The Iowa Department of Education announced that it has been awarded nearly $500,000 in competitive federal AmeriCorps funding through the Volunteer Iowa Commission. The grant will continue to fund Iowa's Course to College Coaching - AmeriCorps program, which has helped thousands of high school and college students access and succeed in postsecondary education since 2017 by providing direct guidance and support.
AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. The grant will support approximately 80 AmeriCorps members serving as student leaders and postsecondary success coaches providing direct support and guidance to students exploring postsecondary education and training opportunities.
Through the Course to College Coaching - AmeriCorps program, selected high school seniors serve as AmeriCorps student leaders, supporting their peers' postsecondary aspirations. Since 2017, these leaders, along with college students and recent graduates serving as coaches, have provided over 13,500 instances of in-person and virtual assistance to help students with college applications and financial aid.
“Every one of those conversations is a student who got the right guidance at the moment they needed it,” said Postsecondary Community Engagement Bureau Chief Christina Sibaouih. “That’s the kind of support that changes what happens after graduation; it’s what every Iowa student deserves.”
Throughout the year, student leaders and college coaches receive intensive training. They help plan and execute events designed for career and college readiness. These events have included Application Day, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion, and Decision Day celebrations. Student leaders also provide direct peer support to classmates to engage and motivate them as they plan and explore their postsecondary pathway. As a result, students are supported in their decisions to enter military service, pursue Registered Apprenticeships, complete certificate programs or attend two- and four-year colleges and universities.
Course to College Coaching - AmeriCorps has also supported school counselors who serve as summer transition associates focus on helping students complete the FAFSA and ensuring follow-through so that students who have applied for and been accepted into postsecondary opportunities successfully enroll, submit the necessary information and attend at the start of the term. Each year, these associates support hundreds of students as they transition from high school to postsecondary education.
Learn more about the program and how to get involved by visiting the Course to College Coaching - AmeriCorps webpage.