Executive Board Office/Committee Summary Report
Meeting Description: June Board Meeting Meeting Date: June 29, 2011 Office/Committee: Early Awareness Committee Officer/Committee Chair: Julie Meyer and Jessie McCoy Committee Members: Robert Berkelman (MO S&T), Bridgette Betz (MO S&T), Amanda Brown (MDHE), Colleen Brown (Columbia College), Katherine Coates (USDE), Sharon Collins (Harris-Stowe), Jaime Crowe (MO Baptist), Dan Dick (SLU), Kevin Greene (MOST), Gretchen Griffin (Vatterott), Linda Haman (Logan College of Chiropractic), Lesley Hendrix (MDHE), Jeff Herman (Washington Univ), Melissa Hogan (Webster), Jessica Key (Webster), Robyn LeGrand (NSLP), Linda Mackey (Central Methodist), Janet Kottman (MOST), Katie Lewis (Commerce Bank), Samantha Matchefts (UMSL), Morgan McAboy (MDHE), Michelle Mohn (SLCHC), Linda Osborne (Columbia College), Jay Rhodes (TG Student Loan Corp), Michael Smith (STLCC Meramec), Elizabeth Somers (MO Baptist), Lynn Stichnote (MO S&T), Tracy Wilson (MO S&T), B.J. White (MDHE), Dena Winkler (UMSL), Ryan Wilson (Lincoln Univ)
SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS/ACTIVITIES: Partnered with the Girl Scouts for the following events:
Sunday, April 3, 1-3 PM Reality Store for the Girl Scouts group, grades 6-12 Location: Airport Hilton, 4450 Evans Place in St. Louis
Monday, April 11, Monday, 7:30 AM – 1:30 PM Reality Store for Lift for Life students, Juniors Location: Classroom at Lift for Life, 1731 S Broadway in St. Louis
Tuesday, April 12, 7:30 AM – 1:30 PM Reality Store for Lift for Life students, Juniors Location: Classroom at Lift for Life, 1731 S Broadway in St. Louis
Thursday, April 28, 9:15-10:15 AM Reality Store for students at McCluer South Juniors Location: Auditorium at McCluer South High School, 201 Brotherton Lane in Ferguson
Monday, May 2, 6-8 PM Reality Store for Girl Scouts group, grades 6-12 Location: Girl Scout Service Center, St. Louis
Wednesday, May 4, 6:30-8:30 PM Reality Store for Hazelwood North, grades 6-8 Location: Hazelwood North Middle School, 4420 Vaile Avenue in Florissant
Wednesday, May 4, 6-8 PM College Readiness/Financial Aid presentation for Lift for Life students Location: Cafeteria at Lift for Life, 1731 S Broadway in St. Louis
Wednesday, May 11, 5:30-7:30 PM College Readiness/Financial Aid presentation for McCluer South students Location: Common Area at McCluer South High School, 201 Brotherton Lane in Ferguson
Friday, May 13, 6-8 PM College Readiness/Financial Aid presentation for Girl Scouts Location: Airport Hilton, 4450 Evans Place in St. Louis
Monday, May 23, 6-8 PM College Readiness/Financial Aid presentation for Girl Scouts Location: Girl Scouts Service Center, St. Louis
Increase Early Awareness Committee membership
FAFSA Frenzy (College Goal Sunday) 2011 events wrapped up and scholarship drawing conducted. On April 22, Buddy Mayfield, current MASFAP president, drew four winners from the statewide pool of 1,274 FAFSA filers served at all events as well as four additional “runners up” in the event that any of the winners fail to enroll in a Missouri postsecondary institution in the fall of 2011. Scholarship winners received FAFSA help from the following 2011 sites: Blue Springs South High School (Kansas City) Central High School (Springfield) Odessa High School (Odessa) Southeast Missouri State University (Cape Girardeau)
The 2011 events were highly successful as indicated by a few key data points: a) 52 events were conducted in 33 cities b) 441 total volunteers served 1,274 FAFSA filers c) 921 student/family surveys were collected
COMMITTEE ACTIVITES PLANNED FOR BUT NOT YET COMPLETED: Various partnerships across the state of Missouri offering College for a Day programs
Updating financial aid presentations housed on Show Me To College database
2012 FAFSA Frenzy planning underway – the site hosting application was released in May and the deadline for submission is Monday, August 15. As of Thursday, June 23, twenty four site applications had been received, and so far state coverage is well spread.
RECOMMENDED DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR THE EXECUTIVE BOARD: 2012 FAFSA Frenzy (College Goal Sunday) scholarships – Prior to 2010, Missouri made available one $500 scholarship per site, which typically amounted to an annual cost of $12,000 to $18,000. Due to changes in the economy and changes in the student loan industry, scholarships were reduced in 2010 and 2011 to four $1,000 scholarships drawn from the entire statewide pool of event attendees. For 2010, the odds of winning were 1 in 132 due to low attendance at events. Unfortunate weather caused many site cancellations and low turnout at sites that were able to operate, and thus only 528 FAFSA filers were served statewide. For 2011, the chance of winning was 1 in 318.5 as total FAFSA filers served increased significantly to 1,274.
Compared to the lottery, these chances of winning are very good – even in 2011 when the number of filers served increased by 141.3% over the prior year. An idea utilized by the Colorado College Goal Sunday program was to solicit $1,000 scholarship donations from each Colorado postsecondary institution. What are the thoughts from the Board’s school members regarding continuing four $1,000 scholarships for 2012 versus the idea of soliciting scholarships from individual institutions?
RECOMMENDED ACTION ITEMS FOR THE EXECUTIVE BOARD: