February 5, 2013
TO
LEA Superintendents
Middle School Principals
School Counselors
FROM
June St. Clair Atkinson
COLLEGE IS AFFORDABLE
The exciting results of new research can support your efforts to encourage your students to aspire
to a college education. The research project, completed by College Foundation of North Carolina
(CFNC) in collaboration with the College Board, measured the impact of simple messages about
college prices and financial aid on parents’ understanding of college affordability and their
support for their children’s college aspirations.
This pilot study targeted parents of middle school students whose family income was $30,000 or
less. Through the “College is Affordable” campaign, the project team provided printed
information about college affordability to 250 parents (the test group). A control group with
similar characteristics received no information. Both groups were interviewed by telephone and
the results were striking. For example




72% of test-group parents but only 59% of control-group parents said they knew how
much it costs to attend college in North Carolina.
54% of test-group parents with only a high school education or less said they knew a
great deal or a moderate amount about how to get help paying for college, compared
to only 38% of similar parents in the control group.
65% of test-group respondents, and only 43% of control-group respondents, agreed
with the statement that most students pay far less than the prices colleges publish.
68% of test-group parents said they planned to talk to their child’s guidance counselor
about what their child needs to do to prepare to go to college. Only 59% of controlgroup parents planned to take similar action.
For more details of the research and its findings, a two-page summary, along with both English
and Spanish language copies of the “College is Affordable” brochure and cover letter used in the
study are available at http://www.cfnc.org/CollegeAffordable.
OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT
June St. Clair Atkinson, Ed.D., State Superintendent | June.Atkinson@dpi.nc.gov
6301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-6301 | (919) 807-3430 | Fax (919) 807-3445
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
College is Affordable
February 5, 2013
Page 2
Below are key points from the research you can share with middle school students and their parents
to emphasize that, to get the things they want in life (exciting career, secure job, healthy future for
themselves and their children), education is the surest path. If you would like assistance in
presenting this information, or any other topics on careers or planning, applying and paying for
college, the CFNC Regional Representative in your area will be glad to help.
Things Students (and Their Parents) Should Know:
1. College can be affordable; there are grants and scholarships totaling $100 billion each
year and North Carolina colleges and universities are among the most reasonably priced
in the nation.
2. Going to college pays back. People with college degrees earn 66% more on average
than people with high school diplomas; and are half as likely to be unemployed as
people with only high school diplomas.
3. Studying hard in middle school matters because the classes you take now will get you
ready for college prep classes in high school.
4. You have a range of college options.
 Not all colleges are the same, and there is one that will be right for you.
 There are 110 colleges in North Carolina alone.
 The college you choose depends on what you want to do after you graduate.
JSA:SB:mw