California State University, Sacramento Levers of Change: Role of Financial Aid and Institutional Reform in Promoting Student Success at California Community Colleges Nancy Shulock Presentation to College Access Foundation San Francisco, CA May 20, 2008

California State University, Sacramento Key Points  California has a serious education problem  Community Colleges are key to solving it – degree completion must increase  Financial aid is a key part of solution, but…  Institutional reforms, coupled with aid, can lead to systemic change

California State University, Sacramento Percent of Adults with an Associate Degree or Higher by Age Group—Leading OECD Countries, the U.S., and California Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Education at a Glance 2007; Not shown on the graph are Belgium, Norway, Ireland and Denmark, which also rank ahead of the U.S. on attainment among young adults (attainment is increasing for younger populations as in the other countries)

California State University, Sacramento California’s Performance is Lagging Preparation 35 th and 49 th in high school students taking advanced math and science Bottom 1/5 in 8th graders scoring “proficient” in all subject areas of the NAEP Participation 11 th in percent of year olds enrolled in college 40 th in direct to college from high school 48 th in full-time college enrollment Completion 46 th in degrees per 100 undergraduates enrolled

California State University, Sacramento California Community Colleges: Size and Governance  109 community colleges in 72 districts  2.6 million students per year – most part-time  Over 70% of public undergraduates  Locally elected boards – collective bargaining  Weak state-level governance  Highly regulated  Highly politicized and resistant to change  Multiple missions  Low funding/lowest fees in the nation

California State University, Sacramento 1,094, , ,975 Community Colleges Enroll Most Undergraduates – and Large Portion of Latino and Black Populations

California State University, Sacramento 520,407 Students Policies to Promote Access 314,034 Students 206,373 Students Policy Barriers to Completion Incoming CCC Students ,352 Student s 75,682 Student s Non-Degree- Seekers: 40% Degree- Seekers: 60% Job Skills: 49% Basic Skills: 9% Personal Enrichment: 42% Complete Certificate, Degree or Transfer within 6 Years: 24% Do Not Complete within 6 Years: 76%

California State University, Sacramento Highest Completion Among Degree-Seekers

California State University, Sacramento Completion Rates Worse for Certain Groups 33% for Asian students 27% for white students 18% for Latino students 15% for black students 27% for students age % for students in their 20s 18% for students in their 30s 16% for students age 40 or older

California State University, Sacramento Enrollment Patterns Matter – Especially Full-Time

California State University, Sacramento Financial Needs Are Great  Serious affordability problem – despite low fees  Fees only 5% of college costs  Low rates of financial aid receipt  About 25% - mostly just BOG fee waiver  Only 11% receive Pell grants (mostly full-time)  100,000 eligible students apply but do not get Pell  State Cal-Grant program does not meet needs  Remaining need after all aid  58% of CCC students  $5,097

California State University, Sacramento Students Work too Much  Full-time attendance increases engagement, social integration  Working > hours = lower GPA, fewer credits, less persistence  81.5% of CCC students work, 43% full time  Average 32 hours per week

California State University, Sacramento Time to Completion for CCC Students Full-Time Completers Part-Time Completers Years to Completion < 1 Yr1.0%2.7% 1 to 2 Yrs14.2%14.8% 2 to 3 Yrs35.1%18.4% 3 to 5 Yrs40.9%45.0% > 5 Yrs9.1%19.2% Source: IHELP analysis of cohort of first-time CCC students; represents time to completion for students who completed a certificate, degree, or transfer within 6 years; “full-time” defined as students who enrolled in 12+ units in the majority of terms they attended.

California State University, Sacramento Policy Reforms are Needed  State policy  System policy  Institutional policy and practice

California State University, Sacramento Successful Student Behaviors that Could be Encouraged by Financial Aid Conditions  Complete FAFSA (for federal aid)  Enroll in orientation/college success course  Meet with counselor, make academic plan  Take assessment tests on initial enrollment  Enroll for a minimum number of units  Register for courses on time  Maintain continuous enrollment  Make forward academic progress

California State University, Sacramento Reforms to College Financial Aid Practices That Would Increase Student Success  Incentives to students for completing FAFSA  Financial aid application linked to enrollment process  Services and materials in multiple languages  More evening office hours; experienced staff at front desk  More staff support for FAFSA follow-up  Collaboration among faculty and student services staff  Better information to students  Loans; benefits of full-time

California State University, Sacramento Reforms to Other College Policies/Practices That Would Increase Student Success  Assess all degree-seeking students for college readiness  Encourage early enrollment in remediation  Require orientation class for all degree-seekers  Require students to declare program goal by certain point  Lay out clear pathways to credentials  Give all students academic plans  Institute “early alert” system  Enact policies to encourage good academic patterns (timely registration, course add/drop, book vouchers/loans)

California State University, Sacramento Theory of Change  Financial aid grants leverage institutional change at campus level  Campuses push to remove system constraints  System understands need for state-level policy changes