2007 Annual Meeting

CollegeforTN.org Update

Presenters: Wendy Taylor, Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Charles A. Smith, XAP Corporation
Jason Seay, Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation

Recorder: Noel Schwartz, Registrar-University of Memphis

The session included discussion of changes to the CollegeforTN web site and transcript exchange information.

Wendy gave a thorough walk-through of some new features including: Free Test Preparation for ACT, SAT, GRE, and Vocabulary. The site tracks a student’s progress and allows them to take sample tests with tips for improving scores. There is a Word of the Day and list of mastered words along with review for those missed. Students can sign up for a coach with weekly updates going to the coach so that targeted review can take place.

She also reviewed the extensive Career Center options which include: how to use the site, lists of careers, and several self-assessment tools to assist the student in selecting a potential career. There is a Work Skills Profile and Career Matching Assistant along with an Action Plan.

Gear Up provides direct services to 9 counties supported by a federal grant to promote college education. Wendy showed some of the promotional materials and advertising campaign (e.g., Know How 2 Go Campaign sponsored by ACE and the Foundation for Education).

Charles discussed the transcript exchange with improved features such as: graduation date correction, test scores, counselor information, corrected parent names…and diploma type is to be added in the future. There is a possibility that the 6th semester transcript will be added, but it is contingent upon counselors monitoring and sending it rather than the student initiating it. In May ’07 the focus was on the 8th semester transcript for lottery and download to TSAC. Now the focus is on the 7th semester transcript.

TSAC gets both XAP data to eGrands and reminders to HS counselors to check for students missing or data missing for students. There will be training on new version of control center in June or July (3 hours login session with 2 remote sites – approximately 2 hour drive).

Jason started out with some reminders to clarify some commonly asked questions:
• ACT – no residual scores may be used
• No more early verification via 7th semester transcript – 8th semester GPA required as final

The staff has been expanded to 5 plus Jason with clarification of regions/districts. They are looking for a communication services person with admissions background.

College Goal Sunday is February 10 with 32 confirmed sites to help students with FAFSA and financial aid information.

There is some pending legislation and concerns will be shared. Questions still unsettled relate to benchmarking, 120 hour limitation and 5 year possibility, loss if part-time enrolled. The number of appeals is dropping due to better understanding of the requirements.

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