Students and families need ample information and time to properly prepare, plan, and pursue their higher education goals, according to a recent report, Early and Often, by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.

As the title suggests, the report recommends that students and families be given the proper information early and often so they can develop a good understanding of their higher education goals and what it will take to achieve these goals.

"The decision to undertake higher education is actually the culmination of multiple decisions at many intermediate steps starting in middle school and leading to college enrollment," the report states. "The early intervention community is calling for a method of delivering age-appropriate information in a timely manner as one means of rectifying an access divide that grows wider each year."

Providing early access to and the appropriate and accurate information will allow students and families to make better decisions about higher education because their decisions will be based on facts instead of their sometimes inaccurate perceptions.

"The financial decision to attend college is a process that requires navigating multiple financial aid options in which contextual situations (such as the family's background characteristics and school environment) and the quality of information available play essential roles," according to the report.

Poor access to and comprehension of higher education and financial aid information can cause students and families to dismiss the possibility of higher education without considering all the facts. This is especially true for low- and moderate-income families. Providing accurate and timely information throughout a student's education can help dispel any inaccurate perceptions a family might have and allow them to make a decision about higher education based on facts.

"Students and families from the bottom half of the income distribution must overcome greater hurdles to financing a college education than others, and these obstacles are reflected in the fact that over 80 percent of low-income parents of college-qualified high school graduates are ‘very concerned' about college costs and financial aid," according to ACSFA. "Even fully qualified low- and moderate-income students neither enroll in college nor persist to a bachelor's degree at the rates of their middle- and high-income peers."

These concerns in part likely reflect the media's focus on high-priced institutions and the rapid rate of tuition increases, according to the report.

Possessing timely and accurate information at each juncture of a student's college preparation timeline can dispel the hyperbole in the media and alleviate complexity, inform students of financing options, and ensure they make sound decisions.

The knowledge gaps in financial aid and college expense information have been around for decades.

"A survey of 15,000 juniors in high school and their families conducted in the late 1980s established substantial gaps between perceptions about financing college and reality," according to the report.

These information gaps persist today, despite the efforts made by guidance counselors, college financial aid officers, government agencies, and the early intervention community. This is an indication that families are not likely to have necessary information when decisions about academic and financial preparation must be made.

"These informational concerns are not only documented at the high school level, but also in middle school where students who see college as a financial impossibility might not become college-qualified because they see little incentive to prepare academically for something out of their fiscal reach," according to the report. A recent survey shows two-thirds of parents of middle school students had not started saving for college, and only 11 percent had conducted any research on financial aid.

At all age levels, underprivileged students are the most threatened by this lack of knowledge as they are the least likely to have any previous exposure to college education. Another contributing factor for some low-income students may be difficulty accessing information online.

"Low-income and first-generation college students face the greatest information barriers as they are less likely to have experience with financial aid programs and assistance with completing the forms required to obtain aid," according to the report.

To address this problem, the Advisory Committee has proposed an information framework that organizes the components of financial aid information into four broad categories. The four categories will ensure students understand the complete cost/benefit analysis of the college-going decision, have knowledge of the full complement of aid programs available, and can navigate the processes of applying for and receiving aid.

1. Benefits of Higher Education -Ensuring that low- and moderate-income students and families understand the benefits of postsecondary education is imperative. Access to this vital information can positively influence their preparation for college enrollment. Efforts must be made to inform students and families about the economic and social benefits associated with higher education and various professions, including increased income, improved health, and greater civic involvement. Providing students with this information at an early age can inspire them to envision a brighter future for themselves through higher education and to take the necessary steps to prepare academically and financially for college.

2. College Expenses -The college expenses can vary across institutions, so providing students with an accurate picture of college expenses by institutional type may improve access. Additionally, few students and families understand the significant difference between sticker price and the net price of college, and many are undereducated about the breakdown of specific expenses, i.e., tuition, fees, room, board, travel, and textbooks. Total college expenses also go beyond a financial outlay to include the amount of time and effort a student puts forth to complete a degree. Time spent on education can come with the cost of working less than full time and having less leisure time. Effort costs include the mental exertion and labor students pour into their studies, which can affect their attendance and persistence. A comprehensive system of financial aid information must alleviate the confusion surrounding college expenses and reduce the negative impact a lack of information has on college enrollment and persistence.

3. Paying for College -Early information on the availability, eligibility, and variety of financial aid is essential to promote access and persistence. Every student should learn that funding an education requires a reliance on many sources: federal and state governments, institutions, private resources, and personal financial resources. Each of these sources can provide financial aid in the form of grants and scholarships, loans, and work-study opportunities. Delivering information on the differences between need-based aid and merit-based aid will help students better predict which aid options will be available for them. Understanding the intricacies among such options is vital to successfully financing higher education.

4. Forms and Process -Ensuring college affordability requires a firm knowledge of the steps necessary to receive financial aid. The process of applying for aid, while simpler than it was 20 years ago, still requires an understanding of forms and timelines. In addition, legislative and regulatory changes frequently alter the aid system. We cannot assume that even prepared students automatically understand the process because issues such as receiving an early estimate of financial need, applying for a personal identification number (PIN) from the U.S. Department of Education, and reading a financial aid award letter all cause anxiety and frustration among many college applicants. Students receive some help with this type of information from high school guidance staff and college financial aid officers; however, a more comprehensive approach that links information provided from multiple sources (teachers, web sites, news media, college guide books, etc.) would positively impact student enrollment.

The Advisory Committee also recognized the need for a comprehensive system providing early financial aid information in the Student Aid Gauntlet. The Gauntlet makes 10 recommendations to policy makers to improve student financial aid at the federal level.

But because the audience of the Student Aid Gauntlet is policymakers, it didn't outline the specific financial aid information, timing, or delivery strategies. With Early and Often the committee seeks to provide college advisors and the early intervention community with the necessary components of that information delivery system.

"Before specific delivery strategies for an individual program can be developed and implemented, general guidelines for reaching the target audience and effectively disseminating the information framework must be outlined," according to the report.

The 10 new recommendations found in the report have been identified through research and evidence of positive execution in other effective programs. "Some programs will apply these guidelines, along with other lists of best practices, to multiple aspects of early intervention such as improving academic preparation, raising aspirations, and increasing knowledge about the college going process," according to the report.

But with the ample amount of information being put together, questions arose about when the different messages and information should be presented. Because the information cannot all be absorbed in a short period, a suggested outline details the delivery of age appropriate information in each of the four framework categories.

"The proposed timeline is one approach to delivering framework information at points in time most useful to middle and high school students making college preparation and enrollment decisions," according to the report. These components will help to motivate students to pursue and prepare for higher education, especially if absorbed by students at developmentally appropriate times.

This timeline provides the following information at the following ages: Benefits of higher education - delivered from 6th through 11th grade; College expenses - from 8th till the start of college; Paying for college - 6th till the start of college; and Forms and Process - 9th till the start of college.

By Michael Jones II
NASFAA Communications Intern

Posted 07/22/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web Site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.