USA Funds Supports Online Resource That Helps Students Prepare for College

A new online resource is changing the way that high-school students prepare for postsecondary education. PathfinderHS, by Envictus, is a Web-based tool that provides customized curricula and management of information for each student enrolled in the program.

“Our goal is to dramatically increase the effectiveness of college- and career-guidance counseling in our nation’s schools,” says Kashi Tahir, chairman and CEO, Envictus Corp. “With PathfinderHS, we are able to equip large numbers of students with the resources they need to succeed and make a positive impact on their future.”

USA Funds^® has partnered with Envictus to bring PathfinderHS into select schools in Florida, with plans to put Pathfinder in schools in the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Indiana and Washington. USA Funds and Envictus also are exploring options for deploying PathfinderHS in schools in additional states. Funding from USA Funds supports hardware and infrastructure for schools to use the program.

“PathfinderHS gives students the resources and tools they need to make informed decisions about their postsecondary-education options,” says Greg Ayers, senior vice president, policy and administration, USA Funds. “The program helps students realize their goals by teaching them about academic and financial decisions for education and training beyond high school.”

Unlike other college- and career-planning Web sites, PathfinderHS is actively used by high schools in conjunction with a formal curriculum that uses specific learning objectives to guide students through the process of planning for college.

Based on information that the student provides to PathfinderHS, the tool offers customized feedback on possible career choices, majors and potential postsecondary institutions. The PathfinderHS program then assists the student by listing postsecondary choices that fit the student’s interest area and ability level.
In addition, PathfinderHS addresses the required high-school courses that a student must complete to be eligible to enter specific postsecondary programs. The tool also suggests summer activities for throughout the high-school years that will help the student prepare for particular postsecondary program. 

A 2005 pilot implementation of PathfinderHS at select high schools in Florida documented significantly greater knowledge of key aspects of college-admission, financial-aid and career planning among students exposed to PathfinderHS, as compared with a test group that did not experience the program.

The following are among the topics about postsecondary-education preparation that PathfinderHS covers:

• Recommended colleges or universities in three ranges:
  • “Safety” — The student surpasses the minimum requirements to attend this university.
  • “Target” — With the student’s grade-point average and course plan, the student is likely to be admitted to colleges and universities in this range.
  • “Reach” — With improvement and additional effort, the student has an opportunity to be admitted to these schools.
    
• Exploring careers — Information such as educational requirements, work environment, salaries and video interviews, with experts in the field showing a day in the life in that profession.
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid — An explanation of the process of applying for federal student aid, and important deadlines.
• Financial Aid Wizard — Details about which financial aid, grants or scholarship programs are available and whether the student qualifies for them.
• Summer options — Suggested summer camps or employment in the student’s interest area, including information about the proximity of the camp or job to the student’s home.
• Alternate Paths — Information about other alternatives that could help students reach their potential, such as career- and technical-education and military options.

Data is available to high-school guidance counselors to help ensure that students are using PathfinderHS. This information allows the guidance counselors to give the students additional guidance about using the system and about the importance of planning for college, as necessary.

Additionally, PathfinderHS sends e-mail reminders of important dates such as FAFSA-filing and college-admission deadlines.

Once a school has been selected to pilot PathfinderHS through the USA Funds-Envictus partnership, staff members from Envictus meet with school personnel to train the staff. Each school can decide how best to implement the program as part of that school’s curriculum. Ideally, students will start with PathfinderHS in the ninth grade and continue through their senior years to ensure that they take full advantage of the program and have sufficient time to plan for postsecondary education.

“This is a groundbreaking program that can make a difference in the lives of students as they prepare for a postsecondary education,” says Ayers. “In keeping with our nonprofit mission to enhance postsecondary-education preparedness, access and success, USA Funds is partnering with Envictus to provide this extraordinary college-planning resource.”