For many students on the fringe of college attendance, college costs are a huge factor in decisions about whether to go to college, along with when and where to go. The size of government investments in financial aid underscores the barrier that college costs represent, and the importance of ensuring college access for low-income students. Research has confirmed that receiving financial aid increases not just students’ ability to go to college, but also to succeed once they are there.

Students in the California Community College (CCC) system do not apply for or receive financial aid at the same rate as their community college peers elsewhere. Those who most need financial aid in order to go to college are often the least likely to learn about it in a timely fashion or know how to apply for it. This problem is exacerbated in California, where low fee levels have contributed to misconceptions about the need for and availability of aid. The truth is that the same types of aid are available to CCC students as elsewhere, and can help pay not just for fees, but textbooks, food, housing, transportation, and other costs that students face. Although California has the lowest community college fees in the country, factoring in the high cost of living and low levels of financial aid receipt shows that community college students here face higher total costs than their counterparts in other states.

Financial aid is one of many student support services that can help students get to college, stay in school, and succeed in their academic endeavors. As with other services, those most in need of assistance are least likely to know how to access it. There is evidence that student services generally are not being used as effectively as they could be - a problem that could be solved with increased collaboration, integration, and creativity (CCRC, 2008). This is particularly important at community colleges, which typically have large numbers of students who are the first in their family to attend college. These students may lack the college-going knowledge that could help them take full advantage of support services, financial aid, and other mechanisms in place to help them succeed.

This knowledge – including how to access important resources such as academic counseling, financial aid, and Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) – is not automatically absorbed when a student steps on a college campus. Simply offering services to help low-income, first generation, or otherwise disadvantaged students is unfortunately not enough. Those services need to be integrated into the fabric of the college environment so that those who most need them are sure to be aware of and comfortable accessing much-needed support.

The Institute for College Access & Success recently conducted a scan of financial aid operations at the California community colleges. We visited 21 colleges to learn more about how to increase student access to financial aid, and what policies and procedures at the financial aid office and college can help, or hinder, this access. The resulting report, Green Lights & Red Tape, details our findings along with recommendations for colleges, the CCC system, and the state and federal governments.

In our visits to community colleges, we met with administrators in admissions and registration, counseling and advising, and EOPS, as well as those in financial aid. One question we investigated was what messages about financial aid, if any, students were getting without stepping foot into the aid office. How else do students learn about financial aid? Are the messages they hear positive and accurate? Are there opportunities for strengthening and improving financial aid through other student services?

“Student services” is a big umbrella that includes a broad range of functions. Despite sharing a mission of serving students, financial aid offices’ relationships with other student service offices range from congenial and cooperative to suspicious and competitive. Many administrators in counseling or admissions told us during interviews that they did not see a reason to coordinate services with financial aid, but upon further discussion acknowledged that there could be real benefits for students. For example, when a student tells her advisor that she will be dropping courses to work more, or goes to the bursar to charge course fees to a high-interest credit card, shouldn’t she be told that aid is available to help with her expenses, and encouraged to visit the financial aid office?

We found a wide range of knowledge, interest, and attitudes about financial aid among the non-financial aid administrators with whom we spoke. The number of one-stop student service centers currently on or under construction at the CCCs is indicative of a widespread and growing recognition on campuses that services should be made as visible and accessible to students as possible. Some colleges have been at the forefront of these efforts, while others are just starting to consider this kind of comprehensive, integrated approach to student services.

Wherever your college is in this process, the following questions should help to jumpstart discussions about how student-centered your college’s current services are:

What are the populations my college aims to serve, and how is my college addressing the challenges they face?

Having brochures available in languages commonly spoken in the community, or office hours in evenings when many part-time students are on campus, are important facets of providing student-oriented services. Different cultural groups may have different perceptions of financial aid, and understanding these attitudes can help staff more effectively work with families making decisions about how to afford college.

Can faculty and other frontline staff answer basic questions about financial aid (or other student services)? Why or why not?

Students who do not know about financial aid and how it can help them are unlikely to walk into the aid office in the first place. Counselors, registrars, and faculty with even a basic level of knowledge about aid can increase student awareness proactively, or by responding when students mention financial difficulties or stresses that affect their academic progress.

What barriers stand in the way of student access to services, and why are they there?

Student service delivery is inevitably limited by resources, regulations, and a need for administrative efficiency. In some cases, policy and procedural barriers have been consciously constructed to avoid larger problems; in other cases, barriers are inherited or unquestioned and could be deconstructed with some creative thinking. Collaborative relationships can yield fresh perspectives, allowing outsiders to question the rationale behind counterproductive practices.

To learn more about The Institute for College Access & Success or to read our full report on financial aid in the California community colleges, please visit our Website, http://www.ticas.org/.

About the Author

Deborah Frankle Cochrane
Research Analyst
The Institute for College Access & Success, Berkeley, California

Deborah Frankle Cochrane is a research analyst with the Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) and leads the organization’s work on community colleges. Her background includes work in policy analysis, research, labor, and social services. Before joining the TICAS staff, Ms. Cochrane worked as a policy analyst at the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, focusing primarily on community college affordability and finance policy issues. Other experience includes direct service and management roles within a variety of non-profit settings. She holds an M.S.W. with a focus on social policy from San Francisco State University and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Ms. Cochrane can be reached at dcochrane@ticas.org or 510-559-9509. Comments on this article or our work are welcome.