Thesis advisor: Diana Pullin / As families struggle with the rising cost of college, the federal government attempts to ease the financial burden not only by providing grants and loans, but also by giving families better information about the cost of college and the availability of financial aid. The federal government spends significant amounts of money on collecting and disseminating information with the hope that students and parents will make better decisions about how to save, where to apply, and where to attend. This research stems from the observation that efforts to provide information are not backed by sufficient research. The literature on college choice and use of information does not indicate whether (and when) families seek cost and financial aid information. Moreover, the literature does not suggest whether families' use of information has the intended effect upon their decision making by helping families make better decisions about paying for college. This study takes steps to fill this gap in the literature by examining seven middleincome families' use of information during the college decision making process. The research uses a phenomenological approach to look at both the sources of information families use and the meaning that they make of this in their college search processes. The results show that families rely on cost and financial aid information primarily from colleges, independent websites, and informal sources like other parents, friends or neighbors. The study also identifies themes that play a role in shaping families' ability to use information in their decision making, such as the uncertainty that characterizes the college choice process and the distinct roles played by the parents and students. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_101978 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Margetta Morgan, Julie H. |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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