Early & Often: Designing a Comprehensive System of Financial Aid Information. A Report of the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance
Author: Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance
Date: 2008-07-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Access to Information,Information Dissemination,Access to Education,Higher Education,Academic Persistence,Educational Benefits,Student Costs,Paying for College,Financial Aid Applicants,Guidelines,Family Involvement,Parent Participation,Mentors,Integrated Activities,Cultural Differences,Partnerships in Education,School Community Relationship,Peer Influence,Program Evaluation,Standards,Money Management,Delivery Systems,Outreach Programs,Time Management

Students and parents need ample time and accurate information to prepare for the financial burden of a college education--those who lack this knowledge base face a significant access barrier to higher education. This problem can be countered by the delivery of comprehensive, integrated financial aid information, an approach identified by the Advisory Committee in "The Student Aid Gauntlet: Making Access to College Simple and Certain" (2005). At the heart of the report is a comprehensive framework that provides detailed subcategories of information students should know within four broad areas: (1) Benefits of Higher Education; (2) College Expenses; (3) Paying for College; and (4) Forms and Processes. In addition, the report lays out a set of ten guidelines to help practitioners tailor delivery to a target population. Research and program implementation have shown each of the ten guidelines to be effective, and programs will find that a customized combination of the guidelines will help meet individual program objectives. These are: (1) Intervene by 6th Grade and Continue through High School; (2) Involve Parents and Families in the College-Going Process; (3) Mentor Each Student; (4) Complete the FAFSA; (5) Adapt the Program to the Individual School Community; (6) Integrate Language and Cultural Differences; (7) Partner with Community Organizations; (8) Encourage Peer Integration; (9) Formulate Program Evaluation Standards; and (10) Discuss Financial Literacy alongside Financial Aid. Finally, a series of unit plans suggest a structure to ensure timely information delivery. Programs may find the unit plans helpful as a starting point for developing their own curriculum for financial aid information. This report is a complete resource on early financial aid information and seeks a wide audience, including curriculum developers, policymakers, college advisors, and the early intervention community. By adapting the framework, guidelines, and unit plans to suit the needs of a program's target population, practitioners may use the resources in this report to develop an aid information system uniquely geared to the needs of their own students. Appended are: (1) Programs Highlighted in this Report; (2) Advisory Committee Members; (3) Advisory Committee Staff; and (4) Authorizing Legislation. (Contains 2 exhibits, 3 figures and 1 table.) [For "Early & Often: Designing a Comprehensive System of Financial Aid Information. Abridged Report of the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance," see ED529500.]