Newswise — Are confusing and cumbersome financial aid forms denying low-income Americans the opportunity to go to college or university? One University of Toronto researcher is hoping to answer that question with an innovative project that looks at the financial aid process as a barrier to higher education.
The College Enrolment study is a joint venture that involves University of Toronto Associate Economics Professor Philip Oreopoulos and researchers from Case Western Reserve and Harvard universities. Study participants from low-income families will receive assistance filling out burdensome financial aid forms to determine if the help increases opportunities to seek post-secondary education.
"Financial aid is available to many low-income families," says Oreopoulos. "The problem is, people don't know where to look, and they're intimidated by the application process. We believe guiding low-income families through that process will make it easier for them to access higher education."
The study, funded mainly through a $1.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is underway now during 2008 tax season at more than 150 H&R Block offices in Ohio and North Carolina. Randomly-selected clients who earn less than $45,000 annually will be told about financial aid options, and employees will help a sample of these people fill out the lengthy Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Researchers will then track their progress alongside those who did not receive help to determine whether guidance during the application process improves access to higher education. They hope to track as many as 40,000 people in the study.
Oreopoulos' team includes principal investigator Bridget Long, from Harvard, and co-principal investigator Eric Bettinger, from Case Western Reserve.
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