Postsecondary Persistence Advisor

Job Description

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.

○ Assist alumni in applying to scholarships, college applications, summer programs, internships and jobs, and write effective recommendations for students.

○ 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 verification of enrollments of alumni in college using the Alumni Database (Salesforce);

○ Assist with data collection for annual report and program evaluation;

○ Prepare marketing, publicity materials and reports as needed;

Collaborate with the team and other stakeholders to support student postsecondary success

○ Collaborate with contacts at local colleges and universities in order to connect alumni with college support services and maintain a record of support services and contact information.

○ Support KIPP Forward programming and events (i.e. application events, parent meetings, career exploration opportunities, college-readiness and transition workshops, college partner events, volunteer events, and socials).

○ Collaborate with the High School Team to arrange college visits and opportunities for HS alumni to connect with alumni in college.

○ Support the Persistence Manager in building a plan to engage the alumni in the career readiness programs, in soliciting internships, and helping alumni prepare for their internships.

○ Meet bi/weekly with the Persistence Manager to define success, build a strategy to visit alumni on the college campuses or connect virtually, discuss progress, submit reports, etc, and actively participate in all staff meetings, etc.

○ Collaborate with the Forward team to:

Develop an effective early alert system and intervention plan for struggling students

Recognize achievement and motivate alumni by mailing care packages, distributing rewards, highlighting success stories at KIPP schools and on social media;

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