Expand Access to College

What Can Policymakers Do?

• Ensure assistance with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA ). Financial Aid improves the likelihood of college enrollment. Assistance with this process is especially important for first generation students who do not have family members that can help guide them through the college admission process. Recent enhancements to the FAFSA make applying for federal financial aid much less complicated. It is also important for students to know that many state financial aid programs require submission of the FAFSA. What Works Clearinghouse’s FAFSA Study found that assistance in filling out the FAFSA increased the likelihood of filing the FAFSA, receiving financial aid, and enrolling in college.

• Restructure the developmental education curriculum and aligning instructional methods which promotes student success by expediting entry to college level courses. The Tennessee Board of Regents is expanding its redesigns for developmental courses, and by 2013 all its community colleges must have in place programs that have technology as an integral part and must focus on helping students master the subjects at their own pace. For example, Jackson State Community College was awarded the  Bellwether Award for an enhanced developmental math program that prepares students for their own educational goals. In Ohio,  Cleveland State Community College saw significant improvements in college math course enrollment through restructured “gateway courses”. This was accomplished with the support of the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides leadership in using information technology to redesign learning environments to produce better learning outcomes for students at a reduced cost to the institution.