Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fafsa Completion Outreach topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Region 1's Rooted Alliance raises FAFSA completion with campus-based advisers, college visits and incentives
Summary
Region 1 education service center described a Rooted Alliance grant that places college and career advisers in rural high schools to drive college applications and FAFSA/TASFA completion; presenters reported completion rates above 90% at several partner campuses.
Jennifer Avelar, director of college and career success at Region 1 Education Service Center, told the Financial Aid Advisory Committee that her office’s Rooted Alliance grant places college and career advisers at rural school districts to increase FAFSA completion and postsecondary enrollment.
Avelar described a combination of strategies used by advisers: early college and career tours to create student “buy‑in,” one‑on‑one advising with seniors and parents, bilingual outreach materials, flexible scheduling for working families, and modest incentives tied to FAFSA events (for example, yearbook or prom‑ticket incentives paid through grant funds). “One of my biggest mottos in life is to help people. Honestly, I just wanna be there for them,” Avelar said.
Measured results cited to the committee included rates of FAFSA completion at participating campuses: Monte Alto High School reported 100% FAFSA completion; Port Isabel High School reported 99%; Edcouch‑Elsa and one other partner reported 96%–98% completion. Avelar credited hands‑on support (including creating FSA IDs, calling federal help numbers with families when needed, helping mail TASFA paper forms) and district leadership buy‑in for the results.
Program details and challenges Region 1 advisers take students on college tours, host FAFSA/TASFA nights with direct assistance, run bilingual outreach and use WhatsApp groups for rapid parent communication. Advisers also partner with local colleges — for example South Texas College — to coordinate application completion, class registration and FAFSA follow‑through.
Avelar acknowledged hurdles with mixed‑status families who lack Social Security numbers and with parents who fear sharing information. She said advisers call the federal FSA help number during appointments and sometimes must wait for verification numbers to proceed. “That was a big barrier,” Avelar said, noting advisers sometimes sat on hold for parents to complete the identity verification process.
School leaders’ perspective and follow‑up High‑school participants commended the adviser model. Sandra Moore (Palo Alto High School, Amarillo ISD) said she plans to replicate Region 1 incentives and outreach strategies in her district. Erica Ramos (PSJA ISD) described a district‑level model that adds postgraduation “college transitional specialists” to support students after high school and keep documentation accessible for reentry into higher education.
Avelar made her contact information available to committee members and encouraged campus/district or institution partnerships with local advisers to increase college matriculation and reduce summer melt.
