, the audition was the easy part of getting into music school. When it came to applying and filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), he needed some help. 

Luckily, LOFSA came to his school and provided him and other students with the information they needed to get into college and receive financial aid. Samps, who receives a Federal Pell Grant and a few scholarships from Alcorn State, said he wouldn't be at college were it not for the aid money.

"It's like the lifeline for what I'm doing," he said. "If I didn't have financial aid it would be almost impossible for me to do anything college-related because the costs are so high.” 

Still, Samps struggles with the college costs that aren't covered by financial aid, especially since his band scholarship was cut by $600 this year due to university budget cuts, he said.

"When I applied and did my first year, everything was covered, like room and board and tuition," he said. But Samps is still responsible for buying his own school supplies, books, dorm essentials, and extra food, which can all amount to hundreds of dollars. His sister has been able to help him cover these extra costs, but there are some things they collectively can't afford. Samps has had to go without some of the books he needs for class.

Samps said he has had some ups and downs, but overall, he loves college. He ended his freshman year with a 4.0 GPA – the highest in the band – and won an award for Best Freshman Tuba Player. 

When he graduates, Samps either wants to purse a master’s degree or join a military band. Either, way he wants to keep playing music and improving.

"I want to keep raising the bar on my level of performance," he said.

Observers of this blog and NCAN’s work know that thanks to the support of Strada Education Network, we have been exploring the connections between college and career success. Students not only need to access college, persist when they get there, and complete, but they should perform all of these activities with a purpose in mind. Activities like career exploration, skill and interest inventories, and networking, among other information and experiences, are key to ensuring that students identify and connect to a career that fulfills them personally and professionally.

One resource that many NCAN members use to help their students connect college and career success is Naviance, a “comprehensive K-12 college and career readiness solution” from Hobsons that “helps districts and schools align student strengths and interests to postsecondary goals, improving student outcomes and connecting learning to life.” I had the opportunity to discuss Naviance and its relationship with college and career success with Kim Oppelt, Education and Outreach Manager at Hobsons. Kim is a licensed school counselor who works on the Naviance marketing team. A transcript (lightly edited for clarity) of our email interview follows below.

What does Naviance by Hobsons see as the connection between college and career success?

Postsecondary education and experiences are a direct link to career success. However, postsecondary experiences are not the beginning of career success. Students need to start early by discovering who they are, what their strengths are, and what their interests are. From there, they can begin to investigate the avenue that will lead them to a meaningful career. That may involve graduate school, a four-year college, a two-year degree, or a certificate or endorsement.

What approach to career awareness/exploration does Naviance take? To what extent are you also making students aware of the educational requirements of the different careers they are exploring?

Naviance takes a holistic look at career awareness and exploration. The platform incorporates search tools starting at the career cluster level to help students identify general areas of interest. From there, we provide career and career cluster profiles that show students the education necessary for various careers, as well as career opportunities within clusters.

How was Naviance’s career success programming developed? Did you have any partners in that development?

The Naviance College and Career Readiness Curriculum offers a series of 15 lessons per grade level in grades 6-12. This online, interactive curriculum was designed with the input of school counselors, education experts, and Roadtrip Nation.

Have you done any research on the college and career outcomes of students who receive Naviance programming?

Two studies have highlighted the success of Naviance programming. The first is an initial study of the outcomes of the Naviance College and Career Curriculum pilot. The second is an independent study published in the Journal of College Access on the college application rates compared to the frequency and duration of Naviance usage.

“Soft” or non-cognitive skills are often viewed by members as difficult to teach to students in a systematic way. How does Naviance accomplish this, and how does Naviance see these skills as connected to career success?

Naviance recognizes that non-cognitive skills are an important component of creating future-ready students. Through tools such as our StrengthsExplorer and Roadtrip Nation Archive (a series of video interviews designed to help students choose career paths after listening to stories from leaders across hundreds of industries), we work with students to recognize their own strengths and to use non-cognitive skills in conjunction with academic skills to pave their future path. We also incorporate a number of non-cognitive lesson strands within the Naviance College and Career Readiness Curriculum to help students identify and develop the skills they need to succeed.

The Naviance website offers solutions for a number of parties and educational levels. How does career success programming on the Naviance platform vary between elementary, middle, and high school, and what are some takeaways for our members on those differences?

We currently offer career planning options for middle and high school students. At the middle school level, we offer broad assessments that match the reading level of students, including career assessments, interest inventories, and career cluster exploration. At the high school level, we offer more specific career and personality inventories. At both levels, we offer career searches and profiles, connections between careers and college majors, and the Roadtrip Nation Archive. In addition, we offer a curriculum that scaffolds for students to provide them lessons introducing them to career concepts, moving on to more personal career exploration, and then helping them to make decisions on career and postsecondary options.

Can you share a demo of career exploration or other career success programming with our members?

Our website incorporates a number of materials related to career exploration. Some examples include:

• An overview of career planning in Naviance
• A webinar on using Career Key to engage students
• A preview of the Naviance College and Career Readiness Curriculum
• A video introducing self-discovery in Naviance
• A video introducing the Roadtrip Nation Archive

In which ways do you see practitioners making good use of workforce/career data? Can you point us to some good use cases/examples of the platform?

• Orange Unified School District
• Howard County Public Schools
• Houston Independent School District
• Wicomico Public Schools

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Thank you to Kim for her time and insight into how the Naviance platform approaches connecting college and career success!