Giving Students Input: Reflections on the G3 Student Advisory Group

The Community College Research Center (CCRC) is working on a study to examine the implementation and outcomes of Virginia’s Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead (G3) program, a last-dollar financial aid program to support community college students enrolled in workforce training programs in high-demand fields. The G3 Student Advisory Group (SAG) was formed in 2023 to intensively engage a cohort of G3 students over the life of the project; document their backgrounds, college and career goals, and experiences as students; and, critically, provide input on CCRC’s research approaches and activities. Student Advisory Group members Jasmine Foreman and Caitlin Huynh sat down with Pascale Mevs from CCRC to discuss their experiences in G3 and in the advisory group. Foreman was attracted to the no-cost human services program at Tidewater Community College, and Huynh sought out in-demand skills in the healthcare field at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Both highlight why they joined the Student Advisory Group, a promising model for bringing authentic input from students into the research process.

This Q&A has been condensed and edited.

Mevs: If you had to recommend G3 to a peer, what would you tell them?

Foreman: I would tell them this is a great program. If you don’t have the financial stability to pay for school, this is a way to get your education without being burdened down with another financial debt. I talk about it quite often to people who are saying, “Well, I want to go to school, but I can’t afford it.” I say, “Try G3.”

I’m 68 years old. And even though I’m an LPN for 38 years now, I have desired always to be an RN. But I had to work to make money to take care of my kids, who were at the time in school, and I did try to go to school after work, but it can be a very hard task, too, if you have a demanding job. It’s a lot. It is really a lot.

Huynh: I would tell them that it doesn’t hurt to speak to a G3-specific advisor because they know more about that funding source. I also think that it doesn’t ever hurt to ask if you’re qualified for it because it’s seen as a last-dollar push to help pay for anything else that federal or state financial aid didn’t cover.

It just started with a conversation, talking to a program advisor and saying, “Hey, this is my financial situation.” I was in between jobs at the time. And I just need to know where I can start. And I just felt really supported through that conversation. And it made me feel like, okay, it’s okay to just ask other programs about funding opportunities. And it worked out where I was fully funded for the entirety of my medical assistant training.

Mevs: I would love to hear why you decided to join the Student Advisory Group and what you have gotten out of it so far.

Foreman: I decided to join because I want to have some type of input. And I do believe the students’ input is very valuable on how they can even better improve a good program. Maybe there’s something they haven’t thought of that maybe the students can bring on the table.

Huynh: I really joined because I wanted to help the program do better outreach and advertising and letting people know that there’s help that’s out there. I also feel like I’m a nontraditional-enough student where I wanted to get my voice out there. There’s a reason I feel like I took so long to have the courage to pursue my medical and healthcare aspirations, because I was so worried about the cost. And I feel like had it not been for different opportunities, like G3, I would have pushed my education so far back.

Mevs: Other than G3, are there supports that you received throughout your education that have been particularly helpful for you?

Huynh: I think career services at any sort of institution is really helpful because, rather than paying for a career coach outside, it’s free interview practice. The connections with potential employers, resume workshops, and just talking about it with someone who understands a particular part of the job market is really reassuring.

Foreman: There are other services on campus. If a person is having an issue with purchasing food items, they actually have a food service center. There’s even a mobile food bank that also comes to the campus as well. So, there are quite a few benefits available to students.

Mevs: Are there any student services that you wish they provided that they currently don’t?

Huynh: We don’t have a student clinic. They started offering, during COVID time, telehealth, prescription discount coupons. It’s just really expensive to go to an outside provider. I think that’s something that could really be added to support our students.

Foreman: I can agree with that, too. It would be great to actually have a clinic tied into the college. It doesn’t have to be on site. But at least somewhere in the neighborhood where a student could go and get maybe healthcare services at no cost or very low fee.

And another thing that I’ve also said before: I really would love to see the G3 program have more work-study jobs that were set aside just for people in G3.

Mevs: Excellent ideas. I would love to hear about what your faculty relationships have been like, if there was a faculty member that particularly stands out for going over the top and just being really helpful.

Huynh: I really appreciate my medical assistant instructor. She shared about how she faced a lot of challenges as she originally was a Navy Medical Corps person. And she was one of the few women of color; she had to stand up for herself and not be intimidated. And telling us that you’re going to face a lot of intimidation as you get into any career world, but you have to be confident in your skills because you got there for a reason, and every moment that you have is a moment to be better.

Mevs: What is one thing you want to share that I have not asked yet?

Huynh: Never stop asking for help. No matter how strong you feel like you are, you’ve just got to take a moment and say, “I’m just human.” And you’ve got to slow down. It’s okay to slow down. But, you know, one step at a time.

Foreman: It can get tough, but you want to keep your education at the forefront because it’s important. But then our entire life is important—the home, the school, the work, it all goes together. We’ve got to keep on going forward.

Mevs: Thank you both so much. Really appreciate the conversation.

Pascale Mevs is a senior research assistant at the Community College Research Center and a PhD student and PEAR fellow at Teachers College, Columbia University.