About this episode

The episode discusses Mississippi's success in FAFSA completion through community efforts and partnerships.

In this episode of The Rural Voice, Melissa Sadorf, Bill Chapman, and Chris Silver speak with Jim McHale and Kierstan Dufour about how Mississippi became number one in the nation for FAFSA completion. The conversation highlights how Mississippi’s success was not built through a FAFSA mandate but through relationships, local partnerships, community college networks, faith-based support, mobile outreach, Spanish-language resources, and a broad commitment to meeting students and families where they are. Jim and Kierstan explain how completing the FAFSA serves as a doorway to postsecondary opportunity, especially for rural, low-income, and first-generation students, while also emphasizing the importance of persistence, renewal, basic-needs support, and long-term college completion. Jim McHale is President and CEO of the Woodward Hines Education Foundation and the Mississippi Higher Education Assistance Corporation, where he has led statewide efforts to expand postsecondary access, attainment, persistence, and completion for Mississippians. Kierstan Dufour is Director of External Training and Partnerships for Get2College, where she has led FAFSA scaling efforts, developed educator…

People in this episode

Hosts: Melissa Sadorf, Bill Chapman, Chris Silver

Guests: Jim McHale, Kierstan Dufour

Topics covered

• FAFSA completion
• rural education
• college access
• financial aid
• community partnerships
• first-generation students

Keywords

• FAFSA
• Mississippi
• college access
• financial aid
• rural education
• first-generation students
• community partnerships

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Woodward Hines Education Foundation, Mississippi Higher Education Assistance Corporation, Get2College

Places: Mississippi

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