Education Funding Report Roundup

The Cost of College

By Catherine Gewertz — May 18, 2009 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Many low-income students don’t go to college because they lack information about how to apply for the financial aid that would make it possible, according to a study by Pew Charitable Trusts’ Economic Mobility Project.

Lack of information about how much college really costs and the complexity of paperwork involved in applying for financial aid deter many low-income students from applying to college, the report said. That is a significant problem, because postsecondary education is especially important for young people as a way out of poverty, the report said.

“Without knowledge about available aid, or how to access it, the sticker shock of rising published prices can scare many students off before they even apply,” one of the report’s co-authors, Ron Haskins of the Brookings Institution, said in a statement when the report was released on May 12.

Harry Holzer and Bob Lerman of the Urban Institute teamed with Mr. Haskins as co-authors of the study.

The authors suggest that policymakers find ways to ensure effective guidance for students in applying to and paying for college, and to boost their academic preparation so they are more likely to succeed.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the May 20, 2009 edition of Education Week

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding Principals Urge Ed. Department: Leave School Safety Funding Alone
Schools need access to funds for mental health professionals and other student services, say principals who've experienced school shootings.
5 min read
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon listens to members of the Principal Recovery Network during their annual meeting on June 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon listens to members of the Principal Recovery Network during their annual meeting on June 9, 2025, in Washington.
Courtesy of Allyssa Hynes/NASSP
Education Funding Trump Admin. Says California’s K-12 Funding Is at Risk. What Would It Mean?
Title I and IDEA funding could be caught up in the battle between the White House and the largest state, which is led by Democrats.
10 min read
President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter during an event signing a bill blocking California's rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, in the East Room of the White House on June 12, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter during an event where he signed a resolution blocking California's rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 in the East Room of the White House on June 12, 2025. Trump's administration has reportedly discussed halting "formula funds" to the state's education department.
Alex Brandon/AP
Education Funding The Trump Budget for K-12 Schools: 5 Key Takeaways
The administration wants to cut roughly $7 billion in annual K-12 funding. Much of it supports vulnerable students.
6 min read
A kindergarten student raises her hand in a dual-language immersion class.
A kindergarten student raises her hand in a dual-language immersion class. Among other changes, President Donald Trump's fiscal 2026 budget would end dedicated federal funding for supplemental services for English learners.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Education Funding Trump Wants to Cut More Than 40 Federal K-12 Programs. See Which Ones
The president's detailed budget, released Friday, proposes eliminating dozens of programs as part of a nearly $13 billion cut.
2 min read
Illustration of a budget sheet, pencil, and calculator.
Maxim Basinski/iStock/Getty