Understanding Parent Comprehension and Attitudes About College Costs

There is significant existing research on college costs, affordability, financial aid, and educational attainment for student demographic factors (race, socioeconomic status, gender, family size, etc.). The missing piece in both the literature and overall understanding of the problem lies in the views of parents, who, in addition to guidance counselors, are the resources that students look to the most for advice. This session will use research and data to explore the expectations of future postsecondary degree attainment and the estimates of college costs from a nationally representative sample of parents of high school freshmen.