Organizational Overview
Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) empowers and supports students throughout Southeast Michigan to achieve post-secondary success. Founded in 1990, DRDFS provides equitable opportunities for students to access and earn a post-secondary degree, reach their goals, and strengthen our communities.
Through our Next Level Scholars Program, scholars are engaged beginning in 10th grade and continue through post-secondary credential or degree attainment. The program inspires and prepares scholars to pursue post-secondary education, which we accomplish through tailored campus visits, SAT preparation, leadership workshops, FAFSA completion, one-on-one coaching and more. DRDFS awards each scholar a $4,000 scholarship upon high school graduation and continues to provide resources, coaching and support until they earn a post-secondary degree or credential. We are proud that our scholars outpace their peers in post-secondary enrollment, persistence, and graduation.
Over the past 35 years, what started as a small group of committed neighbors who established the organization to support their local school has evolved into a comprehensive, award winning post-secondary access and success program, serving 16 partner high schools and more than 1,000 scholars across Southeast Michigan annually.
Opportunity
Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is currently seeking a motivated, reliable and passionate College Success Coach. This role will report to the Success Program Manager and work with a cohort of approximately 150 students in the Next Level Scholars Program. Partnering with students, their families, and high school advisers, you will guide scholars through the college application, selection, and enrollment process to support a smooth transition to post-secondary education. Your support continues during the first year of post-secondary education, with consistent communication, events, and initiatives. You will be responsible for tracking and recording scholar progress throughout their senior year and first year after high school to reach our enrollment and persistence benchmarks.
Post-Secondary Planning, Enrollment and Success Advising
Coach students in building and applying to their personalized reach, match, and safety strategy for post-secondary education.
Provide resources and guidance to students as needed for essays and other application support.
Support students in completing the FAFSA by the DRDFS deadline as well as offering support throughout the verification and follow up processes.
Review financial aid award data with each student in relation to their post-secondary decision making.
Maintain ongoing communication with all scholars on caseload, providing regular and timely reminders, coaching, and guidance to students virtually and in person at partner high schools.
Host small group and 1:1 meetings at high schools and college campuses monthly, based on school and student need.
Walk students through the college enrollment process using checklists through coaching sessions and 1:1 meetings and track milestones in CoPilot, our database built in Salesforce.
Coordinate and lead senior year focused programming and experiences like list building, FAFSA completion sessions, financial literacy sessions, and comparing aid award letters among other topics.
Coordinate and lead summer melt programming and communication for students to ensure matriculation after graduation and persistence to year 2 of post-secondary education.
Coordinate and lead post-secondary success initiatives, with a focus on the first-year experience.
Support scholars in navigating transitions in their post-secondary education pathways such as transfers, gap year, trade programs, stop outs, renewing FAFSA, reviewing SAP and financial aid changes as they arise.
Data Collection and Caseload:
Maintain accurate and timely student records in CoPilot, our database built on Salesforce, by entering key updatesincluding progress, interactions, and contact informationwithin three business days of each student touchpoint or status change.
Manage a caseload of 100200 high school seniors and/or first-year post-secondary students by:
Proactively scheduling monthly (or as-needed) student meetings
Effectively managing time and calendar to meet weekly and annual meeting benchmarks
Guiding students and aligning meetings with key milestones and deadlines for their individual post-secondary plans
Monitoring and supporting students to be accountable to institutional and personal deadlines
Responding to all student and stakeholder inquiries within two business days
Organizational Responsibilities
Attend all organizational events and student programming, supporting lead staff as assigned.
Contribute to DRDFS mission, vision and long term strategic plans as a dedicated and flexible team member.
Qualifications
Requires a bachelors degree from an accredited college or university.
Demonstrates a consistently positive, strengths-based mindset in both student interactions and team collaboration; encourages growth, resilience, and a solution-oriented approach, even in challenging situations.
Youth program experience and desire to empower and support students to achieve post-secondary success.
Ability to regularly visit assigned high schools and support off-site DRDFS events throughout Southeast Michigan.
Approximately 70% local travel, with reliable transportation required.
Strong teamwork, interpersonal and coaching skills
Highly organized, detail-oriented and self-motivated; able to take initiative, manage, and complete multiple tasks within deadlines and within budget.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with frequently changing...
Equal Opportunity Employer
Please see job description for required skills.
