Background and Focus
Financial aid determines college choice and enrollment for low-income students more than any other income group. The goal of this project pertains to understanding high school students’ perceptions of financial aid and access.
Research Questions
The project focused on the following research questions:
- What are the problems that (a) schools, (b) students and their families, and (c) postsecondary institutions encounter that preclude effective discussions about financial aid?
- What are the kinds of information, communication, and activities about financial aid that need to take place between schools and postsecondary organizations/educational agencies?
- What is the most effective environment for discussions about financial aid?
- What needs to change within the school so that discussions about access to financial aid are clear, systematic, and thorough?
Research Design and Method
To address these questions, the research team designed an action-oriented, three-year project that includes nine high schools in California’s Los Angeles County with similar low-income, high minority populations. Three high schools have a high college going rate. Three high schools have a low college going rate. The final three high schools are charter schools with mixed rates of college going. At least one high school in each category serves a large population of undocumented students. Interviews, focus groups, and observations served as the main methods of data collection. These methods allowed researchers to engage students, parents, teachers, counselors, and financial aid practitioners throughout the data collection process.
Timeline
The project spanned three years; in the first year the main focus was on gaining entry to and developing relationships at the nine high school sites. Key stakeholders—practitioners, parents, researchers, and students—were included from the project’s inception. In the second year, researchers made repeated visits to the nine high schools sites, gathered data, and began to share findings with key stakeholders. In the third year, the data came together as researchers developed intellectually and practically sound financial aid information materials and disseminated the findings.
Publications
Getting There – and Beyond: Building a Culture of College-Going in High Schools
William G. Tierney, Zoe Corwin (2007)
Cashing In or Cashing Out: Tools for Measuring the Effectiveness and Outcomes of Financial Aid Events
Brianna Kennedy, Paz M. Olivérez, William G. Tierney (2007)
The College & Financial Aid Guide for: AB540 Undocumented Immigrant Students
Para Estudiantes Inmigrantes Indocumentados AB540
Paz M. Olivérez, Maria Lucia Chavez, Mayra Soriano, William G. Tierney (2006)
Breaking Through the Barriers to College: Empowering Low-Income Communities, Schools, and Families for College Opportunity and Student Financial Aid
Mari Luna De La Rosa and William G. Tierney (2006)
Show Us the Money: Low-Income Students, Families, and Financial Aid
Paz M. Olivérez, William G. Tierney (2005)
Policy Statements
How to Improve Access to College
William G. Tierney (2006)
What School Districts and High Schools can do to Improve the Financial Aid Process for Low-Income Students
William G. Tierney (2006)
A Contract with California’s Youth: A Marshall Plan for Increasing Access to College
William G. Tierney (2006)
Funding
This research was supported by a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based, private, independent foundation that strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. The contents on this website do not necessarily represent the views of Lumina Foundation for Education, its officers or staff.