This study explores high school families' understanding of college financing. The research examines what college-bound students and parents know about financial aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), scholarships, and student loans. The report evaluates perceptions, exposes common misconceptions, and gauges how prepared high…

Families are now an undeniable part of prospective students' college search process. As American higher education stands at the precipice of profound demographic shifts, colleges and universities must reexamine how they engage not just prospective students, but their families as well. In collaboration with Ardeo and CampusESP, RNL collected and…

In an era of escalating higher education costs, students and families need to be aware of all of their options for financing college and how those financing options work. Financing remains one the top factors for choosing a college, especially for students with greater financial need. Those who do not receive the award packages and financial…

For the March 2020 survey, AACRAO partnered with The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University on the March 2020 survey which recently released the results of the 5th annual #RealCollege survey of students' experiences with food and housing insecurity; it demonstrates widespread food and housing insecurity at more than…

This set of Web Tables is the second in a series of four that together provide key information about 2011-12 first-time postsecondary students' characteristics and their 6-year retention, persistence, attainment, withdrawal, stopout, and transfer rates. The series draws on data collected for the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students…

This set of Web Tables is the third in a series of four that together provide key information about 2011-12 first-time postsecondary students' characteristics and their 6-year retention, persistence, attainment, withdrawal, stopout, and transfer rates. The series draws on data collected for the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal…

This set of Web Tables is the fourth in a series of four that together provide key information about 2011-12 first-time postsecondary students' characteristics and their 6-year retention, persistence, attainment, withdrawal, stopout, and transfer rates. The series draws on data collected for the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students…

This set of Web Tables is the first in a series of four that together provide key information about 2011-12 first-time postsecondary students' characteristics and their 6-year retention, persistence, attainment, withdrawal, stopout, and transfer rates. The series draws on data collected for the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal…

Ten years ago when Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) published its annual study of freshman motivations, those students were entering college in the shadow of the worst recession since the Great Depression. That report, which examined attitudes of students from 2009, provided insight into their motivations, attitudes, and needs in the midst of a very…

As entering students begin their college careers, they have been exposed to many mixed messages about whether college is "worth it"--from the media and public figures, to parents, to peers. There have also been significant changes in demographics, economics, college preparedness, and other key areas that may be influencing how freshmen…

The "2018 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College Report" examines the noncognitive motivations of college freshmen at the beginning of their first year and as they progress throughout that year. This report provides key insights into how freshmen are gauging their potential to graduate, what barriers (financial, academic,…

High school students from disadvantaged high schools in Toronto were invited to take two surveys, about three weeks apart. Half of the students taking the first survey were also shown a 3 minute video about the benefits of post secondary education (PSE) and invited to try out a financial-aid calculator. Most students' perceived returns to PSE were…

This report examines three focal points for understanding incoming first-year students' motivation to complete college: (1) academic motivational barriers and opportunities; (2) social motivational barriers and opportunities; and (3) financial motivational barriers and opportunities. [For "2016 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College…

This study used data from the Parent and Youth Surveys of the 1999 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES:1999) to investigate how much "college-bound" students in grades 6 through 12 and their parents know about the cost of attending college and the relationships between their knowledge of college costs and how they go about…

To ensure reliable, accurate, and timely data capable of monitoring the progress of education in the United States, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, "The Condition of Education." This year's report presents 46 indicators of important developments and trends in U.S.…