Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

1

2008 FEDERAL STUDENT AID AWARENESS SURVEY 

(STUDENTS, IN-PERSON ADMINISTRATION)

Note: Will be administered to high school students in person at public locations in Long Beach. Items or text 

in italics are not read to respondent. For all questions with instructions “probe; mark all that apply,” first 

response will be noted.

Introduction: 

Screener 

Intro1. HELLO, My name is _____. I'm conducting a survey for the U.S. Department of Education with 

high school age students and their preparations for attending college. Your responses can help 

improve programs that make it possible for more people to go to college. 

S1. Were you a high school student in the Long Beach Unified Schools in the school year ending in 

June 2008?

01 Yes, continue

02 No, [Terminate]

99 Refused [Terminate]

(Termination statement) Thank you very much, but we are only interviewing Long Beach high school 

students. Thank you for your time. 

(PRESURVEY INTRO)

S3. I won't ask for your name, address or other personal information that can identify you. Your 

participation is by choice and you may decline to participate at all. You don't have to answer any 

question you don't want to, and you can end the interview at any time. The interview takes 

approximately 9 minutes and any information you give us will be anonymous. If you have any 

questions about this survey, I will provide a telephone number for you to call to get more 

information about the study or your rights as a research participant. Would you like for me to give 

you that number now?

US Department of Education: Mary K Muncie 202-377-3202

01 Continue

99 Refused [Terminate]

Let’s get started. First, I’d like to ask you some questions about going to college or some other type of 

school after high school.

Q1. Are you planning to go to college, trade or technical school after high school?

01 Yes

02 No

97 Unsure/haven’t decided

99 Refused

Q2. Now, think about paying for college, trade or technical school. Where would you go to find information 

about ways to pay for college? [Probe; mark all that apply.][MUL=14][DO NOT READ]

01 High school or guidance counselor
Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

2

02 College/school financial aid office

03 Bookstore (e.g., Borders, Barnes & Noble)

04 Friends and colleagues

05 Family members 

06 Specialists, advisors or HR personnel at work or in union

07 Library - look for books/articles/publications

08 Web site/Internet/computer/on line 

09 U.S. Department of Education web site 

10 U.S. Department of Education publications

11 College entrance publications (e.g. Peterson’s, College Board)

12 Magazines (e.g., US News and World Report)

13 College catalogues, materials, publications

14 Financial advisor/planner

15 Financial institution (banks, credit unions)

16 Other (specify):_____________________

17 Don’t need the information/Already know how to pay

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

[If Q2 =08 or 09, skip to Q4. Otherwise go directly to Q3]

Q3. Have you ever looked for information about paying for college/school on the Internet? 

01 Yes 

02 No [GO to Q3A]

97 Don’t know [skip to Q3A]

99 Refused [skip to Q6]

Q3A. Would you ever look for information about paying for college/school on the Internet? 

01 Yes 

03 No [skip to Q6]

98 Don’t know [skip to Q6]

99 Refused [skip to Q6]

Q4.What search terms/words would you use or have you used on the Internet? [Probe; mark all that 

apply.][MUL=10] [DO NOT READ]

01 Financial aid

02 Scholarships

03 Grants

04 Student aid

05 Paying for/financing/funding for college/university/school

06 Loans, college loans, student loans

07 FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid 

08 U.S. Department of Education

09 State Department of Education 

10 Other (specify):___________

11 Tuition

12 Name of the college, university, or school

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q4a. Are there particular websites you {visited} would go to? [Probe; mark all that apply.] [MUL=11]

[DO NOT READ]

01 The FAFSA or www.fafsa.ed.gov

02 Federal Student Aid orFederalStudentAid.ed.gov or StudentAid.ed.gov
Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

3

03 FAFSA4caster.ed.gov

04 ed.gov or U.S. Department of Education

05 State organization or State Department of Education (specify):_________

06 Yahoo!, Google, AOL or other search engine

07 finaid.org

08 Sallie Mae

09 College Board

10 FAFSA.com

11 fastweb.com

12 mapping-your-future.org

13 knowhow2go.org

14 MyRichUncle.com

15 college.gov

16 Other (specify):______________

17 Financial institutions (banks, credit unions) website

18 Name of the college/university/school (financial aid office) website

97 Nothing in particular/would just look/don’t know

99 Refused

Q5a-c . Think about how much you trust information or advice on preparing and paying for college from 

different Internet sources. Some Internet sources of information are from private, for profit companies; these 

usually have a web address that ends in .com. Some are from non-profit organizations; these usually have a 

web site ending in .org. Finally, some are from government agencies; these usually have a web site ending in 

.gov. Using a scale from 1 to 7 where 1 is strongly disagree and 7 is strongly agree, to what extent do you 

agree or disagree with the following statement:

Q5a . I trust the accuracy of the information or advice about paying for college/school provided by private 

companies with .com web sites. Would you say you [Show response card]:

1 Strongly Disagree

2 Disagree

3 Slightly Disagree

4 Neither Agree nor Disagree

5 Slightly Agree

6 Agree

7 Strongly Agree

97-Don’t know

99-Refused

Q5b .I trust in the accuracy of the information or advice about paying for college/school provided by nonprofit organizations with .org web sites. Would you say you:

1 Strongly Disagree

2 Disagree

3 Slightly Disagree

4 Neither Agree nor Disagree

5 Slightly Agree

6 Agree

7 Strongly Agree

97-Don’t know

99-Refused

Q5c . I trust in the accuracy of the information or advice about paying for college/school provided by 

government agencies with .gov web sites.. Would you say you:

1 Strongly Disagree

2 Disagree

3 Slightly Disagree
Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

4

4 Neither Agree nor Disagree

5 Slightly Agree

6 Agree

7 Strongly Agree

97-Don’t know

99-Refused

[If Q4a =01, skip to Q7]

Q6. Have you ever heard of the FAFSA? [Pronounce rather than spell out]

01 Yes 

02 No [Skip to Q8]

97 Don’t know [Skip to Q8]

99. Refused [Skip to Q8]

Q7. What is the FAFSA? [Single response] [DO NOT READ]

01 Application for government-sponsored student financial aid [Skip to Q8]

02 Web site for student financial aid [Skip to Q8]

03 Web site for college applications/advanced college credit [Skip to Q8]

04 Free Application for Federal Student Aid [Skip to Q8]

06 Process of determining eligibility for student financial aid [Skip to Q8]

07 Government grants, loans, aid, scholarships, assistance programs[Proceed to Q7a]

08 Other (specify):___________________________ [Proceed to Q7a]

97 Don’t know [Proceed to Q7a]

99 Refused [Proceed to Q7a]

Q7a. Would you say the FAFSA is [Read list]

01 An application for government-sponsored student financial aid 

02 A web site for student financial aid

03 A web site for college applications/advanced college credit

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q8. To the best of your knowledge, do you have to pay to file the FAFSA? [DO NOT READ]

01 Yes, have to pay

02 No, it’s free

03 No, but I chose to pay

04 It depends [no further clarification]

05 It depends on the amount of data I reveal

06 It depends on my/our family’s income

07 Other (specify):___________________________

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q9. Do you know of any Federal government agency that provides student financial aid for college, trade or 

technical school? 

01 Yes

02 No [Skip to Q 10]

97 Don’t know [Skip to Q 10]

99 Refused [Skip to Q 10)]
Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

5

[IF Q9=”yes”]

Q9a. Which one(s)? [Probe for any others; mark all that apply.][MUL=7] [DO NOT READ]

01 Federal Student Aid/Office of Federal Student Aid [Skip to Q 10a]

02 FSA [Skip to Q10a]

03 U.S. Department of Education

04 State Department of Education

05 U.S. Armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, 

ROTC etc.) or Department of Defense

06 Veterans Administration

07 Other (specify):____________

08 Federal loan, grant, or program (Stafford, Perkins, Pell, Work Study)

09 State grant or scholarship program (Cal grant, hope scholarship, Bright Futures etc.)

10 Sallie Mae or guarantee agency

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q10. Have you ever heard of FSA or the Office of Federal Student Aid at the U.S. Department of Education? 

01 Yes

02 No [Skip to Q14]

97 Don’t know [Skip to Q14]

99 Refused [Skip to Q14]

Q10a. From what sources did you hear of FSA or the Office of Federal Student Aid at the U.S. Department 

of Education? Sources might include: media or things you’ve seen or heard; people you’ve talked to; and 

places you’ve gone to. [Probe; mark all that apply.][DO NOT READ]

01 TV

02 Radio

03 Print advertisement, poster or publication

04 Newspaper or magazine article

03 High school guidance counselor or teacher

04 College education advisor, counselor, admissions officer or recruiter

05 Friend or family member

06 College fair, workshop or event on applying for college or financial aid

07 Other (specify):_______

98 Don’t know/don’t remember

99 Refused

Q11. Do you know what FSA or the Office of Federal Student Aid at the U.S. Department of Education 

does? [Probe; mark all that apply.] [DO NOT READ]

01 Determines eligibility for loans

02 Determines eligibility for grants/Pell grants

03 Determines if I/we get financial aid or money for school/college or education after high 

school

04 Makes, provides loans 
Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

6

05 Gives grants, money, scholarships, aid

06 Encourages people to go to college/school, provides information on going to 

school/college or education after high school

07 Promotes access to higher education for all Americans, helps people better their lives/get 

better jobs through education, gives everyone a chance to go to college or other 

aspiring/motivating message

08 Other (specify):_______

97 No / Don’t know

99 Refused

Q12. The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) uses a slogan in its publications and on its web site. Have you 

ever heard it?

01 Yes

02 No [skip to Q13]

97 Don’t know [skip to Q13]

99 Refused [skip to Q13]

Q12a. What is it? [DO NOT READ]

01 We help put America through School

02 Start here. Go further.

03 Other (specify):___________ 

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q13. Now I’m going to read you a few slogans. Tell me if you have heard any of them used by the Office of 

Federal Student Aid (FSA). [Present in random order] [Mark all that apply.]

A. We help put America through school [Do not read if mentioned in Q12a]

B. Start here, go further [Do not read if mentioned in Q12a]

C. Know how to go 

D. College is possible

E. The most costly education is the one not begun

01 Yes

02 No

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q14. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Financial aid is available for 

education and training after high school for any American who needs it. Using a scale from 1 to 7 where 1 is 

strongly disagree and 7 is strongly agree, would you say you [Show response card]:

1 Strongly Disagree

2 Disagree

3 Slightly Disagree

4 Neither Agree nor Disagree

5 Slightly Agree

6 Agree
Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

7

7 Strongly Agree

97-Don’t know

99-Refused

Q15. Many families need help paying for college, trade or technical school even after getting scholarships or 

grants. If families like yours need help paying for college, is it a good idea to take out a loan? 

01 Yes [Skip to Q17]

02 No

03 It depends/sometimes

97 Don’t know [Skip to Q17]

99 Refused [Skip to Q17]

Q16. Why do you think it might not be a good idea to take out a loan? [Probe for multiple responses]

[DO NOT READ]

01 Not able to get a loan/have bad credit

02 Not able to pay it back/don’t have enough money

03 Do not have a job to get a loan

04 May not have job after college/school

05 May not finish college/school

06 Interest rates are too high/interest makes it more expensive

07 Other (specify):___________

08 Financial burden, debt that might be difficult, take a long time to pay back

09 May not need it, should use other means (grants, scholarships, aid, savings)

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q17. Did you know that Federal student loans have lower interest rates than most other loans?

01 Yes

02 No

97 Don’t know 

99 Refused

We’re almost finished. I’d just like to ask you a few background questions. First, I’m going to ask some 

questions about the last school year, that is, August 2007 through June 2008.

Q18. How many people in your household, if any, attended college, trade, or technical school during the last 

school year?

01 ____ (enter number)

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q19.What is the highest grade in school or level of education that your mother/female guardian completed? 

01 Less than high school

02 High school graduate or GED

03 Some college

04 Community or Junior college degree

05 Tech or trade school

06 College degree

07 Some graduate school

08 Graduate or professional degree (MA, MS, PhD, JD, MD etc.)
Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

8

09 NO MOTHER/FEMALE GUARDIAN [DO NOT READ]

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q20.What is the highest grade in school or level of education that your father/male guardian completed? 

01 Less than high school

02 High school graduate or GED

03 Some college

04 Community or Junior college degree

05 Tech or trade school

06 College degree

07 Some graduate school

08 Graduate or professional degree (MA, MS, PhD, JD, MD etc.)

09 NO FATHER/MALE GUARDIAN [DO NOT READ]

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q20a. What grade in high school did you attend during the last school year?

01 9

th grade/Freshman

02 10th grade/Sophomore

03 11th grade/Junior

04 12th grade/Senior

99 Refused

Q21. Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin? 

01 Yes

02 No

97 Don’t Know

99 Refused

Q22. Which one or more of the following best describes your race? Would you say you are ...? [Read items 

01-05. Multiple responses accepted.] [MUL=6]

01 White

02 Black or African-American

03 Asian

04 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

05 American Indian or Alaska Native

[Do not read items below.]

06 Other (specify):_____________

97 Don’t know

99 Refused

Q23. Does your family own or rent your home, or have some other arrangement?

01 Own (or pay mortgage) 

02 Rent

03 Other (specify):_______________________

97 Not sure

99 Refused

Q24. [Interviewer: record gender]
Macro....Federal Student Aid 27 July 08 Long Beach

9

01 MALE

02 FEMALE

Closing Statement: Those are all the questions we have for you today. Thank you for your time.