Postsecondary Persistence Advisor

**Company Description**
KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and **champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy**, and help us **rise together**.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income communities.

Counseling services can transform college and career dreams into a reality. Evidence has shown that the lack of access to information and guidance on college admissions and financial aid is a prohibitive barrier for many low-income families. In the absence of good information, many families develop misconceptions about what it takes to get into and graduate from college or vocational schools. By employing a diverse range of outreach efforts - from individualized, one-on-one meetings to large-group workshops and seminars - the KIPP Forward program closes the information divide for KIPP Texas students and families, breaking down the barriers to career success. The Advisor, Postsecondary Persistence will be responsible for ensuring that KIPP Texas alumni attending four-year universities, two-year colleges and/or vocational programs receive the guidance and support needed to successfully attain their degree and/or certification and begin their career. This role includes significant student outreach to schedule advising sessions and promote events, internships, and enrichment opportunities. This role is responsible for providing continual support and resources for KIPPsters through their postsecondary educational experience. The Advisor, Postsecondary Persistence will maintain relationships with colleges, universities and vocational programs. They will collaborate with other KIPP Forward teams, including the KIPP high school college counseling team, to foster a postsecondary and career readiness culture throughout our KIPP schools.

**Duties and Essential Job Functions**:
**_Serve as an advisor for a caseload of KIPP Texas alumni enrolled or intending to enroll in postsecondary education_**
- Develop positive, appropriate, meaningful relationships with students, parents, college and financial aid advisors, and fellow KIPP DFW staff members and teachers. Introduce KIPP and Kipp Forward programming to college administration and collaborate with advisors, college persistence programs and leadership staff to support alumni progress.
- Assist each student with postsecondary enrollment or transfer, orientation, financial aid verification (review and accept awards, loan counseling, SAP eligibility, graduation requirements, etc.), and ensure student registration.
- Collect critical data from alumni (enrollment verification, transcripts, and degree completion) and monitor alumni progress toward degree/certification attainment.
- Advise students on college and career pathways and help students develop success skills, such as self-advocacy, problem-solving, interviewing, networking, etc.;
- Connect with local partners and resources to develop and deliver college persistence and success

programming in the summer months (i.e. money management, budgeting, building credit, etc.) and academic tutoring initiatives for alumni in need of academic intervention.
- Coach alumni to connect with on-campus support services (i.e. tutoring center, Mathematics and Writing labs, writing center, counseling center, career center, etc.) and foster self-advocacy;
- Offer individualized counseling around social and emotional issues associated with college/vocational and career readiness;
- Collaborate with KIPP Texas Forward High School Team to ensure all graduating seniors complete college/vocational training matriculation steps, including but not limited to submit housing deposits (when applicable), attend orientation, and register for classes.

**_ Update and Maintain the Alumni database_**
- Track and maintain records of student contact information changes, advising meetings, pulse-checks, benchmarks and veri