Improving College Access:
Examining the Past to Move to the Future
2009 NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference
July 21, 2009
David English
Chrissy Tillery
Presentation Overview
• Why Access? A North Carolina Imperative
• Evaluating CFNC.org
• Statistics and Results
• Questions and Discussion
“We found that access to American
higher education is unduly limited by
the complex interplay of inadequate
preparation, lack of information
about college opportunities and
persistent financial barriers.”
Former US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
North Carolina
Public & Nonpublic High School Graduates
2003-2004 – 2017-2018 (projected)
110,000
100,000
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
20
03
20 04
04
20 05
05
20 06
06
20 07
07
20 08
08
20 09
09
20 10
10
20 11
11
20 12
12
20 13
13
20 14
14
20 15
15
20 16
16
20 17
17
-1
8
0
American Indian/ Alaska Native
Asian/Pacific Islander
Black, non- Hispanic
Hispanic
White, non- Hispanic
North Carolina Transfer Student Patterns
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
Transfer From: UNC
6,000
Transfer From: Private Senior
5,000
Transfer From: Private Junior
4,000
Transfer From: NCCCS
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
UNC
Private Senior
NCCCS
Student Transfers To:
Private Junior
Primary Goal = Access
G
O
A
L
To increase the college-going rate in
North Carolina with particular attention
toward “first-generation” college students.
Obstacles facing first-generation college students:
1) Can I really go to college in NC?
2) Can I afford to go to college in NC?
What is CFNC.org?
CFNC is a joint effort of the North Carolina State
Education Assistance Authority, College Foundation,
Inc., and Pathways of North Carolina.
The Pathways partnership was requested by the UNC
Board of Governors, funded by the 1999 General
Assembly, and includes the:
•
•
•
•
NC Department of Public Instruction (K-12)
NC Community College System (58)
NC Independent Colleges and Universities (36)
UNC System (16)
501(c)(3)
nonprofit administers
grants, loans
and savings
program on
behalf of the
state
State agency
responsible for
statewide college aid
programs – grants
scholarships, loans, 529
savings
State-funded
K-16
partnership
(NCDPI,
NCCCS,
NCICU, UNC)
administered
by UNC
General
Administration
CFNC Access Services
CFNC Resource
Center
GEAR UP North
Carolina
• www.CFNC.org
• 1.866.866.CFNC
• Career Center
• College Fair
• Toll-free Telephone
Hotline for Career
and College
Planning
• Low-income (FRL)
school students
• Free SAT & ACT Test
Prep
• Email from
CFNC.org
• Two grants from US
Dept of Education
(2000-11)
• Online Applications
• Publications
• 35 NC counties
• Electronic High
School Transcripts
• Training
• 16,000+ students
CFNC Technology &
Internet Services
• Student Planner
• Transfer Articulation
• Spanish Services
• $37 million
CFNC.org
Evaluation
Overview
• By 2007 CFNC.org was a stable and mature college access
initiative
• Senior leadership desired an enhanced level of program
evaluation and assessment
• Lumina Foundation for Education had interest in learning
more about best practices in college access web portals
• Grant support began September 2007
• Evaluation report completed May 2009
Key Research Study Components
• CFNC.org Account Holder Analyses
• WebTrends Site Usage Analysis
• CFNC.org Applying to College Services and Initiatives
• Future Directions
• Recommendations
CFNC.org Account Holder Analyses
• Account Holders since site inception
• Account Holders by user type
• Account Holders enrolling at a UNC system institution
Number of CFNC.org Accounts Created Annually
2001 – 2008
CFNC.org Account Holders by User Type
Cumulative 2001 – 2008
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North
Carolina, Distribution of CFNC.org Account
Holders
Year
*
Total UNC
First-Time
Freshmen
CFNC.org
Account
Holders
Account
Holders as
Percentage
of Total
Fall 2005
24,462
18,178
74.3%
Fall 2006
25,296
21,296
84.2%
Fall 2007
25,873
22,847
88.3%
UNC student data is the most recent data from the Division of Institutional Research and Analysis at the
University of North Carolina General Administration.
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North
Carolina, Distribution of CFNC.org Account
Holders by Gender
Total UNC
First-Time
Freshmen
Year
CFNC.org
Account
Holders
Gender
Frequency
Fall 2005 Female
Male
Total
Fall 2006 Female
Male
Total
Fall 2007 Female
Male
Total
13,742
10,720
24,462
14,296
11,000
25,296
14,519
11,354
25,873
Percent
56.2
43.8
100
56.5
43.5
100
56.1
43.9
100
Frequency
10,435
7,743
18,178
12,383
8,913
21,296
13,147
9,700
22,847
Percent
Difference
FirstTime
Freshmen
Percent
vs.
Account
Holders
57.4
(1.2)
42.6
1.2
100
58.1
(1.6)
41.9
1.6
100
57.5
(1.4)
42.5
1.4
100
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina,
Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Ethnic Group
Total UNC
First-Time Freshmen
Year
Ethnic Group
Frequency
Fall 2005
Fall 2006
Fall 2007
CFNC.org
Account
Holders
American Indian
Asian
African American
Hispanic
Caucasian
Missing Data
Total
American Indian
Asian
African American
Hispanic
Caucasian
Missing Data
Total
American Indian
Asian
African American
Hispanic
Caucasian
Missing Data
Total
299
792
6,043
539
16,213
576
24,462
253
850
6,256
619
16,413
905
25,296
303
867
6,249
718
16,613
1,123
25,873
Percent
1.2
3.2
24.7
2.2
66.3
2.4
100.0
1.0
3.4
24.7
2.4
64.9
3.6
100.0
1.2
3.4
24.2
2.8
64.2
4.3
100.0
Frequency
204
584
4,146
409
12,408
427
18,178
207
639
5,190
530
13,964
766
21,296
268
717
5,509
631
14,751
971
22,847
Percent
1.1
3.2
22.8
2.2
68.3
2.3
100.0
1.0
3.0
24.4
2.5
65.6
3.6
100.0
1.2
3.1
24.1
2.8
64.6
4.3
100.0
Percent
Difference
First-Time
Freshmen vs.
Account
Holders
0.1
0.0
1.9
0.0
(2.0)
0.1
0.0
0.4
0.3
(0.1)
(0.7)
0.0
0.0
0.3
0.1
0.0
(0.4)
0.0
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina,
Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Constituent
Institution in Fall 2005
Total UNC
First-Time Freshmen
CFNC.org
Account
Holders
UNC Campus
Frequency
Appalachian State
Elizabeth City State
East Carolina
Fayetteville State
NC A&T
NC Central
NC State
UNC-Asheville
UNC-Charlotte
UNC-Chapel Hill
UNC-Greensboro
UNC-Pembroke
UNC-Wilmington
UNC School of the Arts
Western Carolina
Winston-Salem State
Total
2,184
415
2,635
641
1,487
836
3,823
370
2,434
2,961
2,063
806
1,561
63
1,393
790
24,462
Percent
8.9
1.7
10.8
2.6
6.1
3.4
15.6
1.5
10.0
12.1
8.4
3.3
6.4
0.3
5.7
3.2
100.0
Frequency
1,859
286
2,130
502
1,060
642
2,753
277
2,103
1,946
1,622
585
1,169
33
1,089
122
18,178
Percent
10.2
1.6
11.7
2.8
5.8
3.5
15.1
1.5
11.6
10.7
8.9
3.2
6.4
0.2
6.0
0.7
100.0
Percent
Difference
First-Time
Freshmen vs.
Account
Holders
(1.3)
0.1
(0.9)
(0.2)
0.3
(0.1)
0.5
0.0
(1.6)
1.4
(0.5)
0.1
0.0
0.1
(0.3)
2.5
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina,
Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Constituent
Institution in Fall 2006
CFNC.org
Account
Holders
Total UNC
First-Time Freshmen
UNC Campus
Frequency
Appalachian State
Elizabeth City State
East Carolina
Fayetteville State
NC A&T
NC Central
NC State
UNC-Asheville
UNC-Charlotte
UNC-Chapel Hill
UNC-Greensboro
UNC-Pembroke
UNC-Wilmington
UNC School of the Arts
Western Carolina
Winston-Salem State
Total
2,332
402
3,107
663
1,574
674
4,126
445
2,332
2,983
2,112
818
1,498
70
1,379
781
25,296
Percent
9.2
1.6
12.3
2.6
6.2
2.7
16.3
1.8
9.2
11.8
8.3
3.2
5.9
0.3
5.5
3.1
100
Frequency
2,108
310
2,763
557
1,267
558
3,307
388
2,151
2,163
1,851
644
1,310
46
1,241
632
21,296
UNC
Campus
9.9
1.5
13.0
2.6
5.9
2.6
15.5
1.8
10.1
10.2
8.7
3.0
6.2
0.2
5.8
3.0
100
Percent
Difference
First-Time
Freshmen vs.
Account
Holders
(0.7)
0.1
(0.7)
0.0
0.3
0.1
0.8
0.0
(0.9)
1.6
(0.4)
0.2
(0.3)
0.1
(0.3)
0.1
First-Time Freshmen at the University of North Carolina,
Distribution of CFNC.org Account Holders by Constituent
Institution in Fall 2007
CFNC.org
Account
Holders
Total UNC
First-Time Freshmen
UNC Campus
Frequency
Appalachian State
Elizabeth City State
East Carolina
Fayetteville State
NC A&T
NC Central
NC State
UNC-Asheville
UNC-Charlotte
UNC-Chapel Hill
UNC-Greensboro
UNC-Pembroke
UNC-Wilmington
UNC School of the Arts
Western Carolina
Winston-Salem State
Total
2,367
498
3,318
786
1,216
886
4,341
452
2,478
3,009
2,142
936
1,508
74
1,099
763
25,873
Percent
9.1
1.9
12.8
3.0
4.7
3.4
16.8
1.7
9.6
11.6
8.3
3.6
5.8
0.3
4.2
2.9
100
Frequency
2,224
425
3,047
671
1,040
801
3,697
417
2,333
2,309
1,898
813
1,410
55
1,038
669
22,847
Percent
9.7
1.9
13.3
2.9
4.6
3.5
16.2
1.8
10.2
10.1
8.3
3.6
6.2
0.2
4.5
2.9
100
Percent
Difference
First-Time
Freshmen vs.
Account
Holders
(0.6 )
0.0
(0.5 )
0.1
0.1
(0.1)
0.6
(0.1)
(0.6)
1.5
0.0
0.0
(0.4)
0.1
(0.3)
0.0
WebTrends Site Usage Analysis
• CFNC.org utilizes WebTrends for site analysis
• Data was pulled for the period 07/01/2007 – 06/28/2008
• Over 30 high visibility pages were selected for review
• Limited analysis to pages related to college and career
planning, exploration, and application
• Information gathered on Views, Visits, Average Time Viewed,
and Overall Page Rank on Server
Most Viewed Pages
Page Name
Views Received
Average Time Viewed
College Fair 
Campus Tours
3,431,641
00:29
My CFNC
1,088,049
00:18
Career Center
673,970
00:13
Online Applications
630,958
00:18
Online Applications 
Application Manager
409,014
00:03
College Fair
404,818
00:13
Online Applications 
Loan Applications
310,206
00:22
Student Planner
283,548
00:14
Career Center 
Lists of Careers
259,552
00:03
Career Center 
233,976
00:17
Student Career Matching Assistant
Pages with Highest Average Time Viewed
Page Name
Average Time Viewed
Views Received
Contact CFNC
185,660
01:19
Career Center 
Teacher Education
16,313
01:15
Student Planner 
College Entrance Requirements
35,228
01:06
Career Center 
Fastest Growing Careers
42,025
01:00
College Fair 
Comparative View
163,035
00:40
4,554
00:37
3,431,641
00:29
College Fair 
Matching Assistant
47,509
00:28
Career Center 
Bridges Planning Tools
55,859
00:26
Student Planner 
Transfer Student Planner Intro
College Fair 
Campus Tours
CFNC.org Applying to College Services and
Initiatives
• CFNC.org hosts branded admissions applications for all 110
colleges and universities in North Carolina
• 89 of the 110 institutions utilize the CFNC.org branded
application as their exclusive online option
• CFNC.org partners with the NC Department of Public
Instruction to serve as the sole provider of electronic high
school transcripts
• Project has been implemented in phases over the past 6
years
• Every public and charter high school will be live in Fall
2009, excluding Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
College Applications Submitted through
CFNC.org Annually 2001 – 2008
High School Transcripts Submitted through
CFNC.org Annually 2003 – 2008
High School Transcripts Submitted through
CFNC.org Annually 2003 – 2008
Student Comments:
• An event cosponsored by CFNC and
CACRAO in an effort to further expand
statewide college access
• The goal of the initiative is to motivate and
support students who might not consider
college an option the opportunity to apply to
college online using CFNC.org.
• Pilot Programs in 2005, 2006, 2007
• Statewide as of 2008
“I liked the help with
filling out, submitting
and paying for
applications. It was
easier to do than by
myself.”
“I never thought I
would go to college
anywhere, but I
realized that it is my
future and I can do it.”
College Application Week 2008 Map of
Participating School Districts
College Application Week Statistics
Year
2005
High Schools
1
Students
100
Applications
150
2006
2007
2008
15
109
293
876
12,808
19,356
1,038
21,445
37,903
Applications Submitted to University of North
Carolina Constituent Institutions During
College Application Week 2008
Applications
Submitted to
North Carolina
Community
Colleges
During College
Application
Week 2008
Applications
Submitted to
Member
Institutions of
North Carolina
Independent
Colleges and
Universities
During College
Application
Week 2008
Future Directions
• Expanded Data Availability and Enrollment Verification
• Transfer Articulation
Expanded Data Availability &
Enrollment Verification
• UNC-General Administration will run enrollment verification
on all students participating in the 2008 and 2009 College
Application Week events
• North Carolina College Access Challenge Grant Program
(NCCACGP) funds are being used for this initiative
• Data will allow for enhanced evaluation of CAW program, and
impacts on students postsecondary matriculation
Transfer Student Planner & Articulation
• View Transfer Student
Guarantees offered by the CAA
• Transferable Course
Equivalencies for all CAA
General Education courses
between NCCCS and any UNC
institution.
• A list of Transfer Students most
frequently asked questions
• Majority of courses taken by
students participating in a dual
enrollment program covered
Transfer Student Navigator
• Provide students with a report of how courses will transfer between all
110 North Carolina colleges and universities
• Partnership between NCCCS, NCICU, and UNC
• Perform a degree audit to guide students on course work that will need to
be completed after they transfer
• System is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
• Step 1. Create an academic history by selecting courses from the
Community College Course Catalog.
• Step 2. Confirm selections.
• Step 3. View an equivalence report that shows course by course
equivalence. Users can compare equivalence for 2 institutions at a
time
CFNC Transfer Navigator
Recommendations for Policy and Practice
CFNC.org philosophy is based around 3 fundamental themes
1. Plan: What do I need to do to be prepared to go to
college? How can I learn what courses different colleges
expect me to have taken? Are there minimum
admission requirements?
2. Apply: What do I need to do to apply to college? Can I
apply online? What is the cost to apply? Do I need to visit a
campus for an interview?
3. Pay: Can I afford to go to college? What are the financial
aid options available to me?
Recommendation #1: Build and sustain broad
partnerships and high levels of collaboration
among all education interests.
•
CFNC is a partnership of UNC, NCCCS, NCICU, NCDPI, NC
SEAA, and CFI
•
Power of a legislative mandate should not be
underestimated
•
Keep all partners and stakeholders engaged and informed
Recommendation #2: Provide a comprehensive
internet-based platform and complementary callcenter support.
•
CFNC.org website provides college and career planning
resources and information applicable to all ages
•
CFNC Online Admissions Application is accepted by all 110
NC Colleges and Universities
•
CFNC Electronic High School Transcript is the sole option,
and accepted by all 110 colleges and universities
•
Two specialized toll-free call centers provide information
on planning, applying, and paying for college
Recommendation #3: Build a brand and commit
to a comprehensive marketing program to build
awareness and understanding.
•
Utilize a combination of media advertising, direct
marketing, and in-school marketing to build awareness
among all target audiences
•
Build awareness through strong visual continuity - brand
standards bring unity and continuity
•
Target specific messages to professional and consumer
audiences
•
Continue to promote the basic brand positioning in all
communications while building awareness of specific
information and services
Recommendation #4: Complement advertising
with training and outreach activities.
•
School counselors are an important source of information
for parents and students
•
Full time CFNC Training Director works to engage and
educate school counselors on CFNC.org services
•
CFNC Regional Representatives provide outreach to
financial aid personnel, community members, churches,
and schools
•
Dedicated space is provided on the website for school
counselors and education professionals
Recommendation #5: Address the needs of
schools, colleges, students, and families.
•
Online applications are provided free of charge to the 110
participating institutions, including development and
technical support
•
Professional tools allow school counselors and educators
the ability to monitor students application and transcript
activity
•
CFNC State Grant Information System enables NC colleges
and universities to process over $350 million per year from
five distinct grant programs
Recommendation #6: Leverage financial
resources from diverse sources.
•
Federal Family Education Loan Program (NC SEAA & CFI)
•
State Appropriations (Pathways)
•
Federal Grant Funding (GEAR UP North Carolina and North
Carolina College Access Challenge Grant Program)
Recommendation #7: Plan for sufficient staffing
and share staff responsibilities.
•
CFNC Technology & Internet Services has grown from 2 FTE
to 6 FTE
•
CFI provides 5 FTE for core technical support and
development
•
Marketing and outreach program planning and support are
shared between CFI, NC SEAA, and Pathways
•
Call center support is provided by both CFI and Pathways
Statistics and
Results
CFNC.org Site Usage
2,725,518
Accounts Created
9,250
1,422,063
visitors per day for an
average of
8 min 30 sec
Online Applications
Submitted
126,238
High School
Transcripts
Sent
Impacts
•
North Carolina had
the second largest
increase in College
Participation Rates for
Students from Low
Income Families
between 2000 – 2007
•
US Average was
negative over this
time period
•
Data calculated by
Tom Mortenson of
Postsecondary
Education
Opportunities
Questions?
David English
Director, CFNC Technology & Internet Services
UNC-General Administration
919.843.5369
englishdj@northcarolina.edu
Chrissy Tillery
Research & Evaluation Specialist
GEAR UP North Carolina
UNC-General Administration
828.262.7365
tilleryc@northcarolina.edu