Issue 16: September 2008

Featured Article: Higher Education: Researching Elements of Success
by Eric Wong

With the start of a new school year, we the Improve Group, turn our attention to education like countless students, teachers and parents.  Higher education is of especially high interest within economic, political and evaluation communities, with specific focus on factors that successfully aid students in pursuit of their degree. The Improve Group has done a notable amount of work in this area with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Growth and Justice, and recently the University of Wisconsin by evaluating systems that support higher education access and progress towards graduation.  This article reviews our findings about student support and financial aid, and their relevance in increasing the number of college graduates.

One of the topics that The Improve Group evaluated for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the impact of student support programs on student admittance into college.  We evaluated the effect that the HSF’s Peer Counseling Program has on the college admission rates for Latino youth.  The evaluation found that having a constant, flexible and motivating mentor could have positive effects on helping students gain access to college for the following reasons: 

• First, students applying for college can benefit from building strong relationships with mentors who are assisting them prepare for college because mentors can track a particular student’s academic progress and direct them to parts of curriculum that are most needed. 
• Secondly, mentors can assist students in completing other essential tasks, such as applying to college, preparing the Financial Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and gaining information about college options.
• Finally, mentors can serve as counselors to parents in guiding them through the college application process, which is especially important for first generation students and students from low-income families.  In short, student support programs that counsel students and families, especially those from underrepresented groups, in the college application process have a notably higher probability of enrolling in college.

Once a student is enrolled in college, another issue arises: how to increase the probability that the student earns a degree.  In our studies, we heard that one of the primary reasons that effect whether students are able to complete their degree is a lack of financial resources.  This is especially true for low-income families.  Recent research has found that access to financial aid has a significant effect on whether or not students from low-income families finish their junior year more than their freshman or senior year of college.1   However, the proportion of financial aid in the form of student loans has increased significantly since 2005, especially from private lenders.  For example, while overall student borrowing increased by fourteen percent in Minnesota between 2005 and 2007, student borrowing from private lenders increased by fifty-two percent in that same time period.2   During that same time, tuition increased by thirteen percent3.     While need-based loans are helpful in assisting students in paying for college, many state programs and colleges deduct those grants from their financial aid packages, thus increasing the student’s need to obtain loans.4   With limited resources available, grant programs need be more judicious in distributing need-based loans. 

The Improve Group has evaluated the impact of need-based financial aid and of merit-based scholarships with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for students across different regions of the country.  We are finding that interest in the factors that help students enroll and succeed in college is growing in this current economic and political environment.

Some lessons from our studies and from the published research can be applied to other programs addressing completely different issues:

1. It is important to understand the barriers that might impact outcomes. In the case of higher education, lack of knowledge about college application processes, academic preparation and financial support are now considered to be the three primary barriers.
2. Thinking through the barriers, identify which ones the program is intending to alleviate, and which assets or supports it is offering to help improve outcomes. In the case of Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the organization is testing out various combinations of direct financial support, mentoring and information to improve college attainment.
3. Create measures that are directly related to the outcomes you intend to impact. In the case of Hispanic Scholarship Fund, they are measuring outcomes related to college knowledge and intermediate outcomes in college attainment (i.e., completing applications and taking college board tests).

1. Ishhitani, T.T. & Dejardins, S.L. (2002-2003). A longitudinal investigation of dropouts from college in the United States.  Journal of College Student Retention, 4(2), 173-201.

2. Minnesota Office of Higher Education (August 2008). Highlights of Financial Aid Awarded 2007. St. Paul, MN. p. 3.

3. Minnesota Office of Higher Education. “Average Annual Full-Time Undergraduate Resident Tuition and Fees Collected for the Minnesota State Grant Program,” September 9, 2008. http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/tPg.cfm?pageID=812&1534-D83A_1933715A=5b0d53eee88ac8fb>.

4. DeLapp, Peggy, and Dvoracek, C., Oftelie, A., Touschner, J. and Wong, E., “The Financial Gap for Minnesota College Students: A preliminary investigation of financial aid and its effects on persistence. May 2005. 

It has been a fun couple of months for me as I settled into the position of Business Manager here at the Improve Group.  I was prepared for this job through my previous positions in fundraising (at the MS Society), human resources (at the Alaska Women’s Resource Center) and non-profits.  However, I still got to experience excitement from this adventure of starting something new, which is always refreshing.  In just my brief time so far, we have welcomed a new staff member, seen others return to school, celebrated 2 weddings and embraced a new baby. 

I am originally from Alaska, where the scenery alone will leave you breathless (and we ride snow machines, not snowmobiles). My home is now in Hugo and I love each distinct season in Minnesota.  Fall is my favorite season and there is no better place to take it all in than right here.

 I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Arkansas.  My years spent in Arkansas shaped my view of the world and the areas I wanted to impact. I worked as a victims’ advocate and served on (then Governor) Bill Clinton’s task force for Child Abuse, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.  It was impacting, emotional and meaningful work that defined me as a humanist.  The return to Alaska led me to administrative positions and non-profit management, which I truly love.

The Improve Group has really fantastic people with which to work.  I am looking forward to my time here.

International experience leads newest staff member home
by Danielle Assy

Hello Improve Groove readers. After my first month at the Improve Group working as a research analyst, I must say that I’m very happy to be here working with this fantastic team! The projects I’ve worked on really “sing” to me in a way I wasn’t expecting. Although I grew up in the Twin Cities, I have spent the past five years working, studying and living abroad, primarily in Mali (West Africa), with time in both Amsterdam and Beirut. After working in small enterprise development and micro-finance in Mali for three years, I left to spend several months learning about the culture and the people of Lebanon. I then moved to Amsterdam and earned a Master’s of Science at the University of Amsterdam. During my studies I began worked as an international research consultant, and got to gather data and report on a nationwide situational analysis on HIV/AIDS and youth in Mali, financed by UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID and UNFPA. Another highlight was when I worked with USAID and CARE International to design, manage and implement the evaluation of a family planning project that used micro-finance to increase access for rural women. 

My love of research began after designing a survey and completing an evaluation as an undergrad student at Gustavus Adolphus College for the American Swedish Institute located in Minneapolis. My desire to live abroad long-term was spiked after studying global business strategy in Copenhagen for a summer, and I decided to join Peace Corps during a spiritual retreat where we learned to set aside our personal barriers and listen to the voice within. It was in my Master’s program which gave me more exposure to evaluation and led me here to the Improve Group. You never know what may grow from the seeds that are planted as your mind wraps itself around something fresh.