In recent years, we’ve learned more about successful strategies for boosting college access and academic success.

But for many schools, communities, and colleges, bringing those interventions to students has proven challenging, researcher Ben Castleman said Tuesday during a NACAC Facebook Live broadcast.

A new guide— Nudges, Norms, and New Solutions — seeks to fill that gap. The resource is available free of charge and offers step-by-step advice to help educators increase college access, help students file for financial aid, and stay on track academically.

“My hope is that the many thousands of educators across the country who work with students as a school counselor, college admission counselor, or financial aid administrator view this guide as providing additional tools for supporting students within their budget and within their capacity to implement,” Castleman, one of the guide’s creators, said during the broadcast.

A free Nudge Hotline has also been established to help counselors and others customize the guide’s advice for the students they serve.

Both services were developed through a collaboration between the Nudge4 Solutions Lab at the University of Virginia and ideas42, a nonprofit that applies behavioral science to today’s toughest social problems. Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative is a project partner.

Watch our full conversation with Castleman and learn more about the new resources.

Admitted writer/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at mstegmeir@nacacnet.org.