To show parents and students how to
complete the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) for postsecondary
school, Mullins created a financial aid
workshop. The workshop was held in February—after
parents had received wage statements,
but before they started their tax returns.
The area surrounding Mullins has a
high unemployment rate. Many of the parents
of students at Mullins have difficulty navigating
the complex financial aid form. As a result,
many students cannot access the financial assistance
they qualify for and need to take advantage
of postsecondary education opportunities.
To create the program, Mullins researched
how other schools were helping their
students and families navigate the financial
aid system, borrowing several of those practices.
The guidance office contacted local
college financial aid advisors to help design and
implement the workshop. These advisors did
most of the content planning and supplied the
required materials. The sessions demonstrated
the step-by-step process required to fill out the
forms and addressed the questions and concerns
of students and their parents. The advisors
provided each parent with a copy of the
FAFSA form. By the end of the workshop, each
student’s financial aid application was complete.
Mullins knew its biggest challenge
would be getting parents to attend. Other parent
involvement initiatives had only drawn a
handful of participants. To publicize the financial
aid classes, the Action Team for Partnerships
(ATP) offered a bonus incentive to stu
dents who attended the workshops: a tardy pass
that could be used once anytime before the end
of the school year. Guidance counselors visited
classrooms to invite juniors and seniors to attend,
and the daily televised broadcast included
announcements and reminders about the tardy
pass incentive. The school encouraged students
to remind their parents about the workshops.
The ATP also used traditional publicity methods
to reach out to the parents directly, including
signage outside the school, fliers for visiting
parents, the website, and newsletter announcements.
In the end, 56 students and 73 parents
participated in the workshop. Thanks to the
efforts of teachers, administrators, community
members who acted as financial aid advisors,
and students who helped with publicity, the
event was a success. Students and parents received
valuable information about financial aid,
and they realized how much the school cared
that they attend the workshops. Best of all, the
students walked out of the meetings with filledout
financial aid applications in hand!