Sales & Marketing Kit

Free guide

10 Ways Families Leave Scholarship & Financial Aid Money on the Table

Discover the 10 most common mistakes families make — and exactly what to do about each one.

• The #1 FAFSA mistake that costs families thousands
• How to find scholarships most students never apply for
• Why 'sticker price' is almost never what you pay
• How to read a financial aid award letter without getting tricked
• The appeal strategy that can add thousands to your package

Inside the guide · 10 sections

1. 1. Missing FAFSA Deadlines — File the FAFSA in October, not March.
2. 2. Not Filing the FAFSA at All — File the FAFSA every year, no matter your income.
3. 3. Ignoring CSS Profile Schools — Check each college's financial aid requirements early.
4. 4. Applying to Too Few Scholarships — Apply to at least 20 scholarships, including local ones.
5. 5. Using Generic Scholarship Essays — Customize every essay. Never submit the same essay twice.
6. 6. Missing Local Scholarships — Search locally: your town name plus 'scholarship'.
7. 7. Not Understanding Financial Aid Award Letters — Read every award letter line by line. Loans are not aid.
8. 8. Not Appealing Financial Aid Offers — Always appeal. Colleges expect it.
9. 9. Not Considering College Fit — Choose a school that fits, not just one that accepted you.
10. 10. Taking on Unnecessary Student Debt — Borrow last, not first. Every dollar borrowed costs two.

Free guide

The Team College-Readiness Guide

A coach's playbook for preparing every athlete on your roster to choose — and get into — the right college.

• The 3 Pathways every athlete should know before signing day
• 80 lessons that build college readiness alongside athletic skill
• How to run a team-wide college-readiness program in 15 minutes a week
• The timeline that keeps seniors from scrambling in November
• When to bring in a specialist for a discovery conversation

Inside the guide · 6 sections

1. 1. Why College Readiness Is a Coach's Job — College readiness is a team culture, not an add-on.
2. 2. The Three Pathways — Present all three pathways. Let athletes choose with their eyes open.
3. 3. The 80-Lesson System — You assign. The system teaches. You track.
4. 4. The 15-Minute Weekly Session — 15 minutes a week, every week, all season long.
5. 5. Milestones and Deadlines — College deadlines belong on the team calendar.
6. 6. When to Bring In a Specialist — $3,499 for 12 months of institutional access.

Free guide

The Church College-Access Sponsorship Toolkit

A complete guide for ministry leaders who want to sponsor college access for their youth — emphasizing community impact, not just buying an online course.

• Why college access is a ministry issue, not just an education issue
• How sponsorship works: 10 to 100 students, six months of access
• The impact framework: measuring lives changed, not just courses sold
• How to fund a sponsorship through grants, partnerships, and congregational giving
• Real stories from churches that sponsored cohorts of students

Inside the guide · 6 sections

1. 1. Why College Access Is a Ministry Issue — College access is a justice issue. Your church can be the bridge.
2. 2. How Sponsorship Works — You fund. They get the roadmap. The community gets the impact.
3. 3. The Impact Framework — Measure lives changed, not courses sold.
4. 4. How to Fund a Sponsorship — Three funding models. Most churches combine them.
5. 5. Real Stories — One cohort changes a community's trajectory.
6. 6. Next Steps — Schedule a consultation to plan your sponsorship.

Free guide

The Architecture of Access: A College-Readiness Framework for First-Generation and Pell-Eligible Students

A structured framework for TRIO Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, Gear UP, and KIPP programs that need a proven, evidence-based system for moving first-generation and Pell-eligible students from preparation to enrollment.

• The 4 pillars of the architecture of access: test prep, profile, story, funding
• How to implement the framework in a 12-month TRIO program cycle
• Milestone tracking and accountability tools for directors
• Why first-generation and Pell-eligible students need a different approach — and what that looks like
• Mikael Davis's extensive TRIO background and why it matters

Inside the guide · 6 sections

1. 1. Why First-Gen Students Need a Different Approach — Different students, different framework. Same high standards.
2. 2. The 4 Pillars — Four pillars, one architecture, zero gaps.
3. 3. The 12-Month Cycle — A full year, mapped month by month.
4. 4. Milestone Tracking for Directors — See every student. Catch every gap. Intervene early.
5. 5. Implementation for TRIO Programs — We provide the framework. Your staff runs the program.
6. 6. 12-Month Institutional Access — $3,499 for 12 months of institutional access.

Free guide

The Research Behind Debt-Minimizing College Access

A research brief for institutional program directors who need peer-reviewed evidence that comprehensive college-access programming reduces student debt.

• The student debt crisis by the numbers — and why it's a program issue
• Federal Reserve research: targeted financial counseling reduced borrowing by 33%
• U.S. Department of Education findings on hands-on FAFSA assistance
• The 5 components of a debt-reducing college-access program
• Large group engagement models starting at $5,499

Inside the guide · 7 sections

1. 1. The Student Debt Crisis by the Numbers — Debt isn't random. It's the result of missing roadmaps.
2. 2. How Comprehensive Programming Reduces Borrowing — Earlier FAFSA + more scholarships + better fit = less debt.
3. 3. The Research Behind Debt-Minimizing College Access — Better preparation. Greater opportunity. Less unnecessary debt.
4. 4. The Mikael Davis Academy Approach — An affordable pathway to earning a degree — not just admission.
5. 5. The 5 Components of a Debt-Reducing Program — 5 components. Each measurable. Each reportable.
6. 6. Measuring and Reporting to Stakeholders — Track what matters. Report what stakeholders need.
7. 7. Large Group Engagement — Book a conversation. Get a customized proposal.

Free guide

The Workforce Gateway E-Book

A career-readiness blueprint for students who aren't initially searching for 'college access' — but need a plan for career and workforce success.

• The career readiness gap and why it matters now
• The blueprint: skills, credentials, and career planning in one system
• How to move from e-book to audiobook to online course to All-Access
• Why workforce readiness is the new college access
• Institutional workforce partnerships and how they work

Inside the guide · 6 sections

1. 1. The Career Readiness Gap — The gap isn't intelligence. It's access.
2. 2. The Blueprint — Skills + Credentials + Career Plan = Readiness.
3. 3. From E-Book to Audiobook — Read it. Hear it. Learn the way that works for you.
4. 4. The Online Pathway — $59/mo for 3 months, or $149 paid in full.
5. 5. All-Access: The Complete Pathway — One pathway or all four. Your choice.
6. 6. Institutional Workforce Partnerships — Bring the Workforce Gateway to your cohort.