ASPIRE Expansion Overview

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ASPIRE Expansion Overview
Access to Student Assistance Programs In Reach
of Everyone
ASPIRE is a program of the Oregon Student
Assistance Commission
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ASPIRE is Expanding 115 sites 165
sites

• Three ways to ASPIRE!
• Traditional ASPIRE At a school or site that
  serves high school students
• eASPIRE Online mentoring
• Getting Ready to ASPIRE Mentoring for middle
  school students
• Expansion funds provided by Federal GEAR UP and
• College Access Challenge Grant
• Apply at www.AspireOregon.org
• Volunteer to be an eMentor

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OSAC Programs
Oregon Opportunity Grant Projected 56M in
2009-10
Scholarships 14M awarded in 2008-09
3,400 students
Office of Degree Authorization Protects degree
integrity
ASPIRE 2007-08 12,000 students 1,400 volunteers
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Who administers ASPIRE?
The mission of OSAC To assist Oregon students
and their families in attaining a postsecondary
education and to enhance the value, integrity,
and diversity of Oregon's college programs
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ASPIRE Goals
Provide mentoring and resources to help
students access education and training
beyond high school Help ASPIRE sites build
a sustainable community of volunteer
mentors Educate students and families about
school selection, and options regarding
scholarship and financial aid
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What is ASPIRE?

• Provides one-on-one mentoring by adult volunteers
• Welcomes ALL students
• Offers ALL postsecondary educational options
  (Career-Technical, Apprenticeships, Community
  College, 4-year College or University)
• Creates a network of volunteer support and
  activities to help students and their families
  realize their dream of post-secondary education.
• Extends and enhances the reach
• of high school career and guidance staff.

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Why do students need ASPIRE?
I cant afford it
I can do just as well going straight to work...
Im not smart enough.
No one in my family has ever gone to college
I dont know where or how to go
B. Reaching Oregon Students
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Makes a Difference for Students!
ASPIRE

• Theres nothing like seeing the light in the
  eyes of a student at the very moment they begin
  to believe they can attend college. ASPIRE
  Advisor
•  
• ASPIRE kept me motivated to complete
  scholarships. My advisor helped me fill out the
  FAFSA, which I wouldn't have known about
  otherwise.
• Student at Yamhill-Carlton High School
•  
• My ASPIRE advisor at Marshfield High School was
  an instrumental part of my college decision
  making process. She volunteered her time to teach
  me about the application process, how to create
  an effective Pro/Con spreadsheet, and how to
  write successful essays.
• Student at Marshfield High School
•  
• ASPIRE provided services to students that would
  not be here if ASPIRE did not exist. Principal
  at Crow High School
•  
•  

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ASPIRE Statistics

• 1998 to 2010
• 4 sites to 115
• 41 volunteers to 1,516
• 160 students to 9,087
• 2007 - General Funds appropriated
• 2007 Statute 348.500 - ASPIRE Programs

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www.AspireOregon.org/about.html
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ASPIRE Team

• Scholarship and Access Program Director Vicki
  Merkel
• ASPIRE and Outreach Supervisor/Team Lead Lori
  Ellis
• Training/Recruitment Deb Park
• Region Supervisors
• Columbia New CACG Sites Gretchen Beckner
  Holli Kalaleh
• Mazama Becky Wilson
• Willamette Gary Campbell
• New CACG Sites Gayle Yamasaki
• Special Projects Coord. Steve Machado
• Program Assistant Kristin Vreeland
• Site Coordinators Local
• ASPIRE Volunteer Advisors Local
• ASPIRE Advisory Team Program Participants

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School or Agency Administrators Responsibilities

• Designate ASPIRE coordinator
• Provide release time, travel costs for ASPIRE
  coordinator to attend fall conference
• Provide
• Adequate workspace
• Phone
• Internet access
• College resource materials
• Meet annually with ASPIRE region supervisor and
  coordinator to assess program, set goals

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ASPIRE Coordinator Responsibilities

• Obtain permission slips for students under 18
• Perform criminal history verification for all
  volunteers
• Attend training and ASPIRE conference(s)
• Set goals and performance measures
• Recruit and manage volunteer corps
• Recruit and match students with volunteers
• Collect data progress reports, surveys,
  scholarship tracking

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ASPIRE Volunteers Giving individual students
time and support to realize their dreams.
Parents, retirees, business people, college
students, alumni, service club membersYOU?
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ASPIRE Partnership Grant Overview
OSAC provides 50 of the funds needed to pay
the wages of the ASPIRE coordinator at your site.
The Partnership Grant Agreement signifies that
you agree to provide the remaining 50 of funds
needed as a demonstration of support. This match
may be met one of two ways 1) A new position
may be created or a part-time position may be
expanded and your in-kind or funds will match
State contribution. 2) Existing staff time
and duties (guidance counselor, school counselor,
or other staff assigned to college career-related
duties) may match the state contribution.
ASPIRE Coordinator time must be used for ASPIRE
Program activities. To meet the requirements of
the Partnership Grant, your ASPIRE Coordinator
must dedicate at least 05 or 10 hours per week to
the management of the ASPIRE program.
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Lets Make a Difference
To the world I may be one person, but to him
I may be the world. ASPIRE Advisor
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Becoming an ASPIRE Site.

• Overview of Partnership Grant
• Importance of In-Kind Proposal to meet
  Partnership Match
• Enables Schools and Youth Service Agencies to
  become involved with ASPIRE without additional
  budgetary obligation during challenging fiscal
  times.
• Application Process Overview

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ASPIRE Funding Partners 2010-11
State General Funds for Administration and
Partnership Grants
Other Funds for Partnership Grants
College Access Challenge Grant
Other Funds for ASPIRE Expansion
Other Funds for Partnership Grants
Other Funds for the e-ASPIRE and Get Ready to
ASPIRE Special Projects
Other Funds for Former Foster Youth trainings,
publications website information, and Fall
Conference
Other Funds for students with disabilities
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Examples of In-Kind Match Small School

• Small School A OSAA Classification 1A-3A
• College Access Challenge Grant Amount 2000 as
  a Partnership Grant to provide 2.5 hours of Site
  Coordinator position.
• School A currently has a part-time Librarian who
  is coordinating scholarship and post-secondary
  support with the School Counselor.
• 2.5 hours of their time can be added to the
  above 2.5 hours to recruit, train, and support
  mentoring by volunteers in the ASPIRE Program.

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Examples of In-Kind Match Large School
School B OSAA Classification 4A-6A College
Access Challenge Grant Amount 4000 toward 10
hours each week of Site Coordinator
Position. School B wanted to create an
additional part-time position to provide
volunteer recruitment, support, and
coordination. They contacted a number of their
business partners and their school district
foundation and asked for financial support to
meet the 4000 match. The shared with their
businesses that where a small individual student
scholarship would be wonderful, having the
businesses link resources together in this way
has the ability to help approximately 50 students
have access to post-secondary support with weekly
1-1 mentoring.
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Examples of In-Kind Match Community Agency

• Community Youth Service Agency
• Able to apply to be an ASPIRE Site if direct
  services are provided to High School Age Youth.
• Most would fit under the OSAA 1A to 3A
  classification for Partnership Grant Eligibility
  which is 2000 for 5 hours of services by Site
  Coordinator.
• Example A Drug Free Community Coalition
  coordinates an after-school program with a
  part-time Mentoring Coordinator position paid by
  a Foundation Grant.
• This group decided that this position was a
  natural fit for the ASPIRE Site Coordination
  duties so were able to identify 5 hours of this
  work that meets the In-Kind Match.

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Resources Provided to ASPIRE Sites

• ASPIRE written handbooks for
• School administrators
• ASPIRE coordinators
• ASPIRE advisors
• www.AspireOregon.org
• www.GetCollegeFunds.org
• ASPIRE list serve
• ASPIRE Blog

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ASPIRE Trainings and Webinars

• Administrative Overview
• Principal involved staff
• Introduction to ASPIRE
• ASPIRE advisors
• College 101
• ASPIRE Advisors, students, parents
• Finding Fund for Oregon tudents
• ASPIRE advisors, students, parents, school staff
  community members
• Calendar available on ASPIRE Oregon Website
• www.ASPIREOregon.org

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Questions?