Using SEM Principles to Understand Enrollment Behaviors of Need-Based Aid Recipients

1. Using SEM Principles to Understand Enrollment Behaviors of Need-BasedAid Recipients Tomika Ferguson David Johnson Indiana University November 12, 2013

2. Presentation Outline • The 21st Century Scholarship Program • Enrollment behaviors study • Cohort demographics • Student responses • Implications for practice • Institutional strategies to address target populations • Discussion

3. Enrollment Behaviors Study Office of Enrollment Management -Mindset for Success Campaign: • Where is the greatest cross-section and opportunity for reaching low-income students? Proposed solution: • Define and better understand the enrollment behaviors of 21st Century Scholars who are current students.

4. The 21st Century Scholars Program 21st Century Scholars State Program • Created in 1990 by the state of Indiana • Students sign up in 7th and 8th grade • Covers tuition and fees at a public, in-state institution 21st Century Scholarship Covenant Award • Created in 2007 by Indiana University - Bloomington • Grant funding to cover the costs of room/board and books • Excludes summers, transfers.

5. Enrollment behavior:cohort demographics

6. Goal One: Understand the Demographics of the Last Three Cohorts(2010, 2011, 2012) INDIANA UNIVERSITY

7. Cohort Demographics *In 2010, the Office of Enrollment Management hired a Graduate Assistant charged enhancing the recruitment of 21st Century Scholars. **The fall 2013 incoming freshman cohort consisted of 699 21stCentury Scholars.

8. Race/Ethnicity Changes by Cohort

9. Example of Data Comparison 2010 2012

10. Goal Two: Understand the Timing of Application and Paid Deposits INDIANA UNIVERSITY

11. Application Submission Dates 332/23,690 577/23,106

12. Institutional Influence

13. Enrollment Deposit Dates 14% 18%

14. Goal Three: Identify 21st Century Scholars who Receive Merit Aid INDIANA UNIVERSITY

15. Hudson-Holland Scholars Program

16. Hudson-Holland Scholars Program INDIANA UNIVERSITY

17. Automatic Academic Scholarship

18. Automatic Academic Scholarship INDIANA UNIVERSITY

19. Hutton Honors College

20. Enrollment behavior:Student RESPONSES

21. Soliciting Student Feedback Two methods: • Online survey • 122 responses from over 1200 emails • Student focus groups • 2 focus groups • 9 participants • Nine questions

22. What influenced you to attend college? • Family • Better life/future • Get a better education • “Personal economic struggle” “Almost all of my cousins ended up joining the military because they either flunked out of college or because they didn’t have the desire to attend. I wanted to have a future other than joining the service, and have always been pushed by my parents to go to a good college to better my future, and therefore, I worked hard to make this opportunity available to me.”

23. When Did You Begin to Think About Going to College?

24. Did you receive any information from IU that was helpful in preparing for college? • Special scholarship/support programs • Academic/major focused • Deadlines for upcoming IU dates • Event invitations • *Print materials “Hudson-Holland recruiters came to my high school to speak about the scholarships they offered…I also signed up for the school and program information to be sent to my house.”

25. When did you apply for college during your senior year?

26. What were the major factors…? Important when considering college? Influenced you to enroll at Indiana University? Affordability Campus visits Comfort on campus Academics Distance • Location • Affordability • Size • Academic Program • Prestige • Campus beauty • Campus traditions • Student involvement “The main factor was money. I knew that if I wanted to attend college, I would have to pay for it myself because my parents could not afford to send me. I knew IU was the place for me.”

27. When you were accepted to college, what did you know about paying for it? • Familiarity with the 21st Century Scholarship Program • Existence of (institutional) scholarship opportunities • Nothing • Federal funding • Optimism • Loans “I knew it was expensive and I was getting help through the 21st Century Scholars (program). I was very worried about burdening my parents with financial need that they could not meet.”

28. Did you think that IU was affordable?

29. In what ways did the financial aid offered by IUB impact your decision to attend? • Had little influence on decision to attend • “It honestly didn’t impact my decision because other schools I had looked at were similar in cost and financial aid.” • Positively influenced decision to attend • “It influenced my decision greatly. The only reason I was able to attend was due to the 21st Century Scholars and IU Covenant. If it wasn’t for these scholarships then my only other option would have been going to a community college.”

30. Implications for Future Practice (Institutional) • Examine Admissions/Scholarships/Financial Aid message timing • Early communication • Communication based on institution dates • Consider language of emails and print materials to be • Place importance on non-Admissions contact with low-come students (communication, shared materials) • Remember competitors

31. Where IUB Admits Go If Not IU:Indiana Residents Going in and Out of State INDIANA UNIVERSITY

32. institutional strategies to meet the needs of low-income students

33. New Initiatives in Progress • Community Based Organizations – new position • Mindset for Success communication to 21st Century Scholar students and guidance counselors (Based on Hoxby research) • I’m First Campaign with Center for Student Opportunity • Pilot Program: Reminder texts to African American students in process of completing application INDIANA UNIVERSITY

34. The Story of Net Cost, How to Apply, and Do We Accept Application Fee Waivers?!! INDIANA UNIVERSITY

35. Get Your Mind Set For Success INDIANA UNIVERSITY

36. Mindset for Success Campaign INDIANA UNIVERSITY

37. “I’m First” – Center for Student Opportunity INDIANA UNIVERSITY

38. “I’m First” – Center for Student Opportunity INDIANA UNIVERSITY

39. I’m First Purpose • The I’m First website hosted by the Center for Student Opportunity, provides IU with a direct connection with over 2500 community based organizations (CBOs) across the country who serve a diverse population of middle- and high-school students who are primarily first-generation college students. • Through I’m First, IU has the opportunity to communicate with thousands of first-generation college students who are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree. • Lastly, I’m First serves as a platform for IU to demonstrate a focused effort to recruit students from a targeted population by sharing information about key programs that support students at different phases of the undergraduate experiences in their nationally recognized guidebook, Guide to College. This book is in high schools, middle schools, CBOs, and homes around the country.  INDIANA UNIVERSITY

40. Recap of Presentation • The 21st Century Scholarship Program • Enrollment behaviors study • Cohort demographics • Student responses • Implications for practice • Institutional strategies to address target populations

41. Discussion Dr. David Johnson, Vice-Provost Office for Enrollment Management dj44@indiana.edu Tomika Ferguson, Graduate Assistant Office of Scholarships tomiferg@indiana.edu