2020 High School Student Perceptions of College Financing Report

This "2020 Perceptions of College Financing Report" provides insights that colleges and universities can use to engage students and families in conversations about cost. Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), PLEXUSS, and RaiseMe sponsored this poll to identify the concerns high school students have about paying for college and the resources that will help them manage the financial aid process. Some of the key findings include: (1) Cost is the top reason students stop considering an institution; (2) Fewer than half of high school juniors reported receiving information about financial aid from campuses; (3) Nine out of ten high school juniors expect they will need to take out loans to pay for college; and (4) Half of parents expect COVID-19 will cause the cost of college to increase. With these and the remainder of the findings, this report hopes to help show institutions how to align their financial aid communications with the concerns, needs, and expectations of students and parents. [This report was co-sponsored by PLEXUSS and RaiseMe.]