Project Updates

Happy Winter quarter!

The Funding Navigation project made strong progress this Fall and will continue to develop programming and services throughout the Winter term. Read on to learn what we’re doing and how you can be involved.

What did we do in the Fall?

• Funding Navigators contacted over 1200 students with incomplete financial aid applications to encourage them to complete their applications and offer assistance with understanding next steps
• Navigators held 111 one-on-one student appointments to provide help with FAFSA and connect students to resources 
• Navigators hosted Orientation workshops, first-week events, class visits, and even a Financial Literacy workshop in partnership with BECU at Seattle Central College.
• Navigators began hosting weekly virtual FAFSA workshops and partnered with Seattle Promise to host weekly virtual SAP Appeal workshops for students whose financial aid is at risk of suspension due to not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• The team established relationships with on-campus partners such as Workforce Ed, Open Doors, Learning Centers, and with community partners such as Northwest Educational Access, College Success Foundation, and the International Rescue Committee.

What’s happening this Winter?

• Funding Navigators are now accepting referrals via Starfish for students who need help finding funding resources or need assistance with FAFSA/WASFA. If you use Starfish, you can use the REFERRAL TO FUNDING NAVIGATION and a Navigator will reach out to your student to provide assistance.
• Funding Navigators will continue to host weekly virtual FAFSA/WASFA workshops. Details are posted to each college’s Financial Aid website and on flyers around campus.
• A small group of faculty & staff across the district is engaging in deep learning about Financial Aid and Culture of Care. There are limited spots still available for anyone still interested in participating. The first meeting starts on 1/29. Folks interested in joining should email Tsetsen Anuurad at tsetsen.anuurad@seattlecolleges.edu.
• We're creating a map of funding-related messaging that students regularly receive to identify and address any gaps. If your area routinely sends funding-related messaging to students, please connect with Moriah Shistle at moriah.shistle@seattlecolleges.edu
• We’re hosting a series of focus groups to learn more about the student experience and specific funding-related challenges students face.

How can you stay informed?

• Attend a virtual Lunch and Learn at 12 PM on Thursday, February 13. Join us via Zoom for a lunchtime presentation and open Q&A session to learn more about our project, our goals and targets, and the overall approach we’ve taken so far. You can access the Lunch & Learn using this link
• Email Moriah Shistle, Title III Funding Navigation Grant Director, at moriah.shistle@seattlecolleges.edu.

• https://www.seattlecolleges.edu/media/2001 

• We’re connecting with students: Funding Navigators are meeting students through pre-orientation and orientation activities, class visits, workshops, one-on-one appointments, and proactive support for students who need help completing financial aid applications.   
• We’re learning about the student experience: A team of faculty and staff will be conducting several student focus groups to hear directly from students about the funding-related challenges they’ve faced while studying at Seattle Colleges. Many of these focus groups will highlight the unique experiences of particular groups and cohorts. 
• We’re building tools for the future: A small team is developing new digital tools, based on concepts designed in South’s Guided Pathways effort, that will help match students with appropriate funding sources.  Funding Navigators will be able to use this tool when meeting with students later in the year. 

• Attend a “Lunch and Learn” at 12 PM on Thursday, October 10. Join us via Zoom for a lunchtime presentation and open Q&A session to learn more about our project, our goals and targets, and the overall approach we’ve taken so far.  You can access the Lunch & Learn using this link: https://zoom.us/j/96793273456   
• Join the Professional Development Pilot Group. The professional development workgroup is launching a staff and faculty pilot group in Winter 2025! This pilot group is perfect for any staff and faculty wanting to learn more about how to best support students navigating funding or financial aid challenges, or whose work is adjacent to funding. We are using the Culture of Care concept as a framework to identify best practices and how we can all contribute to students’ sense of belonging and persistence. Spots are limited! If you are interested in joining or have questions, please contact Tsetsen Anuurad: tsetsen.anuurad@seattlecolleges.edu  
• Join the Student Events Work Group. Do you enjoy coming up with fun events that are student-centered? Help us design and host funding-related student events: anything from FAFSA/WASFA nights, to resource fairs, to financial literacy workshops. If you are interested in participating, please contact Omar Fadiel at omar.fadiel@seattlecolleges.edu  

Hello Seattle Colleges faculty and staff:

We have an exciting update about the Title III Funding Navigation grant.

Wait, what’s the Funding Navigation grant?

You might recall that last Fall, the Seattle Colleges were awarded a five-year Title III grant from the US Department of Education to better assist students with navigating their funding options. To achieve this goal, we will establish a Funding Access Hub on each campus, develop tools to help students create a personalized funding plan, and engage faculty and staff in ongoing professional development. These activities will make a direct impact in students’ lives, ultimately increasing retention rates and improving student outcomes.

How is this Title III grant different from others we’ve received?

This Title III Funding Navigation grant is an additional cooperative grant awarded to all three colleges, with South as the lead campus and a focus on Funding Navigation. In prior years, each college also received individual Title III grants specific to their campus, each with different goals and activities. This new cooperative grant doesn’t prevent the colleges from keeping their current or applying for new individual college grants.

What’s new with the Funding Navigation grant?

As of June 2024, the Funding Navigation project is fully staffed. Three Funding Navigators have joined the district, along with a Project Director and Program Assistant. Over the summer, the Funding Navigation team will begin connecting with other departments to design and build the program, preparing to work directly with students in Fall 2024.

Meet the Team

Emilygrace Pendergrass – Funding Navigator, North Seattle College 

Originally from Wyoming, Emilygrace has a background in theatre management, design, and education, as well as previous experience with other federal education grants; as a first-generation college graduate, Emilygrace has dedicated her time in higher education to supporting other historically under-served student populations in their pursuit of their academic goals and is eager to continue that work at NSC. Outside of work Emilygrace enjoys embroidery, outdoor adventures with her wife and dog, and occasionally freelances as a stage manager.

Tsetsen Anuurad – Funding Navigator, Seattle Central College 

Tsetsen is from Davis, California, and moved to Seattle to obtain a master's degree from Seattle University in Student Development Administration (and to enjoy good coffee). She has previously worked with Title III grants at Shoreline Community College and is looking forward to continuing the work at Seattle Central. In her free time, she enjoys exploring coffee shops (recommendations welcome!), trying out new restaurants, and going on walks. 
 

Ramon Jimenez – Funding Navigator, South Seattle College 

Ramon’s background is in teaching, non-profit program management, and public service. He worked as a social science and language arts instructor for a credit retrieval program with Southwest Youth and Family Services and is an adjunct instructor for Pierce College. Recently, Ramon served as a Worksource specialist with ESD at North Seattle College's Opportunity Center, helping unemployed claimants connect with in-demand training at the Seattle Colleges. Ramon is an advocate of public education and a champion of its transformative impact. In his free time, Ramon enjoys walking, cycling, and baking bread.

Moriah Shistle – Director, Title III Funding Navigation Grant 

Moriah is returning to the District after recently leading a Guided Pathways-aligned Title III grant at Shoreline Community College. She is passionate about increasing student achievement in higher education and brings a systems-focused approach to grant work. You may remember Moriah from her days advising international students at South Seattle College. Moriah enjoys sewing, learning new languages, and spending time with her husband and two children. 

 

How can I get involved? 

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to become involved in the project: 

• Join the Funding Access Steering Committee to help guide the work. We are especially seeking faculty from each campus, and representatives from EDIC, Workforce/Worker Retraining, Entry Services, and other funding-related areas on each campus. Faculty are eligible to be paid for participation during the Summer term.
• Participate in upcoming professional development sessions for faculty & staff. Funding from this federal grant will support future professional development offerings that will improve financial aid knowledge across campus and help prepare employees to assist students with funding questions. We’ll let you know when these opportunities are available.
• Send us your thoughts. Submit ideas, questions, or feedback to the grant team (see below for contact information).

How can I stay informed?

Throughout the year, you will receive emails with quarterly project updates and opportunities to get involved as they arise. We are currently developing a web page with basic information about the Title III grant and will send an announcement when it is available.

For general questions, you can connect with Moriah Shistle, the Title III Funding Navigation Grant Director, via email at moriah.shistle@seattlecolleges.edu or drop in during office hours, Mondays 1 to 2 p.m. via Zoom.

Dear Colleagues,

We are thrilled to announce that the Seattle Colleges have been awarded a new Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Program Grant. This award is unique in that it is a cooperative grant serving all three colleges. Focused on funding navigation services for students, this 5-year (October 2023-September 2028), 2.3-million-dollar grant will improve student retention and success, and will augment the new organizational structure and focus of our Financial Aid teams across the district.

Roles and Reporting Structure

The core staff funded through this grant are a Project Director and a Funding Navigator for each of the colleges.

The Director position is currently open with a first review date of December 15, 2023.  

• Title III Cooperative Grant Director (linked to job posting)

This position will report to the new district level Executive Director of Financial Aid (position to be posted soon).  

The Funding Navigators, embedded at the campuses, are full-time Exempt Represented positions. Reporting to the Project Director, these roles will open for applications soon.  

Goals and Activities

The Funding Navigation grant includes three main goals, achieved through two core activities.

Goal 1: Increase enrollment, retention, and completion of all students.

Goal 2: Improve navigation of financial and funding services and resources at each college.

Goal 3: Increase faculty and staff engagement and knowledge of financial resources available for students.

Grant Activity 1: Design and implement a Funding Access Hub at each Seattle Colleges campus (North, Central, and South).

• Hire a Funding Navigator position for each college
• Create a Funding Plan Tool
• Conduct research to understand funding challenges
• Convene a comprehensive Funding Access Steering Committee

Grant Activity 2: Coordinate professional development for faculty and staff to increase understanding of resources available to students.

• Create and disseminate training resources to faculty and staff
• Develop and implement strategies to create a Culture of Care
• Assess effectiveness of professional development

HUGE thanks to Sarah Sabay, Director of Grants at South Seattle College, for coordinating the writing of this application and shouldering the bulk of the work. Other contributors included: Julie Randall (Central), Ignacio/Nacho Alarcón (Central), Aimee Brown (North), Brittany Harper (North), Teresa Robinson-Duane (South), Vanessa Calonzo (South), Mica Hunter (South), Chris Skinner (South), and Erin Barzen (South).

For more information or for questions, please contact Erin Barzen, Interim Title III Cooperative Grant Director, South Seattle College.