WEBVTT

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[Music]

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My name is Donald Heller.

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I am a professor of education
and senior scientist,

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and I am also director of
the Center for the Study

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of Higher Education here at
Pennsylvania State University.

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As we think about issues
related to college affordability

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and the cost of college and
financial aid, there are lots

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of challenges that students face
when they are in high school

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and thinking about that
transition to college.

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One of the things we know
from the research we conducted

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about what factors help

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to influence whether
first-generation

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or low-income students
go to college is

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that they are extremely
price sensitive.

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And what this means is that
they are going to be dissuaded

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from going to college if they
believe it's too expensive

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and there is not
enough financial aid.

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So high schools have to play a
role in getting the information

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to students about financial
aid paying for college

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to help overcome
this what we call

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"price elasticity"
that students face.

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There are really three
main areas we want

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to make sure we get information
to students and their parents

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about college going and the
cost of going to college.

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The first part is certainly what
does it cost to go to college.

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And that means providing
examples

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of what different colleges cost.

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What are their tuition rates?

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What does it cost if you
are going to live on campus

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for a dormitory and a food plan?

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What does it likely cost to
buy books for your courses?

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The second piece of it is
financial aid information.

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What kinds of financial
aid programs are available

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to students?

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There is assistance from
the federal government,

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most states have a
financial aid program,

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and then institutions
also offer scholarships

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and grants to students.

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So getting information
about the type

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of financial aid is an
important component.

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And the third piece of it
is, how do you get that aid?

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How do students apply
for financial aid,

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giving them information about
the FAFSA, the Free Application

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for Federal Student Aid,
which is usually the gateway

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for getting access to state and
federal financial aid as well

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as scholarship assistance
from many universities.

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So filling out the FAFSA,
giving students assistance

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in doing that, what kind
of information do they need

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when they are ready sit
down and fill out the FAFSA.

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Some universities require
supplemental information beyond

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what's on the FAFSA.

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So making sure that students
and parents understand how

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to navigate the process
of applying for all

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that financial aid
that's out there.

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And when we talk about
the type of financial aid,

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we want to make sure

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that students understand
the difference, for example,

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between grants and loans.

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These are two very different
forms of financial aid,

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and making sure students
understand that, for example,

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grants don't have to be
paid back but loans do have

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to be paid back, what
the difference is

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between a subsidized loan
from the federal government

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versus a private loan from
a bank-all of these kinds

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of things are important

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that students understand
the difference between these

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when they are thinking

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about putting together
a financial aid package

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to help them pay for college.

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I think what high
schools need to do is

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to really think outside the
box in terms of bringing people

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in to help out in this
effort of getting information

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about financial aid and
how to apply for it.

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So for example, bring in
people who are tax preparers

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in their professions
who might be willing

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to volunteer some time to work
with families of students,

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since so much of the
information needed to apply

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for financial aid is information
that comes out of tax forms.

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You can get retired
guidance counselors,

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people who perhaps
would like to volunteer,

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come back to the school, have
some expertise about going

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to college and paying for
it, could come and help out

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and do some one-on-ones
with students and families

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to help them fill out
the financial aid forms.

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There is a great effort

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on nationally called
College Goal Sunday.

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This is a program that
goes into high school gyms

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and other places, brings in
financial aid professionals

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from colleges and universities,

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people from tax preparation
offices,

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anybody who is knowledgeable
about applying

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for financial aid, and, again,
tries to work with students

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and their parents on
a one-to-one basis

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to help them fill
out those forms,

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figure out what information
is needed to apply

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for financial aid, and actually
walk them through the process

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of filling out the FAFSA
online or on paper.

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These are all good efforts that
high schools could look into

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and try to expand the resources
that they can provide themselves

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to students and their parents.

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One of the things we want to
do with high schools is to try

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to change their culture and
get them beyond thinking

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about success as being
just getting students

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through to high school
or graduation

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or making sure students
pass their State Curricular

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Framework Tests.

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We want to make sure the
schools are really thinking

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about success for students
after high school graduation.

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And this means helping
them to prepare for college

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and helping them to
make that transition

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from the high school
shortly afterwards,

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hopefully, to a college campus.

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And information about
college costs,

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information about financial aid,
should be part of the mission

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of high schools and
not just an add-on

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that only some students get.

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There are resources out there.

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So for example, the Department

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of Education has a very good
website with information

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about financial aid
[http://studentaid.ed.gov].

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High schools should be very
familiar with that website.

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Counselors should know about it;

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they should be providing
information to the students

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to get them to that website.

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They don't have to do
all of this on their own;

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they should take
advantage of those resources

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and make sure those resources
are getting into the hands

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of students and their parents.

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[Music]