As the college admissions landscape becomes increasingly competitive, students from wealthy families often enjoy a clear advantage — a reality that has harmed those from less privileged backgrounds. For applicants with the same SAT or ACT score, those in the top one percent were 34 percent more likely to be admitted into a college than an average applicant.
All students who are at a disadvantage — be it low-income, first-generation or foreign students — need access to as many resources as possible. Berkeley High School’s College Career Center (CCC) offers tools to help all students navigate college applications. By guiding students through the financial aid process and providing individualized support, CCC counselors are a crucial resource for those at a disadvantage.
Each year, college counselors Yasmin Navarro and Joanne Dumbrigue write a grant to get funding for the CCC through the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP). These funds allow the CCC to support 100 percent of students.
Because students are not asked to disclose income information, both Navarro and Dumbrigue provide everyone with as much information as possible. “At Berkeley High (School) we see students from all ends of the income spectrum,” Navarro said. “We won’t know if all the information is pertinent (to a student) until they self-identify,” she continued. “That’s why it’s up to the students to advocate for themselves,” added Dumbrigue. If a student identifies themselves as low-income, the counselors can then provide support for things like financial aid.
Seniors who worked with college counselors were 3.2 times more likely to attend college and two times more likely to attend a bachelor’s degree program.
From the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to the College Scholarship Service Profile, the process of applying for financial aid can be confusing and misleading. Last year, the updated FAFSA form was delayed by three months and many families had trouble accessing the form. A cascading set of problems ensued, as colleges didn’t have the data they needed to allocate aid. College counselors are essential to navigating this process. A student is 6.8 times more likely to complete a FAFSA form if they are helped by their school counselor.
Navarro and Dumbrigue help students explore as many different kinds of financial aid as possible. “There are so many sources of aid and it’s important for a student to know all of those sources,” Navarro said. “Just because you don’t qualify for federal aid doesn’t mean you don’t qualify for state aid or a city grant,” she continued. Navarro also stresses that aid is not always money. Students can receive support with food, housing, and materials.
Dumbrigue, who worked for 10 years in a financial aid office, describes financial aid as an “umbrella.” She works with students to explore different channels: from loans to grants and scholarships.
It is not only low-income students that benefit greatly from support at the CCC. Both first-generation students and foreign students may be unfamiliar with the college applications process.
“As a first-gen college student, I found myself in situations that I wish someone had told me about,” Navarro said. “We don’t know if a student has someone in their immediate circle that they can reach out and ask questions to,” she said. Students and families who are preparing for their first college experience may not know what information to seek out or what questions to ask. Counselors can anticipate questions and provide information to students who are unsure about where to start. “You have to take it step by step and not overwhelm people with information,” Navarro added.
After years of working with students, Dumbrigue has learned to catch mistakes and remembers things that people always seem to forget. “I’m always thinking about how I can set this student up for success,” she said. “Not only first-generation students, but all my students.”
Looking forward, both Navarro and Dumbrigue wish there were more college counselors to support students at the CCC. “It would help to build a college going culture,” Navarro said. “We want to foster that space of possibility,” she added.
All in all, despite only being two college counselors, Navarro and Dumbrigue make the CCC a vital resource for all students, especially those who are at a disadvantage in the college applications process.