AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides Impact Evaluation

AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides is a program model that serves schools with low graduation and low college attendance rates. These schools often also teach many students who are low-income, minority, or the first in their family to attend college. Ohio College Guides are members that provide college awareness and access programs, and counsel students in grades 6 through 12 to prepare for and navigate the college application process.

Study Goals:

The AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides model identifies activities and outcomes in three areas:

• Early awareness of college (grades 6 through 10)
• Access to college applications/resources (grades 11 and 12)
• Persistence or completion of postsecondary degrees.

This evaluation focuses on the access category. It examines the impact of AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides on completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for financial aid.

Research Questions:

The research questions were:

• Are students served by Ohio College Guides more likely to complete the FAFSA?
• Are students served by Ohio College Guides more likely to enroll in college after graduating high school than students in comparison schools?

Findings:

The evaluation found the following:

• The percentage of students filling out FAFSA in AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides sites was 52 percent compared to 45 percent at comparison schools.
• The percent of students participating in the ACTs at AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides sites was 60 percent compared to 49 percent at comparison schools.
• The rates of college enrollment were generally similar between AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides sites and comparison schools.

For more information, download the full report.