In this workshop, Bottom Line will discuss the importance of supporting students not only through the college application process, but also during college. By learning about the results of an external study and best practices from Bottom Line’s College Success model, participants will gain tips on how to best contribute to the success of low-income and first-generation college students.

1. Promoting College Retention of Low-Income and
First Generation Students
Greg Johnson
Executive Director
Bottom Line
B tt Li
&
Kolajo Afolabi
Doctoral Candidate
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Success depends on you Get In Graduate Go Far

2. Presentation Overview
The Scope of the Problem
Bottom Line’s Model
Using Evaluation to Assess Performance
Success depends on you 2 Get In Graduate Go Far

3. The Vanishing Pipeline
3000
2964
2500
2000
1904
1500
1000
500 675 36% of attendees
23% of HS graduates
0
Total HS College Graduates
Grads Attendees
Data from “Getting to the Finish Line” study by Northeastern University, Center for Labor Market Studies of BPS Class of 2000 after 7 years.
Success depends on you 3 Get In Graduate Go Far

4. Graduates by Type of School
4-Year Colleges
-1230 E ll d
1230 Enrolled
-590 Graduated (48%)
2 Year Colleges
-674 Enrolled
-85 Graduated (13%)
Success depends on you 4 Get In Graduate Go Far

5. Why Aren’t They Graduating?
Lack of Guidance upon College Entry
– Poor advice throughout the application process leads to less than ideal
college lists and a lousy start to college experience
Academic Reasons
– Many students are academically not prepared for the rigors of a college
education (competitive schools and non competitive schools)
non-competitive
– Remedial courses are commonplace
Financial Reasons
– They can’t afford the school they decide to attend
– They are often working full-time (or close) during the school year
Personal/Emotional Reasons
– Challenging lives create distractions which lead to academic and other
difficulties
Success depends on you 5 Get In Graduate Go Far

6. What is Bottom Line?
Bottom Line’s mission is to build a better community
through higher education by helping disadvantaged
g g y p g g
students get in to college, graduate from college
and go far in life.
– Founded in 1997
– Independent from high schools and colleges
– Located in Boston, MA and Worcester, MA
– Launching in NYC in July 2011
Success depends on you 6 Get In Graduate Go Far

7. Bottom Line Programs
Two programs support our mission:
College Access (650 high school seniors)
– Counselors provide students with one-on-one service
along the entire spectrum of the college application
and financial aid processes
College Success (949 students)
– We continue to support ~50% of the students from the
high school to college transition through to graduation
(based on the college they elect to attend)
Success depends on you 7 Get In Graduate Go Far

8. Eligibility
Criteria to participate in Bottom Line:
–HHave at l
t least a 2 5 GPA
t 2.5
AND
– Come from a household with an AGI less than
200% of the Federal Poverty guidelines
– Be in the first generation in your family to go to
college
Note: All services are free of charge
g
Success depends on you 8 Get In Graduate Go Far

9. For High School Seniors
In our College Access Program, Bottom Line provides one-on-one guidance
through the entire application and decision process
Applications Decisions
Help each
Support student
Help with Review
Build a college make the
Build a one- financial aid decisions
quality list of essay right
on-one and and financial
potential writing and choice
relationship
l ti hi scholarship
h l hi aid award
id d
colleges application about where
applications letters
completion to attend
college
“When
“Wh I was 14, I was sent to th United States to live with my
14 t t the U it d St t t li ith
father- a man I did not know. I was 16 when I moved out on my
own. I worked 50 hours per week to pay rent, buy food and help
my mom and sisters in Haiti. In my junior year of high school, I
found out about Bottom Line. They became a parent to me. I
started to believe in myself and that I could make it to college ”
college.
Jerry Alcius
Regis College ‘12
12
Success depends on you 9 Get In Graduate Go Far

10. Bottom Line Method
Direct students to colleges with quality academic and other
support programs in place
– Bridge programs exist in many places and often are critical for
early success
Insist they go to affordable schools and reduce financial burden
where possible
– Minimize/eliminate Private Loans
Remain engaged and manage problems closely through one-
on-one mentoring and intrusive advising
– Make frequent visits create a stalking mentality
visits-create
Success depends on you 10 Get In Graduate Go Far

11. College Success
In our College Success Program, we provide one-on-one support for up to six years
using our 4-tiered support model (DEAL) to give students the tools to succeed
College Success
When my mother passed away, I didn’t
know what to do. I called Bottom Line They
do Line.
kept me company as I created the funeral
plans. With Bottom Line’s help, I arranged
(Financia Aid
ability
to take a leave of absence to care for my
brother and sister, since our mother, our
ee
al) sole supporter, was gone. But, Bottom Line
Degre
Employa
Life
e
made s re that this tra ma in my life onl
sure trauma m only
sidetracked me, but did not derail me from
my goal of getting a college degree.
Majory Gabriel
UMass Boston ‘09
Success depends on you 11 Get In Graduate Go Far

12. The Keys to College Success - DEAL
DEGREE AID
-Select a major that’s the right fit
j g -Renew scholarship and financial aid
p
-Assess your credits to make sure you’re on applications
track -Figure out how to pay your balance
-Interpret your syllabi to succeed in each class -Troubleshoot problems with your bill
-Identify and use strategies to improve
y g p -Assess your debt
y
performance -Make good decisions about finances
-Connect with tutoring, advising, and other
resources
EMPLOYABILITY LIFE
-Find a career path that fits your interest and -Send cards and care packages during the year
skills -Make monthly on-campus visits and call and
-Secure summer internships and part-time jobs
Secure part time email often
-Write and update your resume and cover letter -Be there to listen whenever you need it
-Connect with Bottom Line-specific internships -Challenge you to work hard to achieve your
-Build a unique professional “brand” goals
-Help you solve problems whenever we can
Help
Success depends on you 12 Get In Graduate Go Far

13. Summer Transition to College
Success Kick-Off
– Explanation of program benefits and get commitment to remain
g g
engaged
Success Summer Checklist Meeting
– One-on-one meetings to ensure students are ready, covering
Health Care W i
H lth C Waivers, H
Housing F
i Forms, L Loan P
Promissory N t
i Notes,
Payment Plans, Course Registration, etc…
College Training Camp
– Day of activities to introduce our DEAL curriculum and discuss
the challenges of life as a college student
Summer Send-Off
– Late summer party with all students. Includes team building by
campus destination
Success depends on you 13 Get In Graduate Go Far

14. School Year Support Calendar
Semester 1 Semester 2
– First Week Visit – Early Semester Visit
– Group Event on Campus – Group Event on Campus
– Mid Semester Check In
Mid-Semester Check-In Visit – Mid Semester Check In
Mid-Semester Check-In Visit
– Semester-End Check-In/Course – Financial Aid Renewal Visit
Registration Visit – End of Semester Check-In/Course
– Pre-Finals Phone Call Registration Visit
– Job/Internship Advising
Communications: – Pre-Finals Phone Call
– CCare P k
Package at Mid T
t Mid-Term
– Good Luck Card Communications:
– Thanksgiving Card – Care Package at Mid-Term
– Holiday Card – Happy Valentine’s Card
– Birthday Card – Congratulations Card
– Bi-Weekly Summer Job Bulletin Email
Winter Break Summer Break
– Diagnostic Assessment – Diagnostic Assessment (June)
(January) – Summer Course Registration
– Resume S
R Supportt – Job/Internship Support
– Job/Internship Advising – Financial Aid Advising/Advocacy
– Go Far Forum (Career Fair)
Additional visits and calls may be added based
on conversations and student status
ti d t d t t t
Success depends on you 14 Get In Graduate Go Far

15. Assessing Student Progress
Following each semester, we implement an
assessment of each student using a Rubric to alert
us when a student is in danger
- Red: Has a problem that requires immediate attention and is in
danger of not graduating
- Yellow: Caution- something on the horizon that bears watching
- Green: Student appears on track to graduate
Success depends on you 15 Get In Graduate Go Far

16. Degree
Indicators Red Yellow Green
Semester GPA 2.0 to Semester GPA 2.31
Semester GPA below 2.0
Semester 2.3 or better
One or more F’s, I’s
,
Performance
P f Two or more D’s
T D’ No
N more th 1 D
than
Two or more W’s
Two or more W’s No more than 1 W
Cumulative Cumulative GPA 2.0 to Cum. GPA 2.31 or
Cumulative GPA below 2.0
Performance 2.3 better
egree
e
Not likely on track to
y Definitely on track to
y
Not on track to graduate in
Progress toward graduate in expected graduate in
expected time frame
Degree time frame (8,10,12 expected time frame
(8,10,12 semesters)
semesters) (8,10,12 semesters)
Mediocre fit, may not
De
Not a fit, not in desired major
j Good fit, can handle
be able to handle
yet, or not handling academic
academic
Major Fit academic requirements of
requirements of this
requirements,
major, will not graduate in should graduate in
major, may not
this major this major
graduate in this major
Course registration
Course Has not registered for Course registration
is all set, registered
Registration courses for Spring semester needs improvement
for right classes
Success depends on you 16 Get In Graduate Go Far

17. Employability
Indicators Red Yellow Green
Only one “quality” work 2+ “quality” work
experience (3 months experiences (3 months
Work Experience No job ever
duration, 15+ hrs per duration, 15+ hrs per
week) week)
bility
Has several
Has one extracurricular
Has no extracurricular extracurricular
Extracurricular experience, volunteer
experience, volunteer experiences, volunteer
Experience experience, leadership
experience, leadership experiences, leadership
(after high school) experience (level of
p
experience experiences (level of
p (
Employab
involvement i relevant)
i l t is l t)
involvement is relevant)
Very Rough – needs Slightly rough – needs
work in all of the some work in one or Polished - confident,
following areas: some of following positive attitude, good
Personal Brand
confidence, attitude, areas: confidence, people skills, good
people skills,
skills attitude,
attitude people skills,
skills communicator
communication skills communication skills
Not Resourceful. Not Tries to be resourceful Resourceful - able to find
responsive to BL help, but isn’t always jobs/opportunities
Resourcefulness doesn’t seek other help, successful. Open to independently. Takes
hard for him/her to get a help, but doesn’t always advantage of BL help and
E
job.
job get good results
results. school career services
Doesn’t have a plan or
Has a plan which may Has plan which will
has a plan that
Future Plans not lead to positive definitely lead to positive
definitely won’t lead to a
result. result.
positive result
Success depends on you 17 Get In Graduate Go Far

18. Aid
Indicators Red Yellow Green
Balance due for
Balance due,
Current Spring 2010 on Balance will be
student should
Semester Bill account, student paid on time,
be all set figuring
Aid
d
Status having trouble or no balance
out how to pay it,
paying it
needs follow up
Financial Aid Financial Aid
applications Unsure of status applications
Financial Aid
(FAFSA,
(FAFSA other of Financial Aid (FAFSA,
(FAFSA other
Application
required forms) applications required forms)
Status
are incomplete are complete
Success depends on you 18 Get In Graduate Go Far

19. Life
Indicators Red Yellow Green
Sort of stable,
Not stable,
ongoing and
i d Stable,
St bl no
significant and
Stability likely immediate
immediate
manageable issues
issues
issues
Poor coping
p g
skills & Mediocre coping Good coping
Life
strategies, needs skills, needs skills, able to
Coping Skills a lot of attention some attention & deal with
and assistance assistance with problems as
L
with problem problem solving they arise
solving
Mediocre fit with
Poor fit with Good fit with
college culture
college culture— college culture,
College leads to periods
very unhappy
unhappy, generally
Fit of unhappiness,
negatively happy at
usually
affecting life school
manageable
Success depends on you 19 Get In Graduate Go Far

20. Reasons for Evaluation
12 years of practical experience and 18 months of
codification
Not enough money or patience for a 6 year, double-
blind rigorous evaluation
The evolution of our program model created an
interesting and worthy co pa so g oup o Access
te est g a d o t y comparison group of ccess
Only and Success Program students
Success depends on you 20 Get In Graduate Go Far