Organization Vision
uAspire imagines a day when all young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential by graduating from college, regardless of their families’ financial resources or college experiences.
Organization Summary
uAspire is committed to ensuring that all young people have the financial information and resources necessary to achieve their dreams of higher education. uAspire provides free college affordability advice and advocacy to students and families in Massachusetts, Miami, Florida, and the Bay Area of California helping them to overcome the financial barriers to a postsecondary education. Through strategic partnerships with high schools, community organizations and local universities, uAspire helps academically prepared students find an affordable path to – and through – a postsecondary education.
uAspire is in the early stages of implementing a multi-faceted Strategic Plan for Growth with Quality that will enable the organization to positively impact the lives of 1,000,000 students by 2017. This plan includes three models for impact:
- Impact in High-Need Cities – prove our model and build credibility by providing direct services to students and families in 3-5 markets across the country. Currently, uAspire is operating in Massachusetts (4 locations – Boston, Springfield, Fall River and Lawrence) and Miami, Florida, and the Bay Area of California (San Francisco & Oakland).
- Training & Technical Assistance (T&TA) – provide best-in-class training & ongoing support on issues of college affordability to frontline college access & success providers, community based-organizations, school districts and higher education institutions. Following a successful pilot and business case summary procured by Deloitte Consulting, uAspire recently received a generous investment from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation to enable the full national launch of this highly scalable training & support model.
- Policy – use impact data, scalable best practices, and a network of knowledgeable practitioners to influence policies and practices within city, state, federal and higher education circles. uAspire is currently engaging in policy efforts at federal and state levels when appropriate while working out the details of our multi-year policy impact strategy.
Position Summary
The challenges of college affordability have never been more pronounced, and uAspire’s expertise – built over 29+ years of practice – has never been more needed across our sites and communities nationwide. In response to this growing need, uAspire will be partnering with the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES), the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a national educational service partner to launch an ambitious and innovative new initiative aimed to take our virtual support advising to scale across the nation. The project will use customized text messaging-based outreach and virtual technologies to serve tens of thousands of students through the college application and financial aid process. The Virtual Advising Fellow will form the backbone of this large-scale initiative as the frontline practitioner, guiding students from across the country through the college planning and financial aid steps of their junior and senior years of high school, and through the summer transition into college.
S/He will work in uAspire’s Central Office in Boston reporting to the Director of Virtual Student Support, and will provide virtual college and financial aid advising to students from a designated region in the US. S/He will be part of a cohort of passionate Virtual Advising Fellow peers, all of whom share a demonstrated interest in youth education and development, and will gain extensive practice and knowledge in the areas of college counseling, federal and state financial aid policies, and direct student support.
The Fellow’s time will be focused in two primary areas, virtual student advising and program evaluation. S/He will utilize texting software and other virtual support tools to engage high school students in key college admission and financial aid activities: creating the college list, researching scholarships, understanding the implications of citizenship and residency status, taking the SAT and ACT, knowing financial aid procedures, and completing federal financial aid forms, among others. S/He will field student questions, provide additional support, and customize content to fit both the needs of individual students, as well as the virtual advising context. With respect to program evaluation, the Virtual Advising Fellow will work collaboratively with researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to determine the effects of virtual advising on students’ college outcomes. Fellows will work in a continuous feedback loop to develop and hone the program model, outreach methods, and student messaging. Meticulous attention to detail, self-motivation, and curiosity about using technology to improve student outcomes will be essential qualities of a successful Fellow.
In addition to being a part of this new and innovative initiative, and the rapid growth that goes with any new program, the Fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to cutting edge research that will inform the national dialogue around how to support students in their transition to college. During the two year program, we will explore how to scale or replicate virtual advising, take an in-depth look at student communication and comprehension via virtual tools, and develop technology solutions to enhance students’ understanding of the college application and financial aid processes, among other areas of inquiry.
This Fellowship requires a highly organized, proactive, innovative and student-centered individual who is excited to learn about the college access field with a team. S/He will possess the strong interpersonal and communication skills required to guide students of all backgrounds through their junior and senior years of high school, and into college, as well as the proven abilities to deliver high quality work under pressure and ensure the timely completion of tasks in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
This is a demanding and exciting position, with the possibility for continued employment at uAspire. The successful applicant will understand and receive great satisfaction from the opportunity to grow a new initiative to scale to serve thousands of students across the nation. This is an especially exciting opportunity for an individual interested in the intersection between educational policy, research, and practice, and who is excited by the prospect of both independent and collaborative work.
Principal Responsibilities
- Proactively respond to participating high school students via text message to provide college planning and financial aid guidance and reminders through the virtual support center
- Maintain meticulous records of interactions with students in our student database
- Work with leading researchers to understand and document students’ experience of virtual advising
- Participate in ongoing training and professional development activities to ensure the delivery of accurate information and resources to students
- Collaborate with the virtual support team to share knowledge and continuously improve VSS services
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree required
- Direct experience in youth development and experience working with diverse populations highly preferred
- Excitement about learning new technologies and working through the challenges that come with tech innovation
- Ability to regularly work flexible hours: evenings and weekends
- Sensitivity to and awareness of college affordability challenges for high school students
- Belief in and adherence to uAspire’s Organizational Values – Student-Centered, Excellent, Dedicated, Collaborative, and Systems-Focused
- High level of adaptability, professionalism, tact, and reliability
- Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion
- Proficiency with fundamental professional software: Google Mail/Docs, and Microsoft Office Suite – Word, Excel, PowerPoint – required
- Positive experience working in an entrepreneurial, collaborative, or team-oriented environment
- Advanced organizational skills with a proven ability to multi-task in an efficient and effective manner
- Strong oral and written communications skills
- Energetic, enthusiastic, and interested in learning within a growing, entrepreneurial organization
- Ability to work independently and maintain professional conduct in challenging situations
Anticipated Start Date
July 16th, 2015. This fellowship is a fulltime position, with a scheduled end date of August 15, 2016; however, at that time and contingent on satisfactory work performance, fellows will be encouraged to apply for any available internal positions for which they are qualified.
Compensation and Benefits
$30,000 annually, with the opportunity to receive a performance-based raise after the first year. Fellows will also receive uAspire’s competitive benefits package, including health and dental coverage.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit the following materials to jobs@uaspire.org, Subject line: Virtual Advising Fellowship: Michelle Murphy.
- Up-to-date Resume
- Statement of Purpose (not to exceed 500 words): Please describe why you believe you are a fit for this position, as well as what unique challenges and opportunities you foresee in virtual advising.
- Unofficial College Transcript
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