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 30 years of practice – has never been more needed across our sites and communities nationwide. In response to this growing need, uAspire has partnered 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 at taking our virtual advising to scale across the nation. The project uses customized text messaging-based outreach to serve tens of thousands of students through the college application and financial aid process. The Virtual Advising Team is the backbone of this large-scale initiative, guiding students from across the country through the college planning and financial aid steps of senior year of high school, and through the summer transition into college. The intervention has been incredibly well-received by the students it serves; their engagement with the Virtual Advising Team is far beyond what was anticipated at the outset of this endeavor. As such, the Virtual Advising Team is growing in order to keep pace with the demand for these virtual advising services.
The new Virtual Advisor will join the Virtual Advising Team at uAspire’s Central Office in Boston, and report to the Virtual Advising Manager. S/He will provide virtual college and financial aid advising to students from a designated region in the U.S. S/He will join a cohort of passionate and dedicated Virtual Advising Fellow peers, 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 on providing direct service to students via virtual student advising. 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 support, and customize content to fit both the needs of individual students, as well as the virtual advising context.
In addition to being a part of this new and innovative initiative, 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. Through this program, we are exploring how to scale or replicate virtual advising, taking an in-depth look at student communication and comprehension via virtual tools, and developing technology solutions to enhance students’ understanding of the college application and financial aid processes. As such, the Fellow will join the Virtual Advising Team in maintaining a continuous feedback loop with the research partners to develop and hone the program model, advising 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.
This is a demanding and exciting position, with the possibility for continued employment at uAspire. We are seeking a highly organized, proactive, adaptive, and student-centered individual who is excited to learn about the college access field with a team. The fast-paced nature of this project calls for flexibility, and a willingness to quickly internalize and apply feedback. Moreover, 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 advising 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 advising team to share knowledge and continuously improve the virtual advising center 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
Position Duration
This fellowship is a fulltime position, with an anticipated project end date in late August 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. 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
- Thoughtful Cover Letter
- Unofficial College Transcript
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