Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Meeting | May 7, 2013
Completion Incentive Grant Fund
Financial Aid Pilot Program
2013 EASFAA Conference - Boston, MA

MASSACHUSETTS COMPLETION INCENTIVE GRANT FUND
 Iris Godes, Assistant Vice President – Enrollment
Quinsigamond Community College
 Pamela McCafferty, Dean of Enrollment Management
Fitchburg State University
 Judy Keyes, Director of Financial Aid
University of Massachusetts Boston
 Clantha McCurdy, Senior Deputy Commissioner
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

A Public Agenda for Higher Education in Massachusetts
*****
We will produce the best-educated citizenry and workforce in the nation.
We will be a national leader in research that drives economic development
.
*****

The Vision Project
 College-going rates of high school graduates
 Graduate and student success rates
 Alignment of degree production with key areas of workforce need
 Academic achievements on campus-level and national assessments of learning
 Comparable learning outcomes among different student population groups

When students drop out of college,
Massachusetts does not get a full return on its investment , and students are left in debt without a credential.

Can financial aid resources be used in innovative ways to increase student certificate and degree completion rates?

Financial Aid Pilot Program
 Working Group on Graduation and Student Success Rates
 Commissioned background paper on financial aid incentive policies
 Recommended that
Massachusetts leverage financial aid resources to increase student success
 Recommended specialized working group—
Financial Aid Policy Advisory
Group

Financial Aid Pilot Program
 Financial Aid Policy Advisory Group
Charged to design the framework and guidelines for financial aid pilot program that:
▪ Will increase completion rates for degrees and certificates
▪ Will target low-income students at our public institutions
▪ Is based on evidence-based research
▪ Is scalable

Financial Aid Pilot Program
 Membership was representative of public college campuses and external stakeholders
 Work of the Policy Group was guided by national experts
 David Longanecker, President
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)
 Brian Prescott , Director of Policy Analysis and Research
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Financial Aid Pilot Program

Financial Aid Pilot Program
Completion Incentive Grant Fund
 Will run from Fall 2012 to Spring 2016
 Targets low-income, first-time students
▪ One cohort - comprised of students from 11 colleges and universities representing all segments of public higher education
▪ 3,500 students randomly divided into two groups,
Control and Treatment

Completion Incentive Grant Fund
 $3 million dollar annual projected expenditure
 2,000 maximum grant per year
 $8,000 over four-year period
 Students may earn incentive during summer if annual maximum award was not received during traditional fall & spring semesters

Completion Incentive Grant Fund
 Students must:
 Earn 9–15 credits per semester with minimum GPA of 2.0
 Maintain continuous
enrollment up to four years
 Sign contract of understanding
 Utilize campus support services

Completion Incentive Grant Fund
 Students will receive incentive grants in increments of $100 per credit each


 semester as follows:
15 credits in a semester =
$1000
12 credits in a semester =
$700
▪ 4-year students must complete a minimum of
12 credits to receive the incentive
9 credits in a semester =
$400

Completion Incentive Grant Fund
 Institutions must:
 Agree to program guidelines
 Provide students with array of academic support services
 Report institutional data as required
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
Program will be evaluated:
Quantitative and Qualitative

Completion Incentive Grant Fund
Evaluation will begin with the initial year of the pilot:
 Quantitative Evaluation
 Internal
 External Evaluator
 Qualitative Analysis
 External Evaluator

Completion Incentive Grant Fund
The analysis/evaluation of the pilot will focus on the following questions:
 What effect does the CIGF pilot have on the rates at which students accumulate college level credit, the rate at which they persist, transfer, and complete degrees and certificates?
 How do these rates differ for students by race/ethnicity, sex, age, first generation status, income , level of academic preparation, among other characteristics?
 To what extent does participating in the pilot affect student financial aid packages and their choices about how to finance their education (especially the balance between grants, work and loans)?

Massachusetts Completion Incentive Grant Fund

EASFAA 2013
Massachusetts Completion Incentive Grant Fund
Iris Godes
Assistant Vice President
Enrollment Management

CIGF – Quinsigamond Community College
 Sample selected in late August
 Students required to sign an Agreement
 Wanted students to learn about the program in person through information sessions
 Sent letter and email to Treatment Group
 Offered multiple sessions - morning, afternoon and evening
 Did not get a great response

CIGF – Quinsigamond Community College
 Extended deadline and offered more sessions
 More emails, another letter, phone calls, faculty
 If parents knew, it helped, but we have many non-traditional students
 By end of October, started allowing students to come to the Financial Aid Office to sign the agreement in person

CIGF – Quinsigamond Community College
 Students thought it was a scam
 Students thought they would have to pay it back like a loan
 Students bills were covered so they didn’t feel they needed the funds
 Students don’t read what we send them

CIGF – Quinsigamond Community College
 347 invited to participate
 255 signed agreements (73.5%)
 30 never signed agreement (8.6%)
 62 became ineligible or chose not to participate
(17.9%)

CIGF – Quinsigamond Community College
 158 received fall awards (62%)
 Total of $100,200
 Minimum award $400 (9 credits completed)
 Maximum award $1,000 (15 credits completed)

CIGF – Quinsigamond Community College
 326 students
 13 became ineligible
 59% completed at least 9 credits
Credit Distribution
44,6%
37,9%
7,2%
4,6% 4,1%
0,0%
1,5%
9 credits 10 credits 11 credits 12 credits 13 credits 14 credits 15+ credits

CIGF – Quinsigamond Community College
 How many CIGF enrolled at least 9 credits?
 How many enrolled for more credits than earned in fall?
 How does this compare to control group?
 How does this compare to college fall-spring retention rate?

EASFAA 2013
Massachusetts Completion Incentive Grant Fund
Pamela McCafferty, Dean
Enrollment Management
Fitchburg State University

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 Control Group: 98
 Treatment Group: 130
 4 did not enroll
 1 refused to sign
 125 signed participation agreement (96%)
▪ 4 later deemed ineligible
▪ 3 EFC
▪ 1 Residency
▪ 121 potentially eligible for payment

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
•
 121 potential recipients
106 qualified for payment (88%)
 $96,100 awarded
 Average and median GPA: 2.95
 Average credits earned: 14
 Median credits earned: 15
 Average award: $907
 Median award: $1,000

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 121 potential recipients
 15 did not qualify for payment (12%)
 3: GPA < 2.0
 4: Earned Credits < 12
 7: Earned Credits < 12 and GPA < 2.0
 1: Withdrew from the University

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 91 “potential recipients”
 71 “qualified for payment” (78%)
 Average GPA 3.16
 Median GPA: 3.24
 Average credits earned: 14
 Median credits earned: 15
 Average award: $921
 Median award: $1,000

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 Sampling file submitted to DHE early August
 Treatment & control groups identified mid-August
 FSU mailed out letters to treatment group late August

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 125 agreements signed
 Letters with contract mailed prior to start of term
 Mandatory group meeting second week of term
 79 students attended (63%)
 Follow-up then done one-on-one
 18 within 1 week (77%)
 16 within the next week (90%)
 All signed by mid November

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 Coordinated effort with Student Accounts
 Expedited effort at end of term
 Award “options”
 Outstanding fall bill (rare)
 Reduction of loan
 Refund

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 Initial Sampling File August
 Online Award Certification (Dec/Jan)
 End of Term data file (January)

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 Quick implementation timeline
 New Program (“kinks” to work out)

CIGF – Fitchburg State University
 106 needy students received additional grant funds
 Many students reduced loans
 Greater awareness of course load and time to complete

EASFAA 2013
Massachusetts Completion Incentive Grant Fund
Judy Keyes, Director of Financial Aid
University of Massachusetts Boston

CIGF – UMASS Boston
 447 Eligible Students
• 203 Control Group
• 244 Treatment Group

CIGF – UMASS Boston
 216 Signed Participation Forms
 4 signed and later deemed ineligible
 24 did not respond/declined

CIGF – UMASS Boston
Treatment Group Fall 2012 Qualified Applicant Statistics
•
•
•
•
•
• 170 qualified to receive funds
$147,400 awarded
Average GPA 3.174
Average credits achieved 13.0
Average award $852
Median award $850

CIGF – UMASS Boston
Treatment Group Fall Ineligible Reasons
 3 Enrolled part-time
 8 GPA below 2.0
 18 Earned less than 12 credits
 16 Earned less than 12 credits and GPA below 2.0
 3 Withdrew from the University
 1 Insufficient need/Cost of Attendance

CIGF – UMASS Boston
 Average GPA 2.861
 Average credit achieved 13.13


1 Part-time enrollment
9 GPA below 2.0
 16 earned less than 12 credits
 17 Less than 12 credits earned and GPA below 2.0

CIGF – UMASS Boston
 Timing of implementation
 System preparation
 Soliciting student participation
 Student support needed to answer questions
 Coordination of aid
 Disbursing funds

CIGF – UMASS Boston
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•
•
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1 st Notification to students sent via email on 8/31; due date 9/24
Mid-September Academic Support Services makes follow up phone calls to students who have not signed agreement
Late September “Final Notice” letter sent via mail and email; due date October 5th
Early October Financial Aid reaches out to student specific support liaisons such as CLA First, BPS, CSM
Success Center

CIGF – UMASS Boston
 Most students were fully packaged
 Commuter school; funds are needed early on to pay rent, parking, transportation
 Full scholarship students were not excluded from initial selection file
 Reducing loans on a semester basis is challenging

CIGF – UMASS Boston
 Spring charges are on the student accounts before fall CIGF grant is credited; therefore no apparent credit balance
 Worked with Bursar’s Office to identify students and manually force excess funds

CIGF – UMASS Boston
 170 needy students received additional grant funds
 Many students declined student loans in lieu of CIGF
 Students are more engaged with the Financial Aid
Office
 Supports the University’s retention efforts “Start on
Track, Stay on Track”
 More students seeking advice regarding course enrollment, transferring, etc.

MASSACHUSETTS COMPLETION INCENTIVE GRANT FUND
(CIGF)