Some
high school students in West Virginia
“This
is the method that our young people are communicating and it’s a great resource
and a way to reach students,” said Adam Green, HEPC’s Senior Director of
Student Success and P-20 Initiatives.
The
College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) is developing a
three-year pilot project that utilizes text-messaging to promote college
access and support student success within their freshman year.
“We’ll
work with them their senior year, follow them through their summer before they
enroll in post-secondary education and if they enroll in one of our four
key initial partners, then they will continue to receive texting during their
freshman year of college,” said Green.
The
pilot project currently involves four colleges and universities and 14
feeder high schools currently served by the West Virginia GEAR UP program.
Students
that attend the 14 qualifying schools or apply to the four qualifying
institutions in the state, will be able to sign up to receive these
text-messages during their senior year in high school when they fill
out college applications or through other communication via an opt-in
form field. Sign up is free and completely voluntary and students can
cancel the texts at any time.
The
students will provide their mobile phone number which will then be used
by both CFWV and GEAR UP staff to send students a series of personalized
text messages providing them with information on preparing for college. An
example would be for completing the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA).
“We
will use this platform to trigger reminders to not only complete your FAFSA,
but allow for that student to then communicate back to us if they need
assistance in completing their FAFSA in which we can then put them in touch
with an expert to help them navigate the process,” said Green.
In
late spring of their senior year, students will be asked, via text, to respond
with the name of the institution they plan to attend. Then in the summer after
a students’ senior year, their number will be transferred to one of the four participating
institutions to then be able to contact their students directly.
Throughout
the students’ freshman year the institutions can send texts to
connect them with campus-based programs, such as free tutoring, academic
counseling, or financial assistance.
“So
it’s really connecting them to the campus once they enroll because we know that
engagement component is so vital to them persisting,” said Green.
The
process of collecting mobile phone numbers from students is already underway
with the goal of starting in spring with the class of 2014. Green
said they believe the Mountain
State
“We know with many of
our young people the primary means of pure access is held in their hand,
particularly in rural places and we thought well lets try this in rural West
Virginia and if it works this is obviously something that would benefit all of
us for a brighter future,” he said.
