Understanding Barriers and Advising Our Students

1. Who are our Destined for College students?
   At ScholarMatch, we support underserved student populations by providing them with the resources and tools necessary to apply and get into college. In the Destined for College program, our ultimate goal is to equip students with the knowledge to help them graduate from a college that is the best academic and social fit. Your role as a college coach is to encourage students to consider all available options and help them make an informed decision. Here is a comprehensive demographic breakdown of our students.
   
   ScholarMatch primarily supports underserved youth from low-income backgrounds. For our program purposes, we consider the following student populations “underserved”:
   • First-generation students
   • High-achieving, low-income students
   • High-achieving, moderate-income students
   • Students of color
   • Rural students

2. College access barriers for underserved student populations
   ‍Now that you have reviewed the demographics breakdown, please review some of the current barriers they may face in accessing higher education. Explore the resources listed below to understand why coaches play a pivotal role in supporting our students. As you review each article, be prepared to answer these guiding questions:

• What are some barriers underserved students face in applying to college?
• What assumptions or beliefs (whether real or perceived) might prevent you from encouraging some students to consider all types of colleges?
  • White Privilege in College Admissions [ 2 min read]
  • Here’s what happened when affirmative action ended at California public colleges [ 3 mins read]
  • Our Separate & Unequal Public Colleges [ 1:41 mins read]
  • The Struggle to Be First: First-Gen Students May Be Torn Between College and Home [ 7 mins read]
  • How the pandemic highlights racial disparities in higher education [ 5 mins read]
  • How FAFSA Delays Will Impact College-Going Decisions of Low-Income Students and Students of Color [2 min read]
  • Study of Elite College Admissions Data Suggests Being Very Rich Is Its Own Qualification [ 7 mins read]
• Please note: These resources do not aim to provide a comprehensive view of all barriers within the college access landscape but are instead aimed to help you become a better-informed volunteer, aligned with ScholarMatch’s Destined for College program goals and the needs of the students we serve.

3. What is our advising approach when it comes to working with underserved student populations?
   The goal of ScholarMatch’s Destined for College program is to help students get into a college that matches their needs. In order to accomplish these goals, we believe it is important to define our framework for advising underserved student populations. If you prefer to read the content, please click here.

4. How can you use this information to shape your coaching approach?
   We encourage coaches to consider the ways in which students’ identities, experiences, and needs could shape their communications with students and coaching style. Here is the written document version. How can you incorporate an equity-minded, student-centered framework into your work with students?

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ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL READINGS: 

• Addressing White Privilege in Higher Education [8 min read]
• College students should take a mandatory course on Black history, white privilege [2 mins read]
• College Experience Guide for LGBTQ+ Students [3 mins read]
• Neurodiversity in the College Setting [5 mins read]
• Student Loan Debt in California [2 mins read]
• Private, selective colleges are most likely to use race, ethnicity as a factor in admissions decisions [2 mins]
• Tired of the waiting lists for California’s public universities, nursing students increasingly turn to expensive private programs [13 min listen]
• The Supreme Court banned affirmative action — except at military service academies (Podcast) [37 min listen] ‍
• How does a computer discriminate? (Podcast) [33 min listen]

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