Potential Adult Student On-line Survey

TO12 POTENTIAL ADULT COLLEGE STUDENTS RESEARCH ONLINE SURVEY FINAL 06/03/16

^{PROGRAMMER: AIM FOR 400 COMPLETES. SEE AGE QUOTA AT S3.}

^{Intro - Introduction}

Market Connections is conducting research on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). FSA would like your input and feedback on information and communications related to financial aid for college or career school. This survey is voluntary and should take only about 12 minutes to complete. Your responses will remain anonymous and will be reported only in summary form. Thank you in advance for your opinions. Your input is very important. Click the "Next" button below to begin the survey.

^{Screeners1+2+3_potentail adult student requirements}

S1. Are you currently enrolled and attending a college, university or trade school, either full time or part time?

• Yes (1) [THANK AND TERMINATE]

• No (2) [CONTINUE]

STOP	Screened – Termination Screener Thank You Thank you for your willingness to participate in this survey. We have met our quota for respondents in your category and do not need any additional information.

S2. Have you graduated high school or received a GED?

• Have not graduated high school/received a GED (1) [THANK AND TERMINATE]

• Have graduated high school/received a GED (2) [CONTINUE]

S3. In the next 12 months, are you seriously considering enrolling part-time or full-time as an undergraduate at a four-year college or university, or at another type of postsecondary institution such as a two-year college or junior college or trade school?

• Yes (1) [CONTINUE]

• No (2) [THANK AND TERMINATE]

STOP	Screened – Termination Screener Thank You Thank you for your willingness to participate in this survey. We have met our quota for respondents in your category and do not need any additional information.

^{Screener 4_age requirements}

S4. Which of the following categories best describes your age? [PROGRAMMER, SEE QUOTA INSTRUCTIONS, WITH REQUIREMENT OF 400 COMPLETES OVERALL]

• Under 18 [THANK AND TERMINATE]

• 18-19 [THANK AND TERMINATE]

• 20-29 [CONTINUE: AIM FOR 130-135 COMPLETES]

• 30-39 [CONTINUE: AIM FOR 130-135 COMPLETES]

• 40-64 [CONTINUE: AIM FOR 130-135 COMPLETES]

• 65 or older [THANK AND TERMINATE]

STOP	Screened – Termination Screener Thank You Thank you for your willingness to participate in this survey. We have met our quota for respondents in your age category and do not need any additional information.

^{Screener 5_previous college attendance}

S5. Will this be your first time attending a postsecondary school (i.e., a college, university, or career/trade school)?

• First time (1) [CONTINUE]

• Previous post-secondary student (2) [CONTINUE]

^{Screener6_Financial Decisions}

S6. Are you primarily or jointly responsible for making the financial decisions in your household?

• Yes (1) [CONTINUE]

• No (2) [CONTINUE]

^{Screener7_Interest in Financial Aid/Loan Information}

S7. To what extent are you interested in getting information on financial aid for college or career school and/or information on the repayment of student loans? Are you…

• Very interested (1) [CONTINUE]

• Somewhat interested (2) [CONTINUE]

• Not very interested (3) [THANK AND TERMINATE]

• Not at all interested (4) [THANK AND TERMINATE]

STOP	Screened – Interest in Financial Aid Repayment Screener Thank You Thank you for your willingness to participate in this evaluation.We have met our quota for respondents in your category and do not need any additional information.

^{Screener8_Previously Applied For Or Received Financial Aid}

S8. Within the past five years, did you apply for or receive any financial aid, such as grants or student loans, to help finance your college education?

• Yes (1) [THANK AND TERMINATE]

• No (2) [CONTINUE]

STOP	Screened – Previously Applied For Or Received Financial Aid Screener Thank You Thank you for your willingness to participate in this evaluation.We have met our quota for respondents in your category and do not need any additional information.

^{Screener9_Previously viewed student financial aid materials}

S9. Have you ever heard of or viewed any materials, such as websites, brochures, videos or other resources on the topic of student financial aid?

• 1 Yes   [CONTINUE]

• 2 No    [CONTINUE]

• 3 Do not recall   [CONTINUE]

MAIN SURVEY

Knowledge of College Funding and Financial Aid Topics

1. In general, how knowledgeable do you feel you are about the subject of college funding and financial aid?

• Very knowledgeable (1)

• Somewhat knowledgeable (2)

• Not very knowledgeable (3)

• Not at all knowledgeable (4)

^{Distinguishing Characteristics of Potential Adult College Students}

2. Thinking about your intent to enroll in college or career school as a full-time or part-time student, what, if anything, do you think makes you different from someone who is enrolling straight out of high school? (Select up to 5)

[ROTATE]

• Greater life experience/maturity

• More focused on/committed to the coursework

• Greater sense of the time required to attend/return to college

• Greater understanding of the funds required to attend/return to college

• More realistic understanding of the debt incurred by attending/returning to college

• More focused on choosing programs that are marketable in the workplace (i.e., that can lead to a job or job advancement)

• More concerned about affordability in general

• More concerned about eligibility for grants

• Less sure about how to apply for federal student aid or student loans

• Less sure about how to fill out federal financial aid/loan application forms

• More concerned about mastering classroom or homework technologies

• Don’t have parental support to help cover the cost of my education

• Don’t have access to people who can help guide me through the financial aid application process

• Have other financial responsibilities (e.g., rent/mortgage, bills, providing for family etc.)

• Other (SPECIFY: ______________)

• I am no different from someone enrolling straight out of high school

^{Ways to Look for and Receive Federal Student Aid/Loan Information}

3. Have you ever searched for information about how to pay for college or career school, whether for yourself or for others? (For example, you may have searched for information about student loans or about federal student aid in general.)

• Yes (1) [GO TO Q4]

• No (2) [GO TO Q7]

• Unsure (3) [GO TO Q7]

4. What are some of the ways you have looked for information about paying for college or career school, about federal student aid, and/or about student loans? (Select all that apply)

[ROTATE]

• Internet search engine (e.g., Google) (1)

• Website (2)

• Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) (3)

• Video (4)

• Infographic (e.g., a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information or data) (5)

• Face-to-face meeting with college advisors or high school counselors (6)

• Workshop or information session held by school/college (7)

• Advice from family/friends (8)

• Booklet/brochure (9)

• Local library (10)

• Other (please specify): ____________________________________________________________(97)

[SKIP IF ONLY ONE ITEM MENTIONED AT Q4]

5. Which of these methods are the most helpful to you personally? (Select up to three)

[PROGRAMMER: PIPE IN RESPONSES FROM Q4.]

[ASK Q6 IF WEBSITE MENTIONED AT Q5]

6. What website or websites have you gone to for information about federal student aid, and/or about student loans? [OPEN END _________________]

7. How would you like to receive information about college funding or financial aid? (Select all that apply)

[ROTATE]

• Internet search engine (e.g., Google) (1)

• Website content (2)

• Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) (3)

• Video (4)

• Infographic (e.g., a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information or data) (5)

• Face-to-face meeting with college advisors or high school counselors (6)

• Workshop or information session held by school/college (7)

• Print publication/booklet/brochure (8)

• Online/electronic publication (9)

• Text messages or alerts on smartphone/tablet (10)

• Email messages (11)

• Online chat with expert (12)

• Other (please specify): ____________________________________________________________(97)

[SKIP IF ONLY ONE ITEM MENTIONED AT Q7]

8. Which of these formats are you most likely to pay attention to or take action on? (Select up to three)

[PROGRAMMER: PIPE IN RESPONSES FROM Q8.]

[ASK Q9 IF WEBSITE MENTIONED AT Q8]

9. What website or websites – or what type(s) of websites would you like to receive information from about federal student aid, and/or about student loans? [OPEN END _________________]

Type of Information Desired

10. What type of information are you likely to look for? (Select all that apply)

[ROTATE]

• College admission requirements (1)

• Eligibility for grants/scholarships (2)

• Eligibility for federal student loans (3)

• Eligibility for private loans (i.e., through commercial financial institution/bank) (4)

• Federal financial aid/loan application forms (5)

• Step by step advice on filling out federal financial aid/loan application forms (6)

• Loan selection/repayment options (7)

• Information about deadlines for applying for federal financial aid (8)

• When loan repayment begins

• Interest rate of the student loan

• Whether a student loan is backed by the federal government

• Other (please specify): ____________________________________________________________(97)

Most Valued Qualities of a Student Loan Provider

11. Thinking about the financial side of going to college -- the loans, grants or other student aid you might apply for or receive – let’s assume you have to get a student loan to cover the cost of college. What qualities or characteristics of a student loan provider do you value the most? (Select top 5)

• The provider is the federal government/U.S. Dept. of Education (1)

• The provider is a commercial financial institution/bank (2)

• Clear/straightforward loan terms (3)

• Concise information (4)

• Flexible loan terms e.g., in case of hardship (5)

• Easy to understand terminology (6)

• No fine print (7)

• Low/competitive interest rate (8)

• No hidden fees (9)

• Transparent/honest (10)

• In good standing with the Better Business Bureau or other third-party reviewer (11)

• Accessible by phone (12)

• Can make payments by phone at no extra charge (13)

• Knowledgeable (13)

• An established lender (14)

• Other [SPECIFY __________] (97)

Preferred Timing to Receive information

12. Understanding that you plan to enroll within the next 12 months, when would you prefer to receive the information you are looking for?

• Within the next month (1)

• In the next 2-3 months (2)

• In the next 4-6 months (3)

• In the next 7-9 months (4)

• In the next 10-12 months (5)

Device Use

13. What electronic devices would you prefer to use when searching for information on financial aid for college?

[ROTATE]

• Smartphone (1)

• Tablet (2)

• Laptop (3)

• PC/desktop (4)

• Do not prefer to use electronic devices for this purpose (5)

Social Network Use

14. What social network(s) would you prefer as an information source about financial aid/loans for college?

[ROTATE]

• Facebook (1)

• Twitter (2)

• Instagram (3)

• LinkedIn (4)

• Pinterest (5)

• Snapchat (6)

• Periscope (7)

• Do not prefer to use social networks for this type of information (8)

Lender Preference

15. If considering a student loan, are you more likely to prefer your lender to be [ROTATE: a commercial financial institution or the federal government]?

[ROTATE]

• A commercial financial institution (e.g., bank) (1)

• The federal government (2)

• Unsure (3) [SKIP TO Q17]

16. Please select the two words that would best describe the feeling you think you would get when dealing with [PIPE IN RESPONSE FROM Q15]? (Select up to two)

[RANDOMIZE]

• Accomplishment (1)

• Confidence (2)

• Hope (3)

• In control/in control of finances (4)

• Peace of mind (5)

• Reassurance (6)

• Relief (7)

• Satisfaction (8)

• Security (9)

• Success (10)

• Other: [SPECIFY ___________] (97)

Demographics and Classifications

The last few questions are for classification purposes only. These questions are not required. This information will be used for research purposes only and reported anonymously.

17. What is your gender? [NOT REQUIRED]

• Male

• Female

18. What category best describes the area in which you live? [NOT REQUIRED]

• Urban

• Suburban

• Rural

19. What is the highest level of education you have attained? [NOT REQUIRED]

• Some high school

• High school diploma

• Some college

• Some trade school

• Trade/professional school or proprietary school diploma/certificate

• Associate degree (2-year)

• Bachelor’s degree (4-year)

• Master’s degree

• PhD or postdoctoral degree

• None of these

20. Which of the following categories best describes your annual household income before taxes? [NOT REQUIRED]

• Under $20,000

• $20,000 to $39,999

• $40,000 to $59,999

• $60,000 to $79,999

• $80,000 to $99,999

• $100,000 to $149,999

• $150,000 to $199,999

• $200,000 and over

• Don’t know

21. Which of the following describes your ethnicity? [NOT REQUIRED]

• Hispanic or Latino

• Not Hispanic or Latino

22. Which of the following describes your race? [NOT REQUIRED]

Select all that apply

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

• White

23. ^{What state do you live in?}

[DROPDOWN MENU] [NOT REQUIRED]

STOP

Complete – Thank you Thank you for your participation! FSA values your input. Please click the button below to submit your responses. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1845-0045. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 12 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this survey, please contact Federal Student Aid/Customer Experience Office/Customer Analytics Group at 830 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20202 or customersurveys@ed.gov directly. [Note: Please do not return the completed survey to this address.]

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