College inequities start early, Niwot teacher pushes back

If a high school student were to look up the average cost of a four-year college in Colorado, they'd likely find a figure around $8,364 per year for tuition and fees, which works out to just more than $33,000 per year. This figure doesn't include mandatory fees, housing or other estimated costs of post-secondary education.

This can be daunting for many students, and especially those who would be first-generation higher education applicants, which often includes a higher percentage of students of color. Niwot literacy teacher Cassandra Longo is seeking out ways to make the college application process easier for students.

"It started with one of my seniors who was a first-generation student and who wanted to attend Front Range, but his family could not afford it," Longo said. "After that first application, word of mouth spread very quickly and kids started coming to me."

By now, she averages about 60 FAFSA applications (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) per year. This application is required for student loans from the federal government, but some private scholarship/grant/loan organizations also rely on FAFSA to assess financial need. Longo helps graduating seniors fill out these forms and also helps current college students who have to re-apply to FAFSA annually.

In addition to filling out FAFSA forms, Longo has helped students apply for St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) scholarships, such as Pell Grants, which are need-based where parents need to make very little to qualify. She also has hosted college visits to the three local major universities--CU, CSU and UNC--as well as brought in Front Range Community College representatives to talk about the application process. These visits and presentations have benefitted not just her seniors, but all of her students, from ninth through 12th grade.

It is important for students to look into opportunities early because, as Longo explained, "If you get bad grades in ninth or 10th grade, it can hurt you later on. Most colleges and trade schools have 'merit' based scholarships which are based solely on GPA and/or SAT scores."

What Longo is doing is impressive, and it seems she enjoys helping these students--in fact, she said that all of her assisted applications have resulted in more than $1,350,000 in funds for low income students. But she believes that school districts and communities can do more.

Some high schools now have an advisory block, where students periodically meet with counselors and/or look into higher education options. However, the period is more often used like a study hall.

One way that Longo believes we can lower the monetary/academic barriers is if schools offered information about college and career options from the start, rather than just saying something like "These are your options." Instead, information needs to be broken down, explaining the difference between trade school/community college/university; explaining the difference between simply having an hourly wage/job with an associate's degree/job with a bachelor or master's degree; and checking in with students more frequently and more equitably.

Equity has been a buzzword for years, especially during COVID with Boulder County Department of Health and Environment needing to put out important information in multiple languages. School districts as well as individual schools ought to do the same, Longo argues. "The process is complex and intimidating--doubly so if a student's parents have not attended college or do not speak English."

But the issue of equity extends beyond the communications to students, it also applies to the money and resources allocated to counselors. One step that Longo suggested was having a college and career counselor "at each high school that deals solely with post-secondary plans and helping kids with financial aid, as well as paperwork."

Longo said she spends, on average, four to six hours with each senior helping with FAFSA and other applications. "It would be great if there was a resource dedicated specifically to college and career planning," she said.

But schools and school districts can only do so much, and the same goes for universities. Often, students have to rely on private scholarships, grants and loans to get through education. "If there is [a] local business or community member that is interested in contributing, every bit helps," said Longo. Some schools offer options to establish a scholarship directly. There are also resources online for individuals, groups, businesses and more to create scholarship programs themselves.

"A lot of people have no idea that money is available or how to access it," Longo said. " I want to send the message to students and their families that help is available... I am interested in getting as many kids access to higher ed as possible."

For students looking into SVVSD scholarships, visit: https://stvrainfoundation.org/programs/student-scholarships/

For students looking for information about FAFSA, visit: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

For students looking into the Pell Grant, visit: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pellw

For Colorado students planning on attending a university within Colorado, the College Opportunity Fund is a state stipend that assists with tuition: https://cdhe.colorado.gov/programs-services/the-college-opportunity-fund

While there are many FAQ pages on how to establish a scholarship, here are two:^[a] https://learning.candid.org/resources/knowledge-base/scholarship-funds/
https://scholarshipamerica.org/blog/how-to-start-a-memorial-scholarship-fund/