Research Briefs

Middle-School Parents Have Good Intentions but Little “College Knowledge”

Volume 8 / Issue 3 / Spring 2008

A summary of From Aspirations to Action: The Role of Middle School Parents in Making the Dream of College a Reality, by Alisa F. Cunningham, Wendy Erisman, PhD, and Shannon M. Looney. A report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), December 2007, with support from The Sallie Mae Fund

Many families of middle-school students...are not sufficiently aware of postsecondary education options.

Despite good intentions, few parents of middle-school children are taking the actions needed to ensure their children can attend college, says a national survey of 1,800 parents of sixth through eighth graders. From Aspirations to Action: The Role of Middle School Parents in Making the Dream of College a Reality notes that while nine out of ten of the parents surveyed expect their child to go to college, almost half of those parents did not report taking any of the college planning actions asked about in the survey.

Preparing for, applying to, and paying for college is not easy, states the report, so parents are key to helping their children navigate this complicated process. However, many families of middle-school students, especially families in which neither parent attended college, are not sufficiently aware of postsecondary education options. This lack of “college knowledge,” especially among parents with lower educational levels or from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, leaves students at risk of not preparing properly for college.

From Aspirations to Action grouped survey results into four areas: aspirations, college knowledge and planning, academic preparation, and financial preparation.

Aspirations

Nearly nine out of ten parents (87 percent) expected their child to go to college; less than one percent did not. Most parents (75 percent) said that a college degree is necessary to get ahead in today’s world. Not surprisingly, parents with higher levels of educational attainment were more likely to expect their child to attend college, while those who did not graduate from high school were less likely to have this expectation and more likely to say that college enrollment would be the child’s decision.

College knowledge and planning

Even though middle-school and high school students consistently cite their parents as a major source of support in high school course selection and college planning, more than 45 percent of parents did not report taking any of the planning actions mentioned in the survey. This percentage was even higher for parents who had never attended college. If they had begun to plan at all, parents were most likely to say they had started saving money, but only 34 percent had done so. Less than 20 percent of parents said they had taken steps such as researching colleges, meeting with teachers or counselors, and looking into the college admissions process—all critical parts of the college enrollment process.

More than a third of parents (37 percent) reported having no sources of information on college preparation or admission. The IHEP survey did show that when asked about their actual sources of college information, parents most commonly responded that they used family and friends, followed closely by the Internet. Counselors, teachers, books, and media lagged behind these resources but were mentioned by around a quarter of respondents.

As expected, parents with higher levels of education were more likely than those with lower levels of education to have access to a wide variety of college planning information sources. The gap was particularly large in the case of the Internet. More than twice as many parents with graduate degrees reported using the Internet to find college information than those with less than a high school diploma. Hispanic parents were also less likely to use the Internet for college information. Given that the Internet is rapidly becoming a critical source of information on college admissions and financial aid, this digital divide is a matter of concern.

Academic preparation

Parents were fairly realistic about when their child should start taking classes to prepare for college, with 66 percent saying in the ninth grade and only about 2 percent saying that classes should start later. More than 80 percent of all parents felt that they knew what classes their child needed to take, but the survey did not test whether parents’ knowledge was accurate. In addition, parents with lower levels of education were less confident about what classes their children should take.

Financial preparation
Two-thirds of parents had not started saving for college, and about a quarter had not taken any financial steps to prepare for college. Of all parents, 37 percent reported saving money and 30 percent reported cutting back on spending. Parents with higher levels of educational attainment were more likely that those with lower levels of education to save for their child’s college education—55 percent of parents with a graduate degree had started saving, compared to only 22 percent of those without a high school diploma.

Overall, 38 percent of parents believed that they have the primary responsibility for paying for college, while 43 percent believed that responsibility was shared with their child. Most parents were aware of financial aid in a general sense, but 11 percent could not name any type of aid. Only 11 percent of parents in the survey said they had started to research financial aid. Parents who are disadvantaged were least likely to know about aid.

Comprehensive approach needed to early college planning

From Aspirations to Action concluded that motivating parents to become actively involved in early college planning will require a comprehensive approach that combines outreach efforts, curricular changes, and increased program support at all levels, including students and families, high schools, colleges, state and local governments, the federal government, and the private sector.

The report recommends several actions to help parents and middle schoolers attain their dream of a college education. First, parents must begin to plan financially for college at an early stage. They need to understand their financial choices and the potential future benefits. Parents of elementary and middle school students should become aware of what it costs to attend area colleges. Financial institutions, schools, and other organizations should educate parents about financial aid programs.

Secondly, schools and counselors must reach out to parents and students to explain which courses are necessary for college and why it is important to plan for college. Information about college options should be a standard part of any life skills curriculum taught in middle and high school, and schools should offer college-planning workshops to parents well before students begin the application process. Current early intervention programs should continue and be expanded and new programs established, with increased funding from government, school districts, colleges, financial institutions, and the private sector.

Finally, the report’s authors propose that Congress should support the Success in the Middle Act of 2007 (H.R. 3406), introduced to offer federal support to improve the education of middle school students in low-performing schools. The act would authorize $1 billion a year for formula grants to states to provide grants to local school districts. One of the act’s mandates for recipients would be to inform students about high school graduation and college admissions requirements.

Intervention program case study included

From Aspirations to Action also compared the survey results with a case study gathered from an early intervention program called Kids to College (K2C), which brings together low-income middle-school students with staff and students from local colleges and universities. Data from surveys given to students before and after their participation in the K2C program affirm the IHEP report conclusions that early intervention can motivate and inspire middle-school students and parents to prepare and plan for college. Acquiring that “college knowledge” earlier, rather than later, in their children’s educational careers will allow parents to more easily achieve their ultimate goal—a college education for their children.
—Debra Bell Geiser, BS

Freelance writer and editor Debra Bell Geiser holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural journalism from Iowa State University. She is the mother of a seventh grader enrolled in a talented and gifted program and lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.