College Pathways Bridge Counselor

Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership; Springfield (MA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Innovation Schools of Springfield Public Schools (ISSPS) seeks a highly relational, student-centered College & Career Bridge Counselor – Postsecondary Access & Persistence to guide students from high school through their transition into college and other postsecondary opportunities.

The Bridge Counselor will travel to college campuses, maintain a caseload, support FAFSA and admissions, and use an AI-enabled support tool to identify students needing intervention while coordinating with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with high school and/or college-age students.
• Knowledge of college admissions, enrollment, financial aid, and postsecondary transition processes.
• Strong communication, organizational, case-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with students, families, school staff, college personnel, and community partners.
• Ability and willingness to travel to college campuses and partner organizations.
• Ability to maintain student confidentiality and appropriately manage sensitive information.
• Experience supporting first-generation college students and families and with FAFSA, financial aid, scholarships, and college affordability.
• Familiarity with college/career platforms and technology-enabled student support tools.

Responsibilities

• Grades 11–12: Relationship Building & Postsecondary Planning
• Develop strong, trusting relationships with students and families beginning in 11th grade.
• Maintain a student caseload and develop individualized college, career, and postsecondary plans.
• Guide students through college exploration, applications, admissions, FAFSA, financial aid, scholarships, and enrollment decisions.
• Collaborate with school counselors, Early College staff, higher education partners, and community organizations.
• Matriculation & Summer Melt Prevention
• Maintain regular contact with graduating seniors through the summer after graduation and track students from acceptance through actual enrollment.
• Identify students at risk of not matriculating and provide timely intervention.
• Help resolve barriers involving financial aid, deposits, registration, orientation, housing, transportation, documentation, and other enrollment requirements.
• Connect students and families directly with college personnel when needed.
• Year 5: First-Year College Persistence
• Year 5 is defined as the first year following high school graduation.
• Maintain an active caseload of ISSPS graduates enrolled in college or other postsecondary programs and conduct proactive check-ins throughout their first year.
• Travel to college campuses to meet directly with ISSPS graduates and collaborate with appropriate college personnel.
• Help students navigate academic, financial, social, and administrative challenges.
• Identify students at risk of stopping out or withdrawing and coordinate interventions that support first-year completion and transition into the second year.
• AI-Enabled Student Support & Early Intervention
• Help graduates successfully utilize the ISSPS AI-enabled student support platform.
• Review appropriate alerts and escalations identifying students who may require additional human support.
• Proactively contact students, provide individualized intervention, and connect them with appropriate college, community, financial, and academic resources.
• Identify trends in student needs and maintain appropriate student privacy and confidentiality.
• Technology will supplement—not replace—the relationship, judgment, advocacy, and support provided by the Bridge Counselor.
• Outcomes, Data & Accountability
• Track key outcomes including applications, FAFSA completion, acceptance, matriculation, summer melt, first-semester persistence, credit accumulation, first-year completion, and first-to-second-year persistence.
• Maintain accurate student-level data, document interventions, and provide regular updates to ISSPS leadership.
• Use data to identify systemic barriers and improve future college and career programming.

Skills

Relationship building

College admissions knowledge

Communication

Organizational skills

Case management

Travel to campuses

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

The Innovation Schools of Springfield Public Schools (ISSPS) seeks a highly relational, student-centered College & Career Bridge Counselor – Postsecondary Access & Persistence to guide students from high school through their transition into college and other postsecondary opportunities.

The Bridge Counselor will travel to college campuses, maintain a caseload, support FAFSA and admissions, and use an AI-enabled support tool to identify students needing intervention while coordinating with