1. Promoting College Access & Success
Karen Misjak, Executive Director, Iowa College Aid

2. MOTTO MISSION VISION Because college changes everything.
We advocate for and support Iowans as they explore, finance and complete educational opportunities beyond high school to increase family and community success.
VISION
All Iowans can achieve an education
beyond high school.

3. Our changing role Iowa College Aid no longer a guarantor
Sold portfolio in FY 2012
First guarantor to transfer portfolio
Leveraging revenue to increase college completion in Iowa

4. Future Ready Iowa
Future Ready Iowa is our governor’s initiative, funded by a Lumina Foundation grant
Goal: 70% of state’s population with postsecondary education by 2025
Future Ready Iowa brings together business, higher education and K-12 to make sure Iowa can meet job demands of future economy

5. How we support Future Ready Iowa and fulfill our mission
State financial aid
Research & evaluation
Postsecondary registration
Community engagement

6. Community engagement
Data-driven decisions based on research to increase college completion
GEAR UP Iowa
Local College Access Networks
Course to College
Course to College Corps
Go Alliance Academy

7. GEAR UP Iowa Community engagement
Federal grant to increase number of low-income students who graduate from high school and are prepared for and go to college
Guarantors can be partners
n State grant n Partnership grant n Both

8. GEAR UP Iowa Community engagement
Iowa College Aid administers $44 million in Iowa: $22 million grant + dollar-for-dollar local match

9. GEAR UP Iowa Community engagement
Follows students from seventh grade through first year in college
GEAR UP 2.0: 8,000+ students in 12 low-income school districts
Iowa College Aid provides framework to build college-going culture

10. GEAR UP Iowa Community engagement
GEAR UP Iowa 1.0 students graduated from high school in 2014
Math scores improved from 61% proficient in 8th grade to 66% in 11th grade.
Reading scores improved from 59% proficient in 8th grade to 72% in 11th grade.

11. GEAR UP Iowa Community engagement
GEAR UP 1.0 decreased the gap in college enrollment between students from low-income and high-income schools
GEAR UP 1.0 students were just as likely as higher-income students to persist from the first to second year of college

12. Community engagement
GEAR UP Iowa
National GEAR UP success

13. Local College Access Networks (LCANs)
Community engagement
Local College Access Networks (LCANs)

14. Local College Access Networks (LCANs)
Community engagement
Local College Access Networks (LCANs)
Collective impact model:
Common agenda
Shared measurements
Mutually reinforcing activities
Continuous communication
Backbone support infrastructure

15. Local College Access Networks (LCANs)
Community engagement
Local College Access Networks (LCANs)
Communities set individual goals
Iowa College Aid provides:
- “Seed funding” grants
4 stages: Planning, Launch, Implementation and Continuous Improvement
- Technical assistance
- Model

16. Local College Access Networks (LCANs)
Community engagement
Local College Access Networks (LCANs)
Success story: Ottumwa
College enrollment had been dropping for 5 years (from 68% to 50%)
LCAN started program to fight “summer melt”
College enrollment up 2 percentage points
Community college enrollment up 4 percentage points

17. Course to College Community engagement
Created by Iowa College Aid in 2013
Recruit schools, train staff and provide collateral
99 schools in 57 districts in (out of 336 districts in state)

18. Course to College Community engagement Components: Early Awareness
College Application Campaign
FAFSA Completion Initiative
College Decision Day
Summer Transition

19. Course to College FAFSA.Iowa.gov
Community engagement
Course to College FAFSA.Iowa.gov

20. Community engagement
Course to College

21. Course to College Corps
Community engagement
Course to College Corps
Pilot program placing AmeriCorps and VISTA members in selected GEAR UP Iowa and LCAN communities

22. Course to College Corps
Community engagement
Course to College Corps
Building from Course to College by focusing on meeting direct-service need and building evidence to show what works
Current efforts: promoting FAFSA, fighting summer melt

23. Go Alliance Academy Community engagement
Continuing education for counselors, educators and college access professionals
19 states + D.C.

24. Go Alliance Academy Community engagement
Iowa College Aid contracted with Southern Regional Educational Board to bring to Iowa
Began fall 2016
Offered for license renewal or graduate credit
75 people have begun the suite of courses
First four classes filled up and had waiting lists

25. Go Alliance Academy Community engagement Course offerings:
Building a College-Going Culture for All Students
College, Career & Academic Planning
Financial Aid & College Applications
College & Career Advising in the Middle Grades
Maximizing School Counselor Impact on Student Success: A Module for School Leaders

26. College Changes Everything
College graduates fare better in their careers:
Earn 134% more annually
47% more likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance
72% more likely to have an employer-sponsored retirement plan
24% more likely to be employed

27. College Changes Everything
College graduates fare better in life:
Less likely to smoke, be obese or become disabled
Less likely to be incarcerated
Have almost 5 times the assets
44% more likely to be in good health
Live about 7 years longer
More likely to be happy

28. Because college changes EVERYTHING
IowaCollegeAid.gov