Frequently Asked Questions about the CollegeKeys Compact

Frequently Asked Questions about the CollegeKeys Compact

1. My institution has been serving students from low-income backgrounds for some time and already offers an array of activities and initiatives to support these students. Why is it important for us to sign on to the CollegeKeys Compact?

Joining the CollegeKeys Compact reaffirms your commitment to help more students of low-income backgrounds attain a college degree. CollegeKeys members share effective practices and policies in serving low-income students' needs. By signing on to the Compact and sharing your institution's experience and programs, you can benefit others. In turn, you can learn about what your colleagues are doing that might be beneficial to your institution. This can help your staff expand existing efforts and plan for additional activities.

2. Will the College Board accept the Partner's Commitment from members before the inventories have been completed or submitted?

Yes. The Partner's Commitment represents an affirmation of the statements of belief and is an important first step. Most institutions will need to take additional time to look at their current activities, plan new initiatives, and establish meaningful goals to increase college access and success for low-income students.

3. Why must the Chancellor, President, or CEO sign the Partners' Commitment?

The Chancellor, President, or CEO is the institutional leader with the authority and responsibility to represent the organization. For our district and school partners, we ask that the Superintendent or Principal sign the Partners' Commitment. Support from educational leaders is needed to communicate the vision and effectively implement the Compact. However, to be successful, individuals throughout the institution will need to share that commitment and engage in efforts to support the college aspirations of students from low-income backgrounds.

4. Does my institution need to sign on to the partnership if one of the membership associations has signed on?

Yes. Your institution is critical to the success of the CollegeKeys Compact. Your membership association's partnership in the Compact does not preclude or take the place of your institution's commitment. To build the capacity to enable more students of low-income backgrounds to be successful in college we must mobilize the talent and resources of all College Board members. All of us must collaborate to get more students ready for, into, and through college.

5. What is the purpose of the inventories?

The inventories are meant as a service to Compact members. The inventories represent a compilation of activities and initiatives that in various situations have been found to be effective in helping low-income students get ready, get in, and get through college. The lists are meant to guide members as they consider what they are doing to offer students of low-income backgrounds a full array of supports and college opportunities at their institutions. The inventories also serve as a checklist for members when thinking about how their institution might expand current resources and develop additional services for low-income students. Since the inventories were envisioned as a service to members, they should be considered as a guide and resource.

6. Is my institution expected to do something in each of the activities on the list?

No. Members can review the proposed actions and policies to determine which are most appropriate for their institution.

7. How will the College Board use these data?

The College Board plans to use the information that is voluntarily shared by Compact members to highlight effective practices and recognize innovative preparation, recruitment, outreach, admissions, financial aid, and retention programs that benefit students of low-income backgrounds.

8. What is meant by "monitoring and publicly reporting" progress in achieving our institution's CollegeKeys goals?

The Compact asks that you periodically review your efforts to determine if you are meeting your own internal goals. The Compact encourages members to voluntarily share their good work and results.

The objectives are to raise awareness within your institution of your activities and progress in serving students of low-income backgrounds; and to highlight what is working so that others can benefit from your experience.

9. How does the College Board plan to disseminate the information it gathers from Compact members?

This website will provide information and updates on the Compact activities.

10. Is there a deadline for institutions to accomplish their Compact goals?

No. The broad goals outlined in the Compact represent an ambitious agenda. Organizing and managing the complex set of changes involved in improving the conditions under which students from low-income backgrounds are prepared for, admitted to, and graduated from college will take considerable time and effort. Different goals take different amounts of time to accomplish and will vary across institutions. The hope is that institutions will redouble their efforts and make ongoing progress to help more low-income students attain a college degree.

11. How often will the Compact be updated?

Information about the activities and progress of the CollegeKeys Compact will be updated regularly, as members build on and report their effective policies and practices. The CollegeKeys Compact is an ongoing effort and the College Board is devoting significant resources to maintain the Compact.

12. Do we need to adhere to the CollegeKeys definition of students from low-income backgrounds?

The task force that defined "low income" for the report studied the obstacles to college attendance for two years. The definition used in the CollegeKeys Compact is intentionally broad and meant to help schools and colleges identify all underserved students able to benefit from the college experience. Educational institutions do not need to strictly adopt the CollegeKeys definition to join the Compact. However, we ask you to consider looking at those students receiving economic subsidies, those enrolled in schools with low college-going or high dropout rates, those in foster care, wards of the court, or first-generation college students. These students clearly face financial barriers to college success. Yet, their challenges often extend beyond money to include poor preparation, low expectations, and lack of reliable information about college possibilities and the value of college attendance.

13. Does the College Board really mean that all students can be prepared for college?

The Board of Trustees and the members of the Low Income Task Force spent an enormous amount of time coming to consensus on the issues outlined in the report. The Statement of Beliefs was one of those difficult issues. They came away from their discussions, though, determined to send the message that "all" students in the 21st century need to be prepared as if they are going to college and, therefore, it is education's obligation to provide equal opportunities for all students. This principle is about giving all students broader life choices and does not translate into a statement that every college will be expected to accept all students that apply.

14. Our institution has a limited budget for financial aid. Is the Compact suggesting we shift resources from one group to another?

It was not the intent of the task force for the needs of low-income students to be met at the expense of the needs of other families. Instead, the idea is to strengthen the commitment to providing access to all students for whom financing a college education is a challenge. While this may in some cases involve a re-deployment of campus resources from merit-based to need-based aid, it would be contrary to the spirit of the Compact to encourage institutions to divert funds from one financially needy group to another. Additionally, it was the intent that each institution signing on to the Compact have the opportunity to set its CollegeKeys priorities within the context of its own institutional circumstances and resources. If funding to support a particular strategy isn't realistic in the institution's situation, the expectation is that the leaders would choose to focus on other strategies identified in the inventory that do not require new expenditures.

15. Who should be on our senior leadership team?

The senior leadership team should be an interdisciplinary team with representation from across your institution. Members should have different skills and perspectives that may be applied in evaluating current efforts and identifying new opportunities to encourage college success for low-income students. For higher education institutions, the team may include the president, admissions officer, enrollment manager, financial aid officer, faculty chairs, and representatives from diversity initiatives, student services, academic services, and community outreach programs. For districts and schools, the team may consist of the superintendent, principal, school counselor, curriculum director, teachers, school board members, and representatives from community outreach programs.

16. Who is responsible for paying for fee waivers for low-income students?

Last year, the College Board provided more than $23 million in fee waivers for low-income students who participated in the AP® Program, took the SAT® or PSAT/NMSQT®, or used the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®. In addition, eligible students can receive Request for Waiver of College Application Fee forms from their school counselors. More than 1,800 institutions have either agreed to waive their application fees or will consider doing so if a student is eligible for an SAT program fee waiver. Many districts and states also cooperate to make fee waivers a reality. The Federal Government's Advanced Placement Test Fee Program (Title I, Part G, Section 1704) provides AP Exam fee subsidies for low-income students. Learn more about fee waivers and reductions for College Board tests.

17. Is there a summary document that I can use to review the purpose of the CollegeKeys Compact with my colleagues?

Download a summary brochure of the CollegeKeys Compact (.pdf/176K).

18. Where do I go to ask questions?

We are pleased to answer all your questions regarding the CollegeKeys Compact.

You can contact us by emailing collegekeys@collegeboard.org, or by writing to:

CollegeKeys Compact™
The College Board
1233 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036