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An evaluation study of the training, orientation, and implementation of a community college new student counseling intervention program: a gap analysis

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Content An Evaluation Study of the Training, Orientation, and Implementation of a Community
College New Student Counseling Intervention Program: A Gap Analysis
by
Mariana Alexandra Piechota De La Garza
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
August 2020

© Copyright by Mariana Alexandra Piechota De La Garza 2020
All Rights Reserved

Running head: AN EVALUATION STUDY iii
iii

Abstract
This study applies the gap analysis framework (Clark and Estes, 2008) to the evaluation of a
financial aid intervention program at an existing community college in California. The purpose
of this study was to evaluate the degree to which the counseling faculty at the New Student
Counseling Services Office (NSCSO) provided a meaningful and effective intervention for
students to secure financial aid after completing the Financial Aid Intervention Program (FAIP)
at Samaria College (a pseudonym; SC). The participants that the researcher focused on in this
analysis were the student completers (n=373) who participated in the FAIP in the summer of
2018. The intended data collection plan for this study was to focus on the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences related to achieving SCs goal. This study used survey
collection methods and conducted a thorough document analysis of the FAIPs existing post-
completion survey data. Findings from this evaluation suggest that all knowledge, motivation,
and organizational influences indicated to have assets and areas of growth. All 41 influences
received recommendations for improvement to increase the reliability and efficacy of the
program. More research on the evaluation and performance of community college programs that
serve students of color is needed. This study adds to that body of literature and makes necessary
recommendations that all community college training and retention programs can follow.

iv
Dedication
Before all, without a doubt, this dissertation is dedicated to my husband. Michael, not
only did you keep me from starving and being dehydrated but also listened to me talk for hours
at a time. For this reason, I also dare congratulate you as well. I believe whole heartedly that our
miracle happened during the end of this process as a result of my deep love and gratitude for
you. Santiago, my sun, this is a footprint of our first adventure together.
Next, to my parents, Claudia and Melchor, who left their country, their family, their
everything to give my siblings and I better opportunities. This is proof your efforts and choices
were well worth it!
To my siblings, my soulmates, my best friends. Karlita and Mel, you are the reason I
even dared to do this, even when I was deeply afraid to try. I want to continue to become a
version of myself everyday so I can contribute to your lives the way you do to mine.
To my champion and brother Pete for caring about the contents of this dissertation and
for dedicating your time to endlessly hear me rant. To you Ashley, because you can also do this.
Kiki, Pepito Grillo, Pootie, Ley-ley, this is proof we are limitless.
Lastly, I want to dedicate this to the next generation. To Santiago, my nephews Hudson
and Hunter and niece Samaya. May you believe that when you want something the whole
universe will conspire for you to get it. May you come to know that you were created with so
much love that your very existence saves, heals and changes the world.

v
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my partner in crime and best friend during this program. Dr. Ryan Bird, I
could quite literally have not been able to finish this program without you. For our trip to Brazil,
and our journey to come! We did it!
I want to thank my friends in the program Ginny and Eric for being the most involved on
campus and the most inspiring and supportive during this process. Cheers Doctors!
I want to thank Pete, Joanne, Greg, Christen and Zack. First, for letting me miss family
gatherings. Second, for your endless support and words of affirmation. Lastly, for making me
feel important to each one of you like I have always been a member of your family.
I want to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Yates. I felt important to you, and I felt that it
was okay to make mistakes even if it was an endless task to edit my work. Thank you for your
patience.
I want to thank my two committee members, Dr. Muraszewski and Dr. Hirabayashi, for
being incredibly patient, encouraging and holistically editing my work.
Lastly, I couldnt have done this without a community of support. If you are reading this
at my request, it is because you were a crucial part of my work and are meant to be in my life
forever.

vi
Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................v
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. xi
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................xv
Chapter One: Introduction of the Problem of Practice ....................................................................1
Benefits of Financial Literacy ..............................................................................................1
Organizational Context and Mission ...................................................................................3
Organizational Goal .......................................................................................................5
Related Literature.................................................................................................................6
Financial Literacy and Retention ...................................................................................6
Importance of the Evaluation ...............................................................................................8
Hispanic Retention and Completion Impact ..................................................................8
Description of Stakeholder Groups ......................................................................................9
Stakeholder Groups Performance Goals.............................................................................9
Organizational Mission ..................................................................................................9
Organizational Performance Goal ................................................................................10
Stakeholder Group for the Study .......................................................................................10
Stakeholders Critical Behaviors .................................................................................11
Purpose of the Project and Questions ................................................................................11
Methodological Framework ...............................................................................................12
Definitions..........................................................................................................................12
Organization of the Project ................................................................................................13
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature .........................................................................................14
Role of Community Colleges.............................................................................................14

vii
Community Colleges and Completion of Low-Income Students ................................15
The Dropout Crisis: Barriers to Community College Completion ....................................17
Hispanic/Latinx Community College Students ...........................................................17
First Generation College Students ...............................................................................18
Financial Aid Knowledge Among Low-Income Students ...........................................21
Institutional Context of Retention Factors in Community College Completion ...............23
Counselors Role in Retention ......................................................................................24
First-Year Experience Programs ..................................................................................25
Social Capital ...............................................................................................................26
Conceptual Framework ......................................................................................................28
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences ..........................29
Summary ............................................................................................................................54
Chapter Three: Methodology .........................................................................................................55
Conceptual and Methodological Framework .....................................................................55
Assessment of Performance Influences .............................................................................56
Knowledge Assessment ...............................................................................................57
Motivation Assessment ................................................................................................67
Organization/Culture/Context Assessment ..................................................................73
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection ..............................................................78
Sampling ......................................................................................................................78
Recruitment ..................................................................................................................79
Instrumentation ............................................................................................................79
Data Collection ..................................................................................................................80
Surveys .........................................................................................................................80
Document Analysis ......................................................................................................81

viii
Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................81
Survey ..........................................................................................................................81
Interviews .....................................................................................................................81
Documents ...................................................................................................................81
Credibility and Reliability..................................................................................................82
Trustworthiness of Data .....................................................................................................82
Role of Investigator............................................................................................................83
Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................................84
Data Collection ............................................................................................................84
Chapter Four: Results and Findings ...............................................................................................87
Data Collection Approach..................................................................................................87
Recruitment ..................................................................................................................87
A Crosswalk of the Evaluation Survey and the FAIP ..................................................89
Determination of Assets and Needs ...................................................................................97
Factual Knowledge ......................................................................................................97
Declarative Conceptual Knowledge ..........................................................................106
Procedural Knowledge ...............................................................................................118
Metacognitive Knowledge .........................................................................................122
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes ...................................................................124
Value ..........................................................................................................................129
Self-Efficacy ..............................................................................................................135
Mood ..........................................................................................................................139
Attribution ..................................................................................................................142
Goal Orientation.........................................................................................................143
Results and Findings for Organization Causes ................................................................145

ix
Policies and Procedures .............................................................................................154
Cultural Setting ..........................................................................................................156
Cultural Models .........................................................................................................160
Summary of Validated Influences ...................................................................................162
Knowledge .................................................................................................................162
Motivation ..................................................................................................................163
Organization ...............................................................................................................165
Summary ..........................................................................................................................166
Chapter Five: Recommendations and Evaluation ........................................................................167
Recommendations to Address Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Influences ...167
Knowledge Recommendations ..................................................................................168
Motivation Recommendations ...................................................................................179
Organizational Recommendations .............................................................................186
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation and Organization ..................................................194
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan ..............................................................195
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations .......................................................196
Implementation and Evaluation Framework ..............................................................196
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators ....................................................................197
Level 3: Behavior .......................................................................................................199
Level 2: Learning .......................................................................................................202
Level 1: Reaction .......................................................................................................206
Evaluation Tools ........................................................................................................207
Summary of the Implementation and Evaluation ......................................................209
Limitations and Delimitations ..........................................................................................210
Recommendations for Future Research ...........................................................................211

x
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................212
Appendix A: Evaluation Survey ..................................................................................................222
Appendix B: Recruitment Email/Letter: ......................................................................................236
Appendix C: Evaluation Tool ......................................................................................................237
Appendix D: Evaluation Tool ......................................................................................................239
Appendix E: Level 4 Dashboard ..................................................................................................241

xi
List of Tables
Table 1 SC Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholder Goals ...................................10
Table 2 Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Students Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal ..........................................................................................................................38
Table 3 Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences on Stakeholders Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal ..........................................................................................................................47
Table 4 Summary of Assumed Organization Influences on Stakeholders Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal ..........................................................................................................................53
Table 5 Summary of Knowledge Influences and Method of Assessment .....................................60
Table 6 Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences and Method of Assessment ......................69
Table 7 Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences and Method of Assessment ......................75
Table 8 Crosswalk of Evaluation Survey and FAIP Survey ..........................................................90
Table 9 Evaluation Survey .............................................................................................................98
Table 10 Evaluation Survey ...........................................................................................................99
Table 11 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................100
Table 12 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................101
Table 13 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................102
Table 14 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................103
Table 15 FAIP Survey .................................................................................................................103
Table 16 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................104
Table 17 FAIP Survey .................................................................................................................105
Table 18 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................106
Table 19 FAIP Survey .................................................................................................................108
Table 20 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................110
Table 21 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................111
Table 22 FAIP Survey .................................................................................................................112

xii
Table 23 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................113
Table 24 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................114
Table 25 FAIP Survey .................................................................................................................115
Table 26 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................117
Table 27 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................118
Table 28 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................119
Table 29 Evaluation Survey ........................................................................................................120
Table 30 FAIP Survey .................................................................................................................121
Table 31 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................122
Table 32 Evaluation Survey ........................................................................................................123
Table 33 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................124
Table 34 Crosswalk of FAIP survey and Evaluation Survey for Assumed Motivation Influences
and Method of Assessment ..........................................................................................................125
Table 35 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................130
Table 36 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................131
Table 37 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................132
Table 38 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................133
Table 39 FAIP Survey .................................................................................................................134
Table 40 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................135
Table 41 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................137
Table 42 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................138
Table 43 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................139
Table 44 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................140
Table 45 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................141
Table 46 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................142
Table 47 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................143

xiii
Table 48 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................144
Table 49 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................145
Table 50 Crosswalk of the Evaluation Survey and FAIP Survey for Assumed Organization
Influences .....................................................................................................................................146
Table 51 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................150
Table 52 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................151
Table 53 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................152
Table 54 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................153
Table 55 Evaluation Survey ........................................................................................................154
Table 56 FAIP Survey .................................................................................................................155
Table 57 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................156
Table 58 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................157
Table 59 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................158
Table 60 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................159
Table 61 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................160
Table 62 Evaluation Survey .........................................................................................................161
Table 63 Knowledge influences table of assets and needs ..........................................................162
Table 64 Assumed Motivation Influences Table .........................................................................163
Table 65 Assumed Organization Influences Table ......................................................................165
Table 66 Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations ........................................168
Table 67 Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations .........................................180
Table 68 Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations .....................................186
Table 69 Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ........................198
Table 70 Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation ..............................199
Table 71 Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors ...........................................................200
Table 72 Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program ........................................205

xiv
Table 73 Components to Measure Reactions to the Program ......................................................207

xv
List of Figures
Figure 1: Gap analysis conceptual framework for knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences. ......................................................................................................................................56

AN EVALUATION STUDY 1

Chapter One: Introduction of the Problem of Practice
Expanding and designing ways to retain students is one of the key issues facing
institutions of higher education today. One of the more frequent reasons students do not persist in
this environment is due to financial instability (Singer, 2016). As such, community colleges face
the challenge of providing and designing programs that address the financial education of their
students (Lyons & Hunt, 2003). Although there is extensive research on student persistence and
retention, there is little known about the institutional factors on retention rates with incorporated
exploration of student financial aid and financial literacy (Nora, 2016). Thus, the problem of
practice being addressed by this evaluation is the effectiveness of institutionalized student
retention programs that focus on financial literacy and predominantly serve Hispanic/Latinx
students.
Benefits of Financial Literacy
The benefits of financial literacy go far beyond economic rewards. Financial literacy can
help individuals, families, communities, and markets. It is associated with better health,
increased quality of life, and higher college attainment levels (Harnisch, 2010). Contrariwise,
financial illiteracy is more likely to lead to poor health and contribute to college attrition rates
(Harnisch, 2010). Singer (2016) studied the effects of a First Year Experience (FYE) program on
student retention in community colleges. This study found that one-third of the students that
were not prepared for their classes were correlated to a lack of funding or a delay in receiving
financial aid. The findings suggest that financial literacy should be at the top of the priority list
for FYE programs in order to help financial processes and obligations become common
knowledge for new students entering the higher education system (Kezar, 2010; Kezar & Yang,
2010; Reams-Johnson & Susan Delker, 2016; Singer, 2016; Wyner, Bridgeland, & Diiulio,
AN EVALUATION STUDY 2

2007). Further, Terriquez and Gurantz (2015) found financial considerations improve emerging
adulthood, including receipt of government financial aid and structured pathways from
community colleges to four-year colleges, which increases the potential for a higher economic
mobility.
The concept of financial literacy should be a top priority for colleges to consider for
student retention and completion of low-income families, primarily Hispanic/Latinx students and
parents (Grodsky & Jones, 2004; Horn et al., 2003; Immerwahr, 2003; Kezar, 2010; Kezar &
Yang, 2010; Perna, 2006; Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, 2004; Tornatzky, Cutler, & Lee, 2002).
According to Swail, Redd, and Perna (2003) the role of retention for institutions (community
colleges) that serve predominantly minority students in low-income brackets should include five
components: (1) financial aid; (2) recruitment and admissions; (3) academic services; (4)
curriculum and instruction; and (5) student services. The first is directly focused on the
dissemination of information and knowledge of a students financial aid. Financial aid is one of
the most important factors for Hispanic students college retention; it is an important
consideration both in their choice to stay and also in their choice to leave college (Oseguera et.
al, 2009).
The rates of enrollment growth by population indicate that by 2025 the race/ethnicity
expected to have the greatest amount of growth among ethnic groups are Hispanic/Latinx
students in the United States (McFarland et al., 2017). Their growth is expected to increase by
13%, comprising about 15 million Hispanics, while White students are projected to decline in
numbers by 5% (McFarland et al., 2017). Even so, White students will still make up the majority
with 24 million students, representing 46% of the enrolled college population nationally
(McFarland et al., 2017).
AN EVALUATION STUDY 3

Organizational Context and Mission
SC is a two-year community college in California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau
(2016), SC serves 1.4 million people with an average age between 18 to 64 years old. SC has a
college enrollment of 25,000 students, as of 2017. The percentage of students that come from the
in-district area of surrounding cities is 42%. The remaining 58% of the population comes from
neighborhoods outside of the district.
Of the students that come from within the district, 48% reported a median household
income of less than $50,000 (U.S. Census, 2016). Further, 22% of students attending SC fall
150% below the poverty line, which means their income is below $36,450 per family of four
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016).
SC is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The percentage of students at SC is 51%
Hispanic/Latinx, marking a 7% increase in the last five years in the Hispanic/Latinx population.
According to the U.S. Department of Education an HSI is recognized as an institution that is
eligible to receive Title V funding based on its population. To be considered an HSI, the
community college or four-year institution needs to enroll at least 25% Hispanic/Latinx
undergraduate students. To receive the Title V funding, they also need to enroll a significant
percentage of low-income students. The examination of student retention and characteristics for
success at HSIs and other underrepresented student serving institutions is an underexplored area
in higher education - one that is needed to explore the future of higher education in California
(Nuñez et. al., 2011; Pascarella, 2006).
According to the SC 2019-2022 Student Equity Plan (SEP), the institution maintains a
commitment to serve a diverse community and to support the various educational goals,
including supporting lifelong learning and the development of its students. In order to understand
AN EVALUATION STUDY 4

how to create a system of institutional support for its students, SC conducted a study to
understand and identify the populations disproportionately affected and impacted by inequities
and to identify those that need more resources and institutional support. The Hispanic or Latinx
populations, amongst others, were demonstrated to be most significantly affected by the equity
gap at SC.
The activities that address these equity goals and provide the resources and current
support for these underrepresented and disproportionately affected populations are conducted
through their existing programs under the Student Services Department. These student service
and success programs are meant to help institutional retention by addressing key areas of support
for students at SC.
The focus of this evaluation is on the student completers of the FAIP under the
counseling faculty at the NSCSO. The goal of the counseling faculty at the NSCSO, according to
its Institutional Effectiveness Office, is to “prepare first year students for academic success and
to help students in selecting a career path.” According to SCs website the New Student
Counseling Services Office is designed to help students transition from high school to college.
Its main goal is to prepare students to make the necessary life adjustments to be successful in
college and, thus, retain students to stay at the college and persist towards academic goal
completion (i.e. graduation of an associate degree, certificate, or transfer).
To meet this goal the counseling faculty at the NSCSO has created an initiative to
increase the student knowledge and retention of its freshman population by focusing on
enhancing the financial literacy of the financial aid required tasks and processes. The initiative of
financial literacy run by the counseling faculty at the NSCSO is the FAIP. The FAIP program
completers are the focus of this evaluation. The FAIP was first implemented in the summer of
AN EVALUATION STUDY 5

2015 and has operated as a transition program for students entering college for five consecutive
summers. It serves all of the incoming freshmen students of SC. The goal of the program is to
provide students with an orientation focused on financial aid literacy with the goal of retention
and persistence of all SCs incoming freshman students. The FAIP program has never been
evaluated in its five years of data collection. The program has predominantly served Hispanic
students with an average age of 18 for all five years.
Organizational Goal
The goal of SC is to have all students graduate. Some students do not graduate due to a
lack of knowledge and support to navigate the financial aid processes and tasks. Nationally the
most frequently reported reason for the discontinuation of college for community college
students is the lack of financial support (Kena et al., 2019). According to the American
Association of Community Colleges (2019), of the students attending community college, over
half are women, and one-third are students of color and first-generation college students; of the
students of color/first-general college students, over 50% come from families with an annual
income under $30,000 and are categorized as low-income. Subsequently, it is then no surprise
that at least 60% of the students enrolled in community colleges across the country receive some
form of financial aid to pay for college (ACS, 2016). Further, a survey administered to 149,190
students across 255 colleges conducted by the Center for Community College Student
Engagement (2017) found that financial literacy is one of the greatest concerns because it is
correlated with lower educational aspirations. Additionally, nearly half of all students reported a
lack of finances as an issue that would impede them from continuing to attend college.
As a response to this problem, SC under its counseling faculty at the NSCSO has
implemented the FAIP for all first-year students to improve their knowledge of and access to
AN EVALUATION STUDY 6

financial aid resources. The goal of the FAIP at SC is to increase the institutional retention of
their students. Additionally, this evaluation maintains a focused interest on the Hispanic student
completers and their likelihood to secure financial aid their second year. Community colleges
have the largest percentage of postsecondary enrollment by Hispanics and the lowest completion
rates of all institutions of higher education (Kena et al., 2014).
The goal of the evaluation is to discover whether or not students that received the
intervention are more likely to secure financial aid their second year after completing the FAIP.
In order to understand if there is room for improvement of the program, in the event that students
at SC are not completing for financial reasons this formative evaluation of FAIP has been
approved by the counseling faculty at the NSCSO. One of the indicators of success for the FAIP
is the retention through to completion of a student that received financial literacy intervention in
comparison to the students that did not. The evaluation will contribute to the larger contextual
problem that SC and all California Community Colleges face: low completion rates.
Related Literature
According to the Government Accountability Office, financial aid literacy is the ability to
take informed judgements and take current and future actions regarding money management
(Harnisch, 2010). An important consideration for college students is financial risk. The
enrollment and college retention of low-income minority students are considerably influenced by
their ability to obtain financial aid and some studies have proven their importance in retention
(Kennamer et al., 2010; Singell, 2001).
Financial Literacy and Retention
Specific groups of college students are more likely to be financially at-risk than others.
Students more financially at-risk are those that come from low-income families, are more likely
AN EVALUATION STUDY 7

to be financially independent and receive need-based aid (Singell, 2001). The demographics
suggest that most financially at-risk students are Hispanic (Lyons, 2003, 2004; Lyons & Hunt,
2003; Oseguera et al., 2009). Between 2016 and 2017 the nation grew exponentially in its
diversity. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2017) the growth of Hispanics accounted for
51% of the total growth of the U.S. population. According to the U.S. Department of Education
(2017), Hispanic students now make up the highest percentage of any race/ethnicity across
institutions of higher education. The percentage of Hispanic full-time students at two-year public
schools is 46% and 52% across all 4-year schools (NCES, 2017).
Yet, the Hispanic dropout rate is higher than that of their White or Black counterparts
(Kena et al., 2017). The influx of Hispanics and other students of color entering higher education
systems presents nuanced challenges in the achievement gap. Evidence suggests the national
achievement gap affects primarily Hispanic students amongst others. In fact, Hispanics have the
lowest percentages of conferred degrees by race/ethnicity across higher education institutions
with 71% of degrees awarded to non-Hispanics (Pew Research Center, 2011). Further, the first
national report broken down by ethnicity of the completion rates released by the National
Student Clearinghouse Research Center (2017) examining 2010 data showed that students
entering a four-year public university conferred a degree at a rate of 63% whilst students who
started at a Community college completed at a rate of less than 40%. This is a significant finding
because this is the first-time outcomes reported for completed programs including the number of
part-time students, a population normally excluded in all national data reports for higher
education.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 8

Importance of the Evaluation
The problem of Hispanic/Latinx low completion rates in community colleges is important
to solve for a variety of reasons. The impact of not addressing this problem in the next 10 years
is financially risky for California. Reports suggest each generation is less educated than the
previous and attaining fewer degrees (AACC, 2011). There is critical attention being paid to
Community colleges to address the problem in California because it holds 75% of all public
secondary enrollment (Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy, 2018). Nationally,
community college enrollment constitutes 45% of all undergraduate institutions (AACC, 2011).
According to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS),
without the proper interventions to increase the degree attainment of low-income and
underrepresented students the United States as a whole will fall 16 million degrees short of the
number necessary to meet the workforce needs by 2025 (Georgetown University Center on
Education and the Workforce, 2016; Price & Tovar, 2014).
Hispanic Retention and Completion Impact
Further, a study conducted by the Public Policy Institute of the state of California projects
a shortage of graduates with bachelor degrees of 1.1 million by 2030 if current trends continue; a
problem deemed the “workforce skills gap” (Lumina Foundation for Education, 2014). The
importance of the workforce skills gap shortage has to do with the relationship between systems
of higher education and Californias economy. California, specifically, is heavily reliant on its
114 Community Colleges across the state to grant access, affordability and a pathway to
completion of a bachelors degree at four-year institutions. According to the American
Association of Community Colleges (2017), 52% of Hispanic students in higher education attend
Community colleges. Unfortunately, according to the Community College Review (2018) 70%
AN EVALUATION STUDY 9

of Californias community college students do not transfer or reach goal completion. The report
tracked more than 250,000 degree-seeking students over six years enrolled in California
community colleges found less than 30% transferred to a four-year institution, or completed an
associate degree (Wang, 2019). Additionally, on the impact of Community colleges on the
workforce, according to a 2018 study by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy
at Cal State Sacramento only 40% of Community college students achieved enough college
credit hours to increase their growth potential in the current workforce.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
The three stakeholder groups that directly contribute and are expected to benefit from this
evaluation are: the SC students, counseling faculty at the NSCSO, and the SC administration.
The relationship with the success of the program is directly tied to the resources and the
institutional support given to the student population that the counseling faculty at the NSCSO
serves: all incoming new first-time students. The institution has student equity goals that are
prescribed by the Chancellor's office. They must meet these goals as a requirement for the
financial continuation of the Counseling Services Office that is funded by Title V funding from
their HSI status. Finally, the students by receiving a direct orientation of financial literacy will
gain social capital, an understanding of how to navigate their college financing allowing them to
feel empowered to continue through to completion of their educational goals.
Stakeholder Gop Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
The institution maintains a commitment to serve a diverse community and to support the various
educational goals, including supporting lifelong learning and the development of their students.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 10

Organizational Performance Goal
The goal of the counseling faculty at the NSCSO is to provide students with an
orientation focused on financial aid literacy with the goal of increasing the rate of retention
congruent with the mission of the college. Table 1 shows the organizations mission and
performance goal with respect to the FAIP along with the primary stakeholders goals.
Table 1
SC Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholder Goals
Students
Students who
completed the FAIP at
SC and the extent they
are financially literate
to make decisions.

FAIP
The counseling faculty
at the NSCSO
provides institutional
support for students to
persist by creating the
FAIP. The outcome of
the intervention is the
expected retention
through financial
literacy of their goal
completion of their
Associates Degree or
Transfer.
Administration
The administration
will provide the
resources and
establish the proper
culture for the
Counseling Services
Office to be successful
in retaining students.

Chancellor's Office
The Chancellor's
Office will administer
the proper inputs
according to the
progress made by the
programs and
activities implemented
by the college to fulfill
the prescribed equity
standards.

Stakeholder Group for the Study
While it is the responsibility of the College administrators to provide all stakeholders
with the culture and the resource support to achieve its mission of student retention the
stakeholder of focus in this evaluation are the students who complete the FAIP and receive
financial aid their second year through the support of the counseling faculty at the NSCSO. The
evaluation will support the continued efforts of the counseling faculty at the NSCSO and will
allow them to reach effective programming bringing their program closer to the institutional
mission.
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S akehol d e Critical Behaviors
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest that critical behaviors are the short-term
measurements meant to create a positive impact and help to ensure the transfer and application of
knowledge. The four critical behaviors chosen for this study according to the goals in this study
were:
1. Students complete the FAFSA during the first year of college
2. Students complete the FAFSA their second year of college.
3. FAIP completers demonstrate financial literacy.
4. Students determine their financial aid eligibility.

Each critical behavior was used to inform the assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences identified in Chapter Two.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this evaluation is to evaluate the degree to which the counseling faculty at
the NSCSO is providing a meaningful and effective intervention for students to secure financial
aid their second year after completing the FAIP at SC. The analysis will focus on knowledge,
motivation and organizational influences related to achieving this organizational goal. While a
complete evaluation project would focus on all SC stakeholders, for practical purposes the
stakeholders to be focused on in this analysis are the new students participating in the activities
for the FAIP.
As such, the questions that guide this study are the following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to the FAIP
completers to continue to maintain their financial aid a year later?
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2. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources?
Methodological Framework
This project will employ a mixed method data gathering and analysis. The FAIP
counseling faculty s current performance in relationship to the organizational goal will be
assessed using surveys, literature review and content analysis. Research-based solutions will be
recommended and evaluated in a comprehensive manner.
The researcher used the Clark and Estes (2004) methodological framework to examine
performance by diagnosing three big performance gaps that according to their research are
causes of performance gaps: Knowledge or skills, Motivation and/or organizational barriers. This
framework will examine motivation as a belief system of expectancy and control, awareness of
cultural and personal differences. Additionally, it will examine organizational gaps from a
process perspective and input of materials that would facilitate or impede achievement of the
performance goals such as organizational culture or inadequate materials as well as policies and
expected business behaviors. Lastly, I will use Don Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation model
as suggested by Clark and Estes (2004) to outline performance solutions through surveys,
checklists and understanding how to ask the right questions (Clark & Estes, 2004).
Definitions
Financial literacy: The ability to make informed judgements and take current and future
effective actions regarding the use and management of money (Harnisch, 2010).
First-generation college student: The First-Generation label was first defined in the 1960s
as a student with parents who had not obtained a postsecondary degree or attended a
postsecondary institution (Everett, 2015).
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Financial aid program completers: Students that finished the program and secured
financial aid their first year.
Organization of the Project
Five chapters are used to organize this study. This chapter provides the reader with the
key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about regional center
noncompliance. The organizations mission, goals and stakeholders and the framework for the
project were introduced. Chapter Two provides a review of current literature surrounding the
scope of the study. Topics of financial literacy, retention, underrepresented populations i.e.
Hispanics, institutional support for Counseling programs, and the organizational context of
Community Colleges will be addressed. Chapter Three details the knowledge, motivation and
organizational elements to be examined as well as methodology when it comes to the choice of
participants, data collection and analysis. In Chapter Four, the data and results are assessed and
analyzed. Chapter Five provides solutions, based on data and literature, for closing the perceived
gaps as well as recommendations for an implementation and evaluation plan for the solutions.

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Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
Some students do not persist in higher education due to financial instability (Tierney et
al., 2017). Research suggests a disproportionate amount of financially at-risk students are also
first-generation students of color (Rubio et al., 2017; Engle, 2007; Evans, 2017). Further, a
majority of the students in Community Colleges in California are low/income, first-generation
and Hispanic/Latinx (Moore & Shulock, 2010). Community colleges in the state of California
have a unique challenge of creating programs that provide effective interventions that can be a
factor in the institutional retention of financially-at risk, first-generation, students of color with a
special consideration for Hispanic/Latinx students to complete a degree or transfer (Roksa,
2017).
In this chapter, the literature will be reviewed on (a) financial literacy; (b) retention and
completion of community college students; (c) Hispanic/Latinx student college completion; and
(d) social capital. Then, there will be a review of the role of the students who participate in the
FAIP, followed by the explanation of the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences
lens used in this study. Next, in the review of the chapter will be the counseling faculty at the
NSCSO counselors knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences complete the chapter.

Role of Community Colleges
Historically, community colleges have aimed to grant access to all students. According to
the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy in Sacramento (2010), the populations
most affected by the lack of access to higher education are: low-income, students of color.
Nationally there is pressure for states to ensure economic growth by closing the racial/ethnic
performance gaps in higher education. Due to the lack of college attendance not enough people
AN EVALUATION STUDY 15

in California have the skills to enter the workforce due to the low amount of bachelors degree
completers (Holland, 2015).
Community Colleges and Completion of Low-Income Students
Community colleges primarily serve minority, first-generation, low-income, and adult
students. According to the research by Engle & Tinto (2008), 24% of the current undergraduate
population is both first-generation and low-income. Their research suggests that first-generation
and low-income students will experience more barriers that will lead to them leaving education
in their first year at a rate four times as likely as their counterparts. Community colleges are one
of the most important pathways to postsecondary education due to their open admission policies,
availability in physical proximity to a students home, affordability for low-income families and
vocational programs for continuing students and working adults (Baum, 2016).
Community colleges need to cultivate students motivational beliefs and manage
educational expectations. Studies show that financial aid and baccalaureate expectations are
influenced by a student's academic integration during their first year of college (Wang, 2013).
According to Perna (2015), to create meaningful improvements in college access institutions of
higher education need to target students with the greatest financial need. Students with low-
income families are likely to attend high schools and postsecondary educational institutions with
fewer resources. Institutions should address the achievement gap by targeting programs to low-
income students by paying special attention to financial aid processes.
Community colleges have helped to close the achievement gap only in terms of access,
but their completion rates are low (Holzer, 2018). Of particular concern is the growing rate of the
Latinx population which is projected to make up 50% of the working-age (25-64) population by
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2040. Only 16% of Latinx adults in California have an associates degree or higher compared to
a 50% of white adults (Moore & Shulock, 2010). Little systematic work has been done to address
the managerial effectiveness or economic efficiency of community colleges. One reason for the
lack of attendance to community colleges may be the negative stigma attached to community
schools. Stigmas can be reproduced by the social structures and inequities that affect students
with less power and less social resources. As a result, students may choose to not attend college
at all if they do not achieve acceptance into a four-year school out of high school (Holland,
2015). The higher education system has transformed and grown in its share of nontraditional,
low-income students and has also seen declines in the level of academic preparation of students
and an increase in the inability to finance their education without institutional and government
assistance (Baum et al., 2013).
A factor in the earning potential of low-income Americans is their low academic
achievement and educational attainment. Of the students that earn their associate degree the
working potential and labor market value is low (Holzer, 2018). Deming (2017) argues the most
important college issue to focus on is college completion, not just college attendance. Leaving
college can be detrimental for students who have defaulted from their debt and left college
because 90% of them did so without earning a college degree or certificate (Inside Higher Ed,
2015). Community colleges are one of the most important systems of higher education for low-
income students to have the possibility to enter postsecondary education. Evans et al., (2017)
also agrees that community colleges are extremely important especially among low-income
students. They further emphasize in their research that despite the low tuition costs and expected
gains of a college education, many students drop-out before completion of a degree or certificate.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 17

Despite the historical gains in student access the completion rates present a challenge for
community colleges to consider.
The Dropout Crisis: Barriers to Community College Completion
Studies suggest the process of decision making to go to college is dependent on a
student's racial group membership (Enberg & Wolniak, 2009). Hispanic/Latinx students have the
lowest levels of college completion of all other ethnic groups (Rincon et al., 2018). Research
suggests the Hispanic students earn a bachelors degree at a lower rate than any other and all
racial and ethnic groups (Melguizo, 2000). Latinx students are not a homogenous group and are
at a distinct disadvantage in the educational process with lower aspiration and college
participation (Martinez & Deil-Amen, 2015). Latinx students often feel inadequate about their
ability to persist through the first year (Martinez & Deil-Amen, 2015).
Hispanic/Latinx Community College Students
Research suggests the Hispanic students earn a bachelors degree at a lower rate than any
other and all racial and ethnic groups (Melguizo, 2000). The demographic shifts in higher
education make it much more important to graduate Latino, low-income and first-generation
students in all categories that intersect (McGlynn, 2011). According to McGlynn (2011) attrition
is a bigger problem in the United States than access as more than 40% of college students
throughout the United States who earn more than 10 college credits do not complete two- or
four-year degrees. Among these students, Latinx face more obstacles to complete a degree than
their counterparts.
Community colleges have been the gateway to four-year institutions thus fulfilling a
“transfer” role (Baum et al., 2013). The best chance of Hispanics students getting a bachelors
degree is through the transfer of community college (Melguizo, 2000; Martinez et al., 2017;
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Nora et al., 2018). The majority of Latinx students that enter the community college system have
the initial motivation and desire to transfer (Martinez et al., 2017).
Latinx students transfer at low rates compared to other racial/ethnic groups, something
that has been identified in previous literature as the racial transfer gap (Crisp & Nuñez, 2014).
Latinx students were half as likely as their white counterparts to transfer (McGlynn, 2011). Of
those that transfer it is hard for them to finish. In an ethnographic study of 16 latinx students, of
which 14 were also first-generation, sharing their transfer experiences from community college
to four-year research institutions they reported to experience academic, social and informational
challenges due to their lack of connection and assimilation to the school due to initial social
isolation and racist interactions (Solis and Duran, 2020).The demographic shifts in higher
education make it much more important to graduate Latino, low-income and first-generation
students all categories that intersect (McGlynn, 2011). The dropout crisis affects Hispanic
students more than any other group of students. According to the Department of Education
(2014) Latinx students are more likely to be first-generation college students than any other
racial group as this demographic makes up 61% of all students in college. A factor contributing
to the obstacles of Hispanic/Latinx students face in higher education is that often they are first-
generation college students.
First Generation College Students
Some studies have reported the main issues of support lacking for first-generation
students are in the areas of ¨educational persistence, pre college academic preparation, and
financing their college education¨ and thus they struggle through college without the proper
guidance (Rubio et al., 2017). First-generation college students have a higher rate of attrition
than non-first-generation college students in public colleges in the United States. The label of
AN EVALUATION STUDY 19

“first-generation” was first defined in the 1960s as a—student with parents who had not obtained
a postsecondary degree or attended a postsecondary institution (Everett, 2015). The types of
experience that parents´ acquire that show significant gain of social capital are going through the
admissions process, freshman orientations, interacting with faculty, doing college-level work,
being self-directed, learning the language and customs of higher education, living with other
students, going to the library, making decisions about majors and careers (Ward et al., 2012).
First-generation college students are more likely to be female, older, Black or Hispanic,
have dependent children and low-income, all factors that are independently interrelated to lower
rates of college attendance and degree attainment (Engle, 2007). First-generation college
students enrolled in American colleges represent up to 47% of the population at two-year and
four- year institutions (Ward et al., 2012). First-generation college students have a higher rate of
attrition than non-first-generation students in public colleges in the United States. Attrition rates
are 71% higher for first-generation students over those students with two college-educated
parents (Woosley & Shepler, 2011). Parental support affects a student's decision to attend
college, most share feelings of under-preparedness, and lack important guiding knowledge to
enter the higher education system. (Banks-Santilli, 2014).
First-generation college students admitted to community college face challenges after
admission such as academic accessibility, cultural and social accessibility they might receive
from family and friends (Everett, 2015). The most common barriers to college completion
among first-generation college students are (1) the cost of tuition, (2) a deficit in knowledge
about college, (3) financial aid availability and prepared documents, and (4) lack of familial
support and guidance. (Rubio et al., 2017).
AN EVALUATION STUDY 20

First-generation college students do not have access to the cultural capital usually granted
by the knowledge of their parents to navigate college or the understanding of the significance of
a college degree. First-generation college students do not have access to the cultural capital
usually granted by the knowledge of parents to navigate college or the understanding of the
significance of a college degree. This lack of cultural capital affects first-generation college
students negatively and puts them at-risk of dropping out (Gewertz, 2018). Additionally, first-
generation college students suffer from imposter phenomenon, which is “the deep conviction that
one is not good enough to deserve the title, responsibility, recognition, or job that one has”
(Clance, 1985). First-generation college students have lower confidence in their identities as
college students (Whitehead, 2017). Studies support first-generation students are exposed to a
higher risk of college departure and are less likely to complete their degrees on time or at all
(Ishitani, 2006). First-generation status is a significant predictor of a lower GPA (Strayhorn,
2006).
First-generation college students are adversely affected by institutional factors such as
on-campus environment, academic behaviors, and the expected level of involvement as
highlighted by Tintos (1993) longitudinal attrition model (Woosley et al., 2011). Administrators
have a responsibility to support first-generation college students and examine any deficit-
oriented perspectives that may lead to negative stigma on the status of a first-generation college
student and may place blame on the student simply because of their status (Macias, 2013).
Interrelated factors both shape and affect the negative outcomes of those entering higher
education as first-generation college students. A significant factor contributing to the barriers of
first-generation college students to persist in college is related to the low-income background of
most of these students.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 21

Financial Aid Knowledge Among Low-Income Students
In the 1960 s most of the credit bearing higher education was offered through private
nonprofit colleges and mainly through public four-year colleges. Access to education was
radically different then, with vast disparities in income inequality and affordability to go to
college and radically unequal practices for students of color. The start of the new era for
universities was pioneered by the University of California when it reformed the way in which
college is paid for. In 1972 Richard Nixon introduced the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant
program, later renamed Pell Grants. To date the largest grant program in the US and need-based
aid to low-income students is the Pell Grant program (Scott-Clayton, 2012).Community colleges
by the mid-1970s were subsidized by state appropriation and the federal government provided
grant aid for students of all ages and need-based aid was established by the federal government
(Baum et al., 2013).
In the present, financial aid policy benefits already-privileged families and add to the
educational inequity in higher education. The responsibility to pay for higher education is now
on the individual student and families instead of the institution. Students are often unaware of
how much college will cost, how to navigate the financial aid system and whether financial aid
will be available to them (Hillman et al., 2015). Low-income students are less likely to be
informed about their financial options or know how to navigate financial aid processes.
According to the research by Engle & Tinto (2008), 24% of the current undergraduate population
is both first-generation and low income. Their research suggests that first-generation and low-
income students will experience more barriers that will lead to them leaving education in their
first year at a rate four times as likely as their counterparts. Financial decisions made in college
affect students after college (Cude et al., 2006). To be “financially literate” according to Mason
AN EVALUATION STUDY 22

and Wilson (2000) is defined as a meaning-making process where students are able to use a
combination of skills, resources and make decisions with knowledge of the financial
consequences. Today community college students are not financially literate. Students are not
well informed on what actions to take in order to prepare for college successfully. Students do
not understand the benefits and costs of attending college (Scott-Clayton, 2012). According to
Perna (2006) students and parents are unaware of college prices and financial aid processes.
Levels of financial aid awareness are lower among Latino students and parents. The lack
of awareness of financial aid is prevalent across socio-economic status and racial/ethnic groups.
Lower academic outcomes are related to less knowledge about financial aid (Perna, 2006).
Similarly, Brown (2016) reinforces that low-income students are less likely to have information
about college financial aid. Students have access to many resources that can help them acquire
information about financial aid online, but they do not have the interventions to interpret it
appropriately. Low-income students are found to rely on face-to-face interactions for
interventions to understand how to navigate the college transition process (Brown, 2016). Some
students that are eligible for financial aid do not apply for it. According to Tierney & Venegas
(2017), low-income students are not applying to available funds for college education. Without
financial aid low-income youth are not able to attend. This study suggests there are two types of
access: (1) academic; and (2) financial. Students must apply to the Federal Student Aid program
and understand the eligibility requirements (Tierney & Venegas, 2017). Students are unaware of
the financial aid awards and processes due to lack of information interpretation. Institutional
support is needed to ensure families without a lack of awareness of their financial aid eligibility
know how to access higher education.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 23

Institutional Context of Retention Factors in Community College Completion
Student services in community colleges.
Institutions should prioritize Student Services as a student retention strategy because they
are extremely important in keeping students enrolled in school. The student groups most at risk
for feeling like they do not belong, rejected and are not likely to adjust to academic challenges
easily are those that are ethnic minorities, academically disadvantaged, students with disabilities,
of low socio-economic status and probationary students (Patrick, 2013). Counseling sessions are
an important factor in the retention of students in community colleges. Counseling services are
extremely important to keep students from dropping out and make sure if any mental health
issues arise, they can be prevented or treated (Patrick, 2013). Underprepared benefit from
academic advising. Bahr (2008) found academic advising to be beneficial for students and their
chances of completion. Counselors should act as agents mediating the relationship between the
student and the institution. Institutions should rely on their advisors and train them to understand
the important role they play in the retention of students and their well-being. Students that had
positive encounters with advisors felt a sense of mattering to the institution (Viaden, 2016). Well
thought out developmental academic programs are important to retain college students. Advisors
through the ongoing interactions with students can contextualize factors and understand what the
students response to their environment and intervene (Stebleton, 2013). Higher education
institutions should rely on their academic counselors to manage the relationship between the
student and the institution. Research suggests counseling advising has a significant relationship
with student retention. Institutions should prioritize Student Services as a student retention
strategy because they are extremely important in keeping students enrolled in school.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 24

Counselors Role in Retention
College counseling services play a significant role in the retention of students.
Counselors make a significant impact on the educational decisions of students to persist to
degree completion. The discussions or failure to discuss career-related issues with counselors
significantly predicted GPA (Tovar, 2015). Students determined their counselor could help them
stay on track for graduation helping retain students in the institution. Findings suggest that
students perceptions of their relationship with a counselor were based on the counselor's ability
to inform students accurately and build good rapport with students emotionally (Daly & Sidell,
2013). A significant relationship exists between counseling of underprepared freshmens GPA.
Cholewa and Ramaswami (2015) analyzed the total number of minutes each student spent in a
given counseling session and the number of minutes each student spent with a counselor. Their
findings support underprepared students have different needs than the general population and
these can be met with counseling support.
Retention is defined as the continuous enrollment of students from one fall semester to
the next fall semester (Swecker et al., 2013). According to Swecker et al., (2013) the odds of
student retention for first-generation college students increase by 13% every time a student
meets with an academic advisor. Retention is closely tied to persistence, attrition and departure
from college. Counselors increase the chances first-generation college students persist due to the
gained knowledge and transmitted resources from the counselor to the student that helps students
understand how to navigate college (Swecker et al., 2013). Motivation is an important factor in
the persistence of a student. Michelson et al., (2012) investigated the relationship between
counseling, college environmental factors, and student motivation. They found a significant
relationship and the academic significance was not attributed to students counseling experience
AN EVALUATION STUDY 25

when controlling for pre-college preparation factors. Academic advising is most important in the
first weeks of college to explain processes and enrollment which is critical for short and long
term student persistence. It is important for colleges to support the counseling programs that
facilitate early processes that involve enrollment, orientation and financial aid.
First-Year Experience Programs
Community colleges should consider enhancing the experience of new students in their
first-year of college. According to Sharkin (2011), the primary function of a college counseling
center is to provide counseling interventions to students with personal lives that act as barriers to
their academic environment. Implications for counseling centers found on this article are related
to building retention-related structures and policies for students that are executed by counselors.
Foundational research on educational advising suggests the quality of educational advisors
increases student retention (Creamer, 1980). Academic advising is part of the student
engagement and support that retains students. In the first few weeks of community college the
early procedures and processes such as registration, placement, orientation and academic
advising can keep a student from dropping out in the first semester (Hatch, 2017). Explaining
support resources to students and showing them what they have to do to succeed is important for
their persistence. According to research by Roska (2017), employing student-centered
approaches are more likely to facilitate student success in their first year of college. This research
also found the first year of a student's college career academic achievement through student GPA
is the most important predictor of persistence and the role of faculty in a student's first-year is
critical to facilitate student success in college (Roska, 2017). The most critical part of a student's
first-year is to understand how to navigate the processes and procedures of enrollment,
orientation and financial aid, all of which can be taught through academic advising.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 26

Social Capital
Students are constrained by their lack of access to social networks that can afford them
financial knowledge that can help them persist in college. According to OConnor et.al, (2010)
financial variables contribute to a significant gap in educational attainment for Hispanic students.
The social capital gap among Hispanic students is due to the lack of information primarily about
financial aid and higher education. Community college still holds a lower societal perception and
leads to labor-market and social disadvantage for attending students (OConnor et. al, 2010).
Foundational work on social capital by Coleman (1988) suggests that social capital
functions within structures and is reproduced by the persons within. Social capital exchanges can
facilitate action with possible benefits transmitted from one actor to another. According to
Coleman (1988) social capital has many forms, one important form that is dependent on social
relations is information (Coleman, 1988). Lin (1999) describes social capital as the investment in
social relations such as interactions and networking that will yield expected returns. Lin (1999)
defined social capital as a “process by which individuals in the dominating class, by recognition
and acknowledgement, reinforce and reproduce a privileged group which hold various capital
(economic, cultural and symbolic).” Lins (1999) social capital theory supports the purpose of
education is to “indoctrina[te] the masses to internalize values with symbols and meaning” and
pass this knowledge inter-generationally. According to Lin (1999) social capital is captured by
those who control production means and have the commodities to constrain it.
Stanton-Salazar (2011), introduces a new definition of social capital that broadens the
term by adding the social and economic history not represented in the traditional definitions.
Social capital defined by Stanton-Salazar (2011): “resources embedded in social structure—and
in the possibility of acting counter to the structure (i.e., agency and counter- stratification as the
AN EVALUATION STUDY 27

counterpart to hierarchical and reproductive social structures)” (p.1086). His definition of social
capital demonstrates how the current subsystems of social stratification can be disrupted.
Stanton-Salazar (2011) contends the perceived realities on the basis of the intersection of class,
race and gender in the lives of low-status youth dictate where they are in the hierarchy of society.
His rationale for the importance of institutional agents is that their advocacy for low-status youth
has larger societal implications.
According to Stanton-Salazar (2011), institutional agents engage in a form of counter
stratification by empowering low-status youth and disrupting the social reproduction of
inequality. He theorizes that the school system, although stratified by nature, is a complex
system of opportunity for the empowerment of low-status youth through institutional support.
Institutional support according to Stanton-Salazar (2011),
includes the cultural transmission of distinct discourses, access to key funds of
knowledge, academic support, advice and guidance, and forms of modeling and training
designed to promote effective communication and relational competencies enabling
effective help seeking and the reciprocal exchange with different adult and peer
networks. (p.1070)
This means there are actors within institutions that have the power to use their social capital for
the benefit of others. The institutional actors, community members, and others in the network are
typically in positions of power and thus, can afford students privileges, apprenticeships and
access to institutional resources. The actors who choose to act on behalf of low-status youth by
exercising their capital to give them access to different forms of institutional support are
considered institutional agents. In contrast, according to Stanton-Salazar (2011) other agents that
function as gate-keepers work in various organized systems and institutions, render institutional
AN EVALUATION STUDY 28

support to those privileged by class or race, based on the perception of their merit or can
demonstrate ability and thus reinforce systemic inequality.
Museus (2012) focuses on the concepts of trust and closure to examine the impact of
institutional agents on the experiences of students of color (Asian American, Black and Latino)
in two-year and four-year undergraduate education. The findings of this research suggest the
agents that cultivated trust and closure for the students were able to transmit social capital
through information and support, connecting them with support networks inside the educational
institution.
Allan et al. (2016) provides insight on the perceptions of classism that may be present in
the experience of students that identify as first-generation college students. They found that
students who are from a lower social class background are more likely to experience classism
and have lower life satisfaction as well as less academic satisfaction. Students who experience
classism perceived it was institutional and was derived from their financial limitations. Social
capital is a functional resource that can be used to support students attain educational goals
through the institutional agents that can close the gaps in information. The lack of information
about financial aid processes hinders students from persistence and institutions should focus on
the improvement of programs that offer ways to improve the financial literacy of students to
improve the retention of at-risk student populations entering community colleges.
Conceptual Framework
The Clark and Estes (2008) framework is designed to diagnose human performance
causes and identify the appropriate solutions. In this study, the Clark and Estes (2008)
framework was adapted as an evaluation of the counseling faculty at the NSCSOs FAIP
implementation with the goal to provide students with an orientation focused on financial aid
AN EVALUATION STUDY 29

literacy. The following sections will highlight the assumed knowledge causes and FAIP student
participants declarative, procedural, metacognitive knowledge will be examined, as well as how
to assess/validate these gaps, and potential principle-based solutions that would serve to
eliminate these knowledge causes.
The three performance factors this evaluation will focus on are: (1) a persons knowledge
and skills, (2) their motivation to achieve or complete the task or goal, and (3) the organizational
barriers related to work processes.
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
Knowledge and skills. According to Clark and Estes (2008), knowledge refers to people
knowing “how (and when, what, why, why, where, and who) to achieve their performance goals”
(p. 44). The type of understanding students need to have to be considered financially literate will
depend on their knowledge and skills which include the four distinct learning categories
according to Anderson and Krathwohl (2011): conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive
influences that affect their understanding of their financial status. In this section I will explore
the types of knowledge skills students need to navigate their eligibility for financial aid to
prevent them from postponing, stopping out or completely dropping out of college due to the
lack of understanding of how to pay for college.
Declarative factual knowledge influences. According to Anderson and Krathwohl
(2001) declarative factual knowledge refers to the specific content elements that make up a fact.
Specifically for this evaluation the knowledge type will be used in the context of education for
the purposes of teaching students the key language that will help them to identify the types of
financial aid and distinguish one from the other by their basic meaning. Additionally, factual
knowledge is known to be different parts of bigger concepts isolated in their meaning in order to
AN EVALUATION STUDY 30

create a simple understanding before creating the application or use or meaning of the knowledge
presented (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
In order for low-income, first-generation, underrepresented students to persist in college
they need financial aid. Many eligible students do not apply for financial aid because they simply
do not know it is available to them. In order to understand how to receive financial aid, they must
understand the basic knowledge that is related to financial aid. In this evaluation the FAIP
program attempts to educate students on financial aid. In order for students to be able to apply
for financial aid they must have the declarative knowledge associated with college financial aid.
Students need to know (a) financial aid is an option available to them; what the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is in order to fill it out and determine if they are
eligible for financial aid; (b) what qualifies them to be eligible to receive financial aid; (c)
grants and scholarships do not have to be paid back; (d) they have to renew their FAFSA yearly
and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress; (e) if they are still receiving Financial Aid their
second year of college; (f) the definition of eligibility. According to Castleman et al. (2015)
complexities in the financial-aid application process act as a barrier for students to receive
financial aid and continue enrolled in school. Their research states the tasks related to
successfully completing FAFSA like verifying income and assets are barriers for low-income
students. Castleman et al., (2015) suggested interventions that help students renew their FAFSA
have proved successful and increased persistence in sophomores. Findings showed students may
not know they need to re-file and do not know where they can get financial-aid advising on
campus. Bird et al., (2016) found students forgo their financial aid because they do not know
they have to complete the FAFSA to receive it. This article found that sophomores do not
reapply to FAFSA and that failure to refile is very strongly associated with drop out.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 31

Almost half of students in community college eligible for Pell grant funding did not file
for FAFSA. According to McKinney et al., (2013) the FAFSA application is one of the largest
gatekeepers to enrollment. Findings suggest community college students are less likely to file a
FAFSA. Students are often unaware of how much college will cost. According to Hillman et al.,
(2015) students do not know how to navigate the financial aid system and whether financial aid
will be available to them. Findings suggest students fail to apply to FAFSA before the deadlines
and they do not know the kinds of financial aid that will be available to them or how it works.
Students generally have a lack of knowledge about the available aid. According to
Feeney et al. (2013) found that low-income and first-generation students do not understand how
financial aid works and do not realize some of the money being packaged does not need to be
paid back. Completion of the FAFSA requires students to understand that it's important. Feeney
et al. (2013) found a positive relationship between students applying to FAFSA and college
attendance. Feeney et al, (2013) findings concluded that students are not prepared to answer
questions about their parents financial status and that this deters them from finishing the FAFSA
application. The facts stated in this research conclude first-generation and low-income students
are less likely to complete FAFSA. Several of the reasons listed in this research that deter
students from completing their FAFSA are: (1) students generally have a lack of knowledge
about the available aid deadlines, (2) FAFSA deadlines are deceptive and hard to meet, (3) the
missed deadline often makes students believe they have missed the opportunity to receive aid all
together, and (4) students who miss financial deadlines are likely to be left with no eligibility for
financial aid. Finally, according to Scott-Clayton (2012) the application assistance of the FAFSA
relies on the prior years tax information for the eligibility calculations making it a barrier to
AN EVALUATION STUDY 32

finishing the application. Findings concluded students who do not know if they can afford
college do not take the right steps to prepare to obtain financial aid by applying to FAFSA.
Declarative conceptual knowledge influences. According to Anderson and Krathwohl
(2001) declarative conceptual knowledge is a more complex version of factual knowledge and
assumes the application of factual knowledge to create concepts, principles and theories. The
declarative conceptual knowledge unites the “basic elements” with larger structures that makes
them work together. In order for students to understand how financial aid will affect them they
must learn declarative conceptual knowledge about their eligibility to access and accept financial
aid. For this evaluation the declarative conceptual knowledge will be used to teach students the
key language that will help them to distinguish the types of aid and to make decisions to accept
and maintain financial aid eligibility with confidence by understanding how to apply that
knowledge once they have been taught how to identify it (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
Students need to know: (a) where to find helpful financial aid information; (b) if they are
considered a first-generation college student; (c) and have more knowledge about financial aid
a student who has more information and understanding about financial aid the higher the
likelihood of enrolling in to their second year of college; (d) what is required of them once they
receive financial aid; (e) Students need to know the FAFSA application deadline date; (f)
Students need to know what expenses financial aid covers. Bird & Castleman (2016) studied the
task complexity of the FAFSA filing process concluding it acts as a barrier to low-income
students from accessing higher education. They found one in ten students who are eligible do
not complete the FAFSA. Their findings suggest the way information is presented to students
regarding financial aid is important. Bird & Castleman (2016) showed students need to meet
Satisfactory Academic Progress in the form of an acceptable GPA in order to be eligible for
AN EVALUATION STUDY 33

financial aid in their second year of college. According to Castleman & Lindsay (2015) although
the FAFSA acts as a gateway to college by providing low-income students with the opportunity
to finance their education, the lack of information students and families have about how to file
their application acts as a substantial barrier for low-income students. Their research focused on
the complexities in the financial-aid application process deter students from qualifying for aid.
They found low-income students are less likely to successfully complete the FAFSA due to the
income and asset information they need to provide on their application. The type of knowledge
and information that students need to have available to them further complicates the likelihood
that they will receive their eligibility information before the beginning of school increasing the
chances they are not able to enroll in their classes. Castleman & Lindsay (2015) used
interventions focused on communication via text-message to improve the dropout rates over the
summer (summer-melt) due to not renewing financial aid applications, the texts reminded
students how important it is for them to maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to
maintain their financial aid eligibility. They concluded the more knowledge in the form of
procedural tasks a student can receive about financial aid can increase their chances of persisting.
Students do not know the kind of federal, state and institutional financial aid that they can
be eligible to receive. According to Feeney et al., (2013) completing the FAFSA makes students
eligible for federal, state and university-specific financial aid packages but this research showed
completion of the FAFSA requires students to know the importance of knowing the financial aid
eligibility that can only be obtained through the application. Feeney et al., (2013) found low-
income students and first-generation students are less likely to complete the FAFSA because
they are less likely to know where to look for information that can help them to complete it. This
study found the main barriers to the completion of the FAFSA application included: (1) the
AN EVALUATION STUDY 34

forms were too many confusing questions; (2) family did not know how to answer questions
about their financial status; (3) it makes assumptions about parental support; (4) students have a
general lack of knowledge about the aid that is available to them; (5) the deadlines are hard to
meet. The implications listed in their research suggest low-income and first-generation college
students often have a lack of knowledge about how financial aid works and are generally
confused about the cost of college. Students are unaware of how much college will cost.
According to Hillman et al., (2015) students are unaware of how to navigate the financial aid
system and they are unaware who to ask and where to go to access information about financial
aid.
The type of support that service programs should offer should understand how to
navigate the financial aid application process and prepare them to keep their eligibility for
participation in special programs. Tierney (2017) found the more information and preparation for
college financial aid the more access students will have to postsecondary education. In order for
students to be eligible for financial aid they need to take grade point average into consideration
and to finish Free Applications for Federal Student Aid. The consideration of this study suggests
the decisions students make regarding their financial aid are not linear, and students that are
qualified for financial aid do not apply and thus do not receive it.
Unprivileged groups lack information about the costs and benefits of higher education.
According to Scott-Clayton (2012) the complexity of the Pell eligibility and application
processes makes the benefits ominous to students and thus it is less likely to increase college
enrollment for low-income students that would qualify for need-based aid. This article describes
the types of problems that keep students from important information. This lack of information
AN EVALUATION STUDY 35

also pertains to what they need to do academically to successfully complete a degree and
maintain their eligibility for financial aid.
Lower academic outcomes are related to less knowledge about financial aid. According
to Perna (2006) students and parents are unaware of college prices and financial aid processes.
This research found the levels of financial aid awareness are lower among Latino students and
parents. The implication suggests the lack of awareness of financial aid is prevalent across
socio-economic status and racial/ethnic groups. Low-income students are less likely to have
information about college financial aid. According to Brown (2016) students have access to
many resources that can help them acquire information about financial aid online but they do not
have the interventions to interpret it appropriately. Implications suggest low-income students are
found to rely on face-to-face interactions for interventions to understand how to navigate the
college transition process.
Procedural knowledge influences. According to Anderson and Krathwohl (2001)
procedural knowledge refers to the knowledge of “how to” do something. The sequence of steps
that will lead you to completing a task is procedural knowledge.
For the purposes of this evaluation the kind of knowledge students need to be familiar
with is related to applications, and understanding how to complete financial aid related tasks.
The students will need to know how to complete and understand the processes of applying and
accepting financial aid.
Students need to know how to: (a) prepare to file their FAFSA application; (b) access
information about financial aid in college; and (c) seek helpful information about financial aid
in college. There are fewer efforts reflected in financial aid policy to help students renew their
financial aid each year to help them maintain their financial eligibility. Bird & Castleman (2016)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 36

found the impact of students not knowing how to maintain their financial aid eligibility by
refiling their FAFSA is negatively correlated to earning a degree. This study found that a strong
predictor of refiling is directly related to the financial aid support institutions give to their
students. The implications suggest when access to information about financial aid is present
evidence suggests it s correlated to persistence in college. Castleman & Lindsay (2015) focused
their research on allowing informational access to low-income students through technology to
reduce summer melt. They found information interventions have shown to increase persistence
in second year students.
One barrier to access to financial aid eligibility is parental language barriers which will
deter their involvement for students of color. Perna (2006) studied the relationships between
knowledge of financial aid and students college-related choices. The findings suggest outcomes
are lower for students who have less-knowledge about financial aid than for other students who
have access to that information through their parents' understanding of college and financial aid.
Metacognitive knowledge. According to Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), metacognitive
knowledge is knowledge about cognition which means students would be responsible for
knowing how they think and understand the information presented to them regarding financial
aid.
This kind of knowledge is about self-reflection, self-awareness, as it relates to the
thoughts that emerge in order to internalize learning and understanding motivations about certain
tasks and variables that may add to the decisions necessary for financial aid processes to be
completed. For this evaluation, it is important for students to have an awareness of their own
thoughts and discernment about the kinds of aid that is available to them.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 37

Students need to know (a) how to reflect on the decision of accepting a financial aid
award; and (b) to learn how to reflect on their experiences of support at their college that helped
them understand financial aid. Financial decisions made in college affect students after college.
According to Cude et al., (2006) financial situations can affect students' academic performance.
Their findings suggest financial management education is a priority for financial institutions,
financial professionals and educators. To be “financially literate” according to Mason and
Wilson (2000) is defined as a meaning-making process where students are able to use a
combination of skills, resources and make decisions with knowledge of the financial
consequences. Wang (2013) findings indicate that community college baccalaureate expectations
are influenced by their academic integration during their first year of college. This study
concluded showed a correlation between baccalaureate persistence in students and their
Community college experience with faculty and financial aid. The implications mentioned by
Wang (2013) demonstrate the need for community colleges to cultivate their motivational beliefs
and manage educational expectations. Low-income students are less likely to have information
about college financial aid. According to Brown et al., (2016) students have access to many
resources that can help them acquire information about financial aid online but they do not have
the interventions to interpret it appropriately. Brown et al., (2016) found that low-income
students are found to rely on face-to-face interactions for interventions to understand how to
navigate the college transition process. Table 2 shows the stakeholders influences and the
related literature.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 38

Table 2

Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on S de n Ability to Achieve the Performance
Goal

Assumed Knowledge Influences Research Literature
Declarative Factual (terms, facts, concepts)
Students know…

Students need to know financial aid is an
option available to them.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013
Students need to know what the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) is in order to fill it out and
determine if they are eligible for financial
aid.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013
Students need to know what qualifies them
to be eligible to receive financial aid.

Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013
Students need to know grants and
scholarships do not have to be paid back.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013
Students need to know they have to renew
their FAFSA yearly and maintain
Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013
Students need to know if they are still
receiving Financial Aid their second year of
college.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013
Students need to know the definition of
eligibility.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013
Students need to know if they are still
receiving Financial Aid their second year of
college.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013
Students need to know the definition of
eligibility.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Feeney & Heroff, 2013; McKinney & Novak, 2013;
Scott-Clayton, 2013

AN EVALUATION STUDY 39

Table 2, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Research Literature
Declarative Conceptual (categories,
process models, principles, relationships)
Teachers need to know...

Students need to know where to find helpful
financial aid information.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Feeney & Heroff, 2013;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Martinez &
Deil-Amen, 2015; Scott-Clayton, 2013; Tierney &
Venegas, 2017
Students need to know if they are considered
a first-generation college student.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Feeney & Heroff, 2013;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Martinez &
Deil-Amen, 2015; Scott-Clayton, 2013; Tierney &
Venegas, 2017
The more knowledge a student has about
financial aid the higher the likelihood of
enrolling into their second year of college.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Feeney & Heroff, 2013;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Martinez &
Deil-Amen, 2015; Scott-Clayton, 2013; Tierney &
Venegas, 2017
Students need to know what is required of
them once they receive financial aid.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Feeney & Heroff, 2013;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Martinez &
Deil-Amen, 2015; Scott-Clayton, 2013; Tierney &
Venegas, 2017
Students need to know the FAFSA
application deadline date.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Feeney & Heroff, 2013;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Martinez &
Deil-Amen, 2015; Scott-Clayton, 2013; Tierney &
Venegas, 2017
Students need to know what expenses
financial aid covers.

Bird & Castleman, 2016; Feeney & Heroff, 2013;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Martinez &
Deil-Amen, 2015; Scott-Clayton, 2013; Tierney &
Venegas, 2017
Procedural
Students need to know how to…

Students need to know how to prepare to
file their FAFSA application.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Perna, 2006
Students need to know how to access
information about financial aid in college.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Castleman & Page, 2015;
Perna, 2006
Students need to know how to seek helpful
information about financial aid in college.
Bird & Castleman, 2016; Feeney & Heroff, 2013;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Martinez &
Deil-Amen, 2015; Scott-Clayton, 2013; Tierney &
Venegas, 2017

AN EVALUATION STUDY 40

Table 2, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Research Literature
Metacognitive
Students need to know how to reflect on...

Students need to know how to reflect on the
decision of accepting a financial aid award.
Brown, Wohn, & Ellison, 2016; Cude et al., 2006;
Ward, 2013
Students need to learn how to reflect on their
experiences of support at their college that
helped them understand financial aid.
Brown, Wohn, & Ellison, 2016; Cude et al., 2006;
Ward, 2013

Motivation: General theory. Students often experience various types of motivation and
emotions that directly affect their engagement and learning. Motivation in the context of this
evaluation is defined as initiating and sustaining behavior (Schunck, Meece & Pintrich, 2014).
This definition allows us to discuss the aspects of motivation that affect a student's behavior as a
result of the knowledge and experience.
According to Clark and Estes (2008), motivation has three “indexes” within an
environment that we can use to predict the potential problems and areas of opportunity. These
behavioral predictors that combine motivation and knowledge are (a) active choices; (b)
persistence and (c) mental effort. Active choice refers to when a person begins to pursue a goal
actively. The activation action and task application towards the completion of that goal is active
choice, this is contrasted with the intention of a goal “where procrastination, avoiding, arguing or
delaying” the action towards the goal are present (Clark and Estes, 2008). Persistence as
described by Clark and Estes (2008), is the continuation of the follow-through and continued
investment on one goal resisting the distraction of other competing goals that may divide the
students attention from completing their task or activity successfully. Finally, after choosing to
engage and persist in the training offered for the purpose of this evaluation, they must understand
AN EVALUATION STUDY 41

they will have to invest mental effort, or seek new knowledge, in order to retain the information
presented and transfer that knowledge into the real world.
Stakeholder/topic specific factors. The constructs and theories explored in this section
include expectancy-value theory, self-efficacy, mood, attribution and goal orientation. Each
influence includes evidence-based literature as a rationale for its importance in this study.
Value. According to expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983), values predict some
aspect of an individuals behavior. Further, utility value regards the perception of the task as
useful to an individuals life, attainment value is when an individual will see the personal
importance of good results based on their performance of the task, while intrinsic value is about
an individuals perceived satisfaction as a result of participating in the task or activity.
Additionally, cost is another motivating influence that may deter an individual from engaging in
the task or activity due to the negative factors of participating.
According to Clark and Estes (2001) utility value is what a person may choose to do
because of the benefits they will acquire as a result. In order for students to receive the intended
benefits of financial aid they must enter in the belief that financial aid has a benefit, such as
student completion as an organizational goal, they will receive as a result of engaging and
following through on the finishing tasks related to receiving financial aid. Additionally, students
need to understand the importance that financial may play in their college careers.
Students need to value: (a) the availability of financial aid; (b) the financial aid-related
information offered by institutional supports on campus; (c) access to higher e dc ai on benefit;
and (d) heir completion of the FAIP. Applying to financial aid requires students to access and
digest a vast amount of complicated information, this requires cognitive energy and the
investment of time. Bird & Castleman (2016) found informational and behavioral barriers that
AN EVALUATION STUDY 42

have affected students understanding of their financial aid availability. This article
demonstrated the students who understand the financial benefits of completing the FAFSA may
still become too frustrated with the aid application or the process to complete the steps to finish
their application. Among-low income students and first-generation students there is a general
lack of knowledge about aid. According to Feeney et al., (2013) one key barrier that keeps
students from applying and thus receiving financial aid is their general lack of knowledge about
available aid.
This study supports the research that shows even if families understand financial aid is
available to help afford college, they do not understand how the process of financial aid works
and are sensitive to the tuition fee rates which may keep students from applying for financial aid.
Students are often unaware of the available financial aid they may be eligible for in the future to
cover all expenses. According to Hillman et al., (2015) the prior information about college costs
and financial aid options are a factor in the decisions families make about preparation for
college finances. This study concluded families that are not financially savvy and do not have
access to information complicates the understanding of students financial aid preparedness.
Students do not understand the financial aid may help them pay all of their college expenses.
According to Scott-Clayton (2012) students are not informed about the sources of their potential
aid. They found that information is constrained largely due to how financial aid policy influences
the complex nature of the processes and poor marketing approaches to the application making it
difficult for students to understand their eligibility.
Academically qualified low-income students do not apply for financial aid due to the lack
of awareness of information, even though they have a high interest in going to college.
According to Tierney et al. (2017) going to college for first-generation, low-income students is
AN EVALUATION STUDY 43

an active choice that is reserved for those that understand how to make interrelated decisions and
actions including financial aid. They found that clarifying information for students is of the most
importance since students need to maintain enrollment in specific courses to maintain college
eligibility and financial aid. They found that financial aid is made up of multiple activities and
tasks over a period of time that students do not understand how to access information to prepare.
Self-efficacy. According to Clark & Estes (2008) self-efficacy is described as a personal
belief that an individual has the skills, abilities and knowledge required to succeed at a task with
the quality and quantity required of their mental effort to invest in the activity or task. In the
context of this evaluation, according to Banduras social cognitive theory self-efficacy is defined
as “people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to
attain designated types of performances” (Bandura, 1986, p. 391).
The effects of self-efficacy reflect the choices of students to participate, engage in mental
effort and can affect student persistence. In this evaluation students will show their knowledge,
their confidence and their self-efficacy or self-perceived competency of their ability to render an
application of their learned skills and strategies to the processes and decision-making of financial
aid (Schunk, 1991).
Students need to be confident that they: (a) can take the steps to receive financial aid
eligibility; (b) can take the steps to maintain Financial Aid eligibility (Satisfactory Academic
Progress); (c) can take the steps to make a decision about their financial aid award options
(grants, loans, work-study, etc.) and (d) can take the steps to seek help with their FAFSA
application. Personalized information about financial aid can help students to pursue and
succeed in higher education. According to Castleman & Lindsay (2015) personalized messaging
can be a solution to helping students feel confident about demystifying the complexity of the
AN EVALUATION STUDY 44

financial-aid system to access and persist in college. They found that having introductory
messages that are personalized to each student allows them to clearly understand and confirm
their understanding of financial aid information. According to Tierney & Venegas (2017)
cultural awareness and sensitivity is necessary to produce information that contextually allows
students to understand information in an accurate and user-friendly way. This article offers the
point of view that there should be a cultural framework to filter the context of the financial aid
information to mediate the direct impact of how students receive, interpret and act on the
messages they receive to be able to feel confident about their ability to access and act on the
information about financial aid that is disseminated by the institution.
According to Viaden (2016) students' perceptions of available help from their academic
advisors with college navigation processes, including financial aid, is an important factor in their
choices to persist. They found that students' negative perceptions and encounters with academic
advisors cause students emotional grief and cause them to feel dissatisfied and engage in
avoidance behaviors with school related activities.
Mood. According to Clark and Estes (2008) mood refers to the attitude or positive or
negative emotional reaction about achieving a goal or activity. They further suggest that an
individual is more likely to choose and persist when they feel positive about performing a task.
In this case, the students will need to feel a positive feeling towards the benefits of the financial
aid process so that their mood regarding their participation leads to financial assistance and
completion of their FAFSA.
Students need to feel positive reactions about: (a) completing their FAFSA application
after their participation of the FAIP; (b) to feel positive about accepting their financial aid
award after their participation of the FAIP Students need to feel positive about accepting their
AN EVALUATION STUDY 45

financial aid award after their participation of the FAIP; and (c) the available institutional
support navigating financial aid assistance after their participation of the FAIP. Some students
that are eligible for financial aid do not apply for it. According to Tierney & Venegas (2017)
low-income students are not applying to available funds for college education. Students are often
unaware of how much college will cost, how to navigate the financial aid system and whether
financial aid will be available to them (Hillman et. al, 2015).
According to Evans et al. (2017) income gaps still exist in college completion despite the
expansion of the Pell Grant program which makes available more financial help for low-income
families. This paper attempts to address anti-poverty strategies and ways to effectively help
individuals achieve economic self-sufficiency. According to Feeney et al. (2013), first-
generation and low-income students are less likely to complete FAFSA. Students that had
positive encounters with advisors felt a sense of mattering to the institution. According to Viaden
(2016) institutions should rely on their advisors and train them to understand the important role
they play in the retention of students and their well-being.
Attribution. Attribution theory (Weiner, 1986, 1995, 2006) is the study of self-perception
and the manifestations of attitudes about the self on subsequent behavior. The influence of
students causal beliefs are important components in achievement striving.
This theory discusses the ability versus effort perceived cause of success and failure
which is of utmost importance in this evaluation. Further, in the context of this evaluation, the
beliefs and reflections of the success or failures of applying to financial aid by the students
attributed to effort may lead to more adaptive more positive expectancies for success in the
financial aid process for students.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 46

Students need to believe that the success or failure to secure financial aid is due to their
own efforts after their participation in the FAIP. According to Stephens et al., (2014) institutions
must shift their data focus on the proclivity to fail for these students, and instead challenge what
may feel like common sense, to choose to reject cultivating a fear of failure approach which
leads into a deficit-oriented perspective to allow for the capacity and the expectation of success.
Stephens et al., (2014) also found that that self-concept is directly related to college persistence.
Findings further suggested that a difference-education approach can be effective for reducing
achievement gaps and improving college students transition, it also has the potential to foster
through a multicultural lens the possibility of creating a more inclusive and accepting
environment for First-generation college students, as they accept and learn different perspectives
and experiences of students from different social backgrounds. According to Stephens et al,
(2015) the goal of student interventions should be to create understandings of the self that
include a persistent and effortful pursuit of education and college degree. Findings suggested that
identity based motivation shows the connection to education as a response to culturally fit
interventions that increase the psychological well-being, and encourage academic engagement,
improving performance
Goal orientation. According to Clark and Estes (2008) the values and beliefs that people
hold about their ability to succeed are related to the goals they set. Values can increase the
commitment and the benefit of achieving set goals. Goal orientation is the way a person focuses
and frames the approach to attain or demonstrate competency or mastery of an activity. In order
to obtain mastery goal orientation the person must also show the intention to show a pattern of
persistence even when their attempts fail showing subsequent affect, cognition and behavior to
attain competency despite obstacles (Harackiewicz & Elliot, 1993). In this evaluation students
AN EVALUATION STUDY 47

must develop goal orientation and focus on task mastery overcoming obstacles and focusing on
the benefits with intention to participate in the mental effort required to obtain the skills
necessary to complete the financial aid process.
Students need to know that they: (a) can succeed in applying to financial aid even in the
face of setbacks; and (b) can learn from their mistakes while applying for financial aid.
Institutional stakeholders must implement interventions to cater and support first-generation
college students to obtain their educational goals in Community colleges (Everett, 2015). Bird &
Castleman (2016) found informational and behavioral barriers that have affected students
understanding of their financial aid availability. Table 3 shows the stakeholders influences and
the related literature.
Table 3

Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences on Sake holde Ability to Achieve the Performance
Goal

Assumed Motivation Influences Research Literature
Author, Year; Author, Year.
Value
Students need to value…

Students need to value the availability of
financial aid.
Tierney, 2017; Hillman et al., 2015; Scott-
Clayton, 2012; Ben, 2015; Bird, 2016; Feeney,
2013;
Students need to value the financial aid-
related information offered by institutional
supports on campus.
Tierney, 2017; Hillman et al., 2015; Scott-
Clayton, 2012; Ben, 2015; Bird, 2016; Feeney,
2013;
Students need to value access to higher
educations benefit
Tierney, 2017; Hillman et al., 2015; Scott-
Clayton, 2012; Ben, 2015; Bird, 2016; Feeney,
2013;
Students need to value their completion of
the FAIP.
Tierney, 2017; Hillman et al., 2015; Scott-
Clayton, 2012; Ben, 2015; Bird, 2016; Feeney,
2013;

AN EVALUATION STUDY 48

Table 3, continued
Assumed Motivation Influences Research Literature
Author, Year; Author, Year.
Self-Efficacy
Students need to be confident that they can
take the steps ...

Students need to be confident that they can
take the steps to receive financial aid
eligibility.
Vianden, 2016; Tierney, 2017; Ben, 2015;
Students need to have confidence that they
can take the steps to maintain Financial Aid
eligibility (Satisfactory Academic Progress)
Vianden, 2016; Tierney, 2017; Ben, 2015;
Students need to have confidence that they
can take the steps to make a decision about
their financial aid award options (grants,
loans, work-study, etc.)
Vianden, 2016; Tierney, 2017; Ben, 2015;
Students need to be confident that they can
take the steps to seek help with their FAFSA
application.
Vianden, 2016; Tierney, 2017; Ben, 2015;
Mood
Students need to feel positive about…

Students need to feel confident about
completing their FAFSA application after
their participation of the FAIP
Evans et al., 2017; Garcia & Tierney, 2011;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Feeney,
2013; Vianden, 2016
Students need to feel positive about
accepting their financial aid award after their
participation of the FAIP
Evans et al., 2017; Garcia & Tierney, 2011;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Feeney,
2013; Vianden, 2016
Students need to feel positive about the
available institutional support navigating
financial aid assistance after their
participation of the FAIP
Evans et al., 2017; Garcia & Tierney, 2011;
Hillman, Gast, & George-Jackson, 2015; Feeney,
2013; Vianden, 2016
Attribution

Students need to believe that the success or
failure to secure financial aid is due to their
own efforts after their participation of the
FAIP.

Stephens et. al., 2014; Stephens et. al., 2015

AN EVALUATION STUDY 49

Table 3, continued
Assumed Motivation Influences Research Literature
Author, Year; Author, Year.
Goal Orientation
Students need to know they can succeed in…

Students need to know they can succeed in
applying to financial aid even in the face of
setbacks.
Everett, 2015; Bird 2016
Students learn from their mistakes while
applying for financial aid.
Everett, 2015; Bird 2016

Organization. According to Clark and Estes (2008) performance gaps occur when
organizations do not support the individuals in the organization to achieve the organizational
goals.
Cultural setting. Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) define cultural settings and models
as the “home influences on learning, and school and teaching environments” (p. 45). According
to Clark & Estes (2008), culture refers to an organizations core values, goals, beliefs, emotions,
and processes in the school environment context. In this evaluation the educational environment
is mediated by the institutional culture set by the members of the student services faculty such as
academic counselors whose duty is to provide a culture that supports underrepresented students
to have equal access to resources and support when answering, and understanding financial aid
processes and related tasks where they feel they are supported and can succeed.
Students need to be: (a) part of a culture that supports students of low-status
backgrounds to access information and programs that create equitable processes for them to
persist through to educational goal completion; (b) part of a culture that cultivates their
motivational beliefs and manages educational expectations; and (c) part of a culture student-
AN EVALUATION STUDY 50

centered approaches to facilitate student success in their first year of college Community college
baccalaureate expectations are influenced by their academic integration during their first year of
college. According to Wang (2013) Community colleges should cultivate motivational beliefs in
students and demonstrate the need to manage educational expectation. This study showed a
correlation between baccalaureate persistence in students and their Community College
experiences with faculty and financial aid. First-generation college students' assimilation to
campus climate is similar to non- First-generation college students. According to Woosley
(2011) first-generation college students are adversely affected by institutional factors such as on-
campus environment, academic behaviors, and the expected level of involvement as highlighted
by Tintos (1993) longitudinal attrition model. One of the most important factors in a student s
persistence in college is the factors of their performance in the first-year of college. According to
Roska (2017) the first year of a student's college career academic achievement through student
GPA is the most important predictor of persistence. The role of faculty in a student's first-year is
critical to facilitate student success in college. Employing student-centered approaches are more
likely to facilitate student success in their first year of college.
Students need to have access to Counselors and rely on face-to-face interactions to
understand how to navigate the college transition process, which includes financial aid. Low-
income students are less likely to have information about college financial aid. According to
Brown (2016) students have access to many resources that can help them acquire information
about financial aid online but they do not have the interventions to interpret it appropriately.
Low-income students are found to rely on face-to-face interactions for interventions to
understand how to navigate the college transition process.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 51

Cultural model. According to Wang (2013) there is a need for community colleges to
cultivate their students motivational beliefs.
Students need to feel that they are part of a culture that: (a) supports financial aid, (b)
supports academic achievement. First-generation college student s assimilation to campus
climate is similar to non-first-generation college students (Woosley et al., 2011). Employing
student-centered approaches are more likely to facilitate student success in their first year of
college (Roska & Whitley, 2017)
Resources. According to Clark and Estes (2008) within an organization there should be
resources to accomplish an established goal and allow individuals to have the proper access
within the organization to acquire the proper knowledge, skills and motivation to achieve it.
The critical factors of the necessary access to help students to achieve the skills,
knowledge depends on the resources and institutional support they receive to succeed in
understanding the financial aid processes.
Students need resources to: (a) successfully complete the FAFSA on time; (b)
academically succeed in college; (c) be informed of the support programs and services available
to them; and (d) have resources that create visible and accessible financial aid information for
low-income, first-generation, and students of color. Tierney & Venegas (2017) suggests there are
two types of access (1) academic (2) financial. Students must apply to the Federal Student Aid
program and understand the eligibility requirements. Policy benefits already-privileged families
and add to the educational inequity in higher education. According to Hillman et al (2015) the
responsibility to pay for higher education is now on the individual student and families. They
found that students are often unaware of how much college will cost, how to navigate the
AN EVALUATION STUDY 52

financial aid system and whether financial aid will be available to them (Hillman et al., 2015;
Perna, 2006; Brown et al, 2016).
Community colleges have helped to close the achievement gap only in terms of access
but their completion rates are low. Holzer (2018) proposes federal “Race to the Top” an
accountability program where community colleges would receive funding based on their
completion rates and receive incentives for completion among their underrepresented and
disadvantaged students. A factor in the earning potential of low-income Americans is their low
academic achievement and educational attainment (Holzer, 2018; Cude et al, 2016: Scott-
Clayton, 2012).
Policies and procedures. According to Clark and Estes (2008) policies and procedures
are the systems within an organization that are put in place to facilitate the work of employees.
These may be education codes or district policies that establish methods for accomplishing a
task.
These institutional policies, processes and procedures in the context of this evaluation
allow for the protection of the students learning environment and should help the manifestation
of clear and culturally sensitive information that allows underrepresented students to have access
to information that helps them to complete their financial aid related tasks.
The school has policies that align with giving access to financial aid information for low-
income, first-generation, and students of color. According to Bird & Castleman (2016) there are
fewer efforts reflected in financial aid policy to help students renew their financial aid each year
and maintain their financial eligibility (Baum, 2013;Scott-Clayton, 2012:Stephens et al, 2015).
Table 4 shows the stakeholders influences and the related literature.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 53

Table 4

Summary of Assumed Organization Influences on Sake holde Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal

Assumed Organization Influences Research Literature
Author, Year; Author, Year.
Resources (time; finances; people)
Students need resources to …

Students need resources to successfully complete
the FAFSA on time.
Brown, Wohn, & Ellison, 2016; Hillman, Gast, &
George-Jackson, 2015; Perna, 2006; Scott-
Clayton, 2013; Tierney & Venegas, 2017; Cude et
al., 2006; Holzer, 2018
Students need institutional resources to
academically succeed in college.
Brown, Wohn, & Ellison, 2016; Hillman, Gast, &
George-Jackson, 2015; Perna, 2006; Scott-
Clayton, 2013; Tierney & Venegas, 2017; Cude et
al., 2006; Holzer, 2018
Students need to be informed of the support
programs and services available to them.
Brown, Wohn, & Ellison, 2016; Hillman, Gast, &
George-Jackson, 2015; Perna, 2006; Scott-
Clayton, 2013; Tierney & Venegas, 2017; Cude et
al., 2006; Holzer, 2018
Students need to have resources that create visible
and accessible financial aid information for low-
income, first-generation, and students of color.
Brown, Wohn, & Ellison, 2016; Hillman, Gast, &
George-Jackson, 2015; Perna, 2006; Scott-
Clayton, 2013; Tierney & Venegas, 2017; Cude et
al., 2006; Holzer, 2018
Policies, Processes, & Procedures
Students need to have policies that align with ...

The school has policies that align with financial
aid information for low-income, first-generation,
and students of color.
Baum et al., 2013; Scott-Clayton, 2012; Bird &
Castleman, 2016
Culture
Students need to be part of a culture that aligns
with ...

Students need to be part of a culture that supports
students of low-status backgrounds to access
information and programs that create equitable
processes for them to persist through to
educational goal completion.
Wang, Wickersham, Lee, & Chan, 2018;
Woosley, 2011; Roksa & Whitley, 2017;
Gallimore and Goldenberg, 2001.
Students need to be a part of a culture that
cultivates their motivational beliefs and manages
educational expectations.
Wang, Wickersham, Lee, & Chan, 2018;
Woosley, 2011; Roksa & Whitley, 2017;
Gallimore and Goldenberg, 2001.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 54

Table 4, continued
Assumed Organization Influences Research Literature
Author, Year; Author, Year.
Culture
Students need to be part of a culture that aligns
with ...

Students need student-centered approaches to
facilitate student success in their first year of
college.
Wang, Wickersham, Lee, & Chan, 2018;
Woosley, 2011; Roksa & Whitley, 2017;
Gallimore and Goldenberg, 2001.
Cultural Settings and models. (incentives;
rewards; recognition, etc.)
Students need to have...

Students need to have access to Counselors and
rely on face-to-face interactions to understand
how to navigate the college transition process,
which includes financial aid.
Brown, Wohn, & Ellison, 2016; Gallimore and
Goldenberg, 2001.
Students need to feel that they are part of a
culture that supports financial aid
Wang, Wickersham, Lee, & Chan, 2018;
Woosley, 2011; Roksa & Whitley, 2017;
Gallimore and Goldenberg, 2001.
Students need to feel that they are part of a
culture that supports academic achievement.
Wang, Wickersham, Lee, & Chan, 2018;
Woosley, 2011; Roksa & Whitley, 2017:
Gallimore and Goldenberg, 2001.

Summary
The factors and potential influences according to the research were identified according
to the Clark & Estes (2008) Knowledge, motivation and organizational influences of the students
that participated and completed the FAIP. Chapter Three details the conceptual framework that
will allow for the knowledge, motivation, and organizational indices identified and discussed in
Chapter Two.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 55

Chapter Three: Methodology
The purpose of this project was to evaluate the degree to which the counseling faculty at
the NSCSO is providing a meaningful and effective intervention for students to secure financial
aid their second year after completing the FAIP at SC. The analysis focused on knowledge,
motivation and organizational influences related to achieving this organizational goal. While a
complete evaluation project will focus on all SC stakeholders, for practical purposes the
stakeholders to be focused on in this analysis are the student completers participating in the
activities for the FAIP.
As such, the questions that guided this study are the following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to the FAIP
completers to continue to maintain their financial aid a year later?
2. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
The conceptual framework for this evaluation was the Clark and Estes (2008) Gap
Analysis model. This approach offers a practice-based problem-solving approach to improve
performance and achieve organizational goals. During the process of a gap analysis the assumed
causes of the gaps are outlined by focusing on the knowledge, motivation and organizational
factors. These factors are then analyzed and addressed with research-based recommendations.
This model assists organizations in the process of the evaluation to define their goals, understand
their progress toward achieving them and understand possible underlying causes to hypothesize
for actionable solutions (Rueda, 2011). Figure 1 shows the phases of the Gap Analysis model as
an iterative approach to achieving goals.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 56

Figure 1. Gap analysis conceptual framework for knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences.

For this study the Clark & Estes (2008) knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences framework is adapted as an evaluation. Rather than causes for performance gaps, the
assets and needs are determined to evaluate the performance of the organization and will focus
on understanding students needs to consider themselves financially literate by understanding the
components of the financial aid process and feel efficacious in participating in decision-making.
This evaluation sought to use both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to achieve
data collection but due to the limitations of this study only quantitative methods were used.
Quantitative research is meant to examine the relationship between variables. These variables are
typically measured among instruments and the data analyzed using statistical procedures
(Creswell, 2014).
Assessment of Performance Influences
According to Clark and Estes (2008) the Gap Analysis process requires the examination
of the assumed influences of performance using three critical factors: (a) knowledge and skills,
AN EVALUATION STUDY 57

(b) motivation to achieve the goal and (c) organizational influences. The purpose of this
evaluation is to reveal the assets and needs of students to achieve the goal of maintaining
financial aid eligibility of the students that completed the FAIP the year following completion.
The evaluation will focus on discovering the student's understanding about the eligibility
components and process of receiving financial aid.
Anderson and Krathwohls (2001) revision of Bloom's taxonomy will be used for this
evaluation. The original version of Bloom's Taxonomy was utilized as a measurement tool and
carefully defined six major categories in the cognitive domain.
Knowledge Assessment
Table 5 is derived from Chapter Two and lists the assumed knowledge influences that
affect students ability to maintain their financial aid the second year. The knowledge assessment
will be conducted through surveys and document analysis.
First, surveys are the collection method that is used to effectively collect data that
describes, compares or explains individual knowledge, values, feelings, and explains the
motivation for behavior (Fink, 2013). The sample and design of the surveys in this evaluation
will be based upon each of the categories of knowledge that students must have in order to
discern with confidence the different financial aid options available to them. This method is
appropriate because it directly captures what individuals believe, know and think about a specific
knowledge domain (Fink, 2013). The purpose of using surveys is to generalize from this sample
of individual students so that inferences can be made about their behavior and of their attitudes
attributed to their knowledge. The surveys administered in this evaluation will be done in the
form of a questionnaire to produce accurate information and consistent information from the
knowledge categories described in Chapter Two.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 58

Declarative factual knowledge. According to Anderson & Krathwohl (2001) declarative
factual knowledge is specific content knowledge such as terminology, technical vocabulary and
facts.
In the context of this evaluation students were asked questions in a survey in order to gain
an understanding of their factual knowledge about the financial aid process. Students will be
asked to recall answers by completing multiple-choice questions and other recognition tasks.
Conceptual knowledge. According to Anderson & Krathwohl (2001) conceptual
knowledge includes concepts and underlying categories within a knowledge domain. In order to
understand a student's conceptual knowledge students will answer survey questions that will
focus on asking students to identify, interpret and describe concepts and principles relevant to the
financial aid process. Surveys are appropriate to check for the existing understanding of the
financial aid concepts, processes and relationships students need to know.
Fink (2013) suggests the best kinds of questions to use in order to assess for conceptual
knowledge are closed-ended questions and only some open-ended as necessary. The questions
items in this evaluation will be used for the purpose of collecting data on how students interpret
concepts. Students will be asked to summarize information, to compare concepts and ideas.
These items will be useful for students to show their conceptual knowledge by constructing a
response and supplying an interpretation of financial aid information. In the set of questions that
will be close-ended students will be asked to exemplify information by giving specific examples,
students will be asked to classify information by recognizing and differentiating between
categories.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 59

Procedural knowledge. According to Anderson & Krathwohl (2001) procedural
knowledge is described as the skills involved with carrying the procedures and following specific
steps to finishing a task.
In the context of this evaluation students will be asked to deconstruct the process of
completing their financial aid application. The survey items will ask students to demonstrate and
apply their knowledge to describe the process of maintaining their financial aid eligibility. The
questions will be closed-ended and open-ended, as needed, to allow students to construct a
response to the question in a way that reflects the students' understanding of the financial aid
process.
Metacognitive knowledge. According to Anderson & Krathwohl (2001) metacognitive
knowledge refers to the ability to reflect on the skills, categories, process and ascertain a
calculated approach to a problem or demands of a process.
In the context of this evaluation the students will need to understand their financial aid
eligibility and how to maintain it. The kinds of questions that will be presented in the survey will
assess a student's ability to reflect and confidently make decisions about their financial aid
eligibility. In order to assess this information, the students will be asked questions that will ask
them to describe their reflections of their behaviors by discussing their behavior regarding
financial aid. Table 5 shows the knowledge influences within each of the four knowledge types
and their method of assessment for this evaluation.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 60

Table 5
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Method of Assessment
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Declarative Factual (terms, facts,
concepts)
Students know…

Students need to know financial aid is
an option available to them.
When did you become aware of
the availability of financial aid?

A. Middle School
B. High School
C. First-Year of College
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to know if they are still
receiving Financial Aid their second year
of college.

Are you still receiving financial
aid your second year of
college?

A. Yes
B. No
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to know the definition of
eligibility.
Which of the following
correctly defines “financial aid
eligibility”?
A. The state of having the
appropriate conditions to
qualify for financial assistance.
*
B. The state of not having
anything set up for financial
assistance.
C. The state being able to go
to school due to lack of
financial aid.
D. The state of being happy
with your financial situation.
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 61

Table 5, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students need to know what the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) is in order to fill it out and
determine if they are eligible for financial
aid.
Fill in the blank:
Students need to know they
must fill out the ____________
in order to determine if they are
eligible for financial aid.
A. Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)*
B. College Application
C. Application for Financial
Aid
D. Federal Application for
Student Aid (FASA)
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to know what qualifies
them to be eligible to receive financial
aid.
Financial aid can be given to
any student that meets the
following requirements:
Choose all that apply:
A. Be a US citizen or
other eligible non-
citizen*
B. Be enrolled in a
minimum number of
units*
C. Have a drivers license
number
D. Be making Satisfactory
Academic Progress*
E. Own a car
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to know grants and
scholarships do not have to be paid back.
Which of the following types of
financial aid do not have to be
paid back?

A. Grants and Scholarships *
B. Loans and Scholarships
C. Loans and Grants
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 62

Table 5, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students need to know they have to
renew their FAFSA yearly and maintain
Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Students need to know to
receive financial aid every year
students need to:
Check all that Apply.

A. Renew their FAFSA
yearly*
B. Increase their work hours
C. Maintain a good GPA or
Satisfactory Academic
Progress*
D. Show up to class on time.
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Declarative Conceptual (categories,
process models, principles, relationships)
Students need to know...

Students need to know the different types
of financial aid available to them.
Matching test.

Identify the type of financial
aid that needs to be paid back
and the types that do not have
to be paid back.

A. Pay back
B. Do not pay back

1. Federal Pell Grant: B
2. Cal Grants: B
3. Board of Governors
Fee Waiver: B
4. Chafee Grant: B
5. Federal Supplemental
Educational
Opportunity Grant: B
6. Federal Work-Study: B
7. Direct Subsidized
Loan: A
8. Direct Unsubsidized
loan: A
9. Direct Plus Loan: A
10. Los Angeles College
Promise: B
11. South Bay Promise: B
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 63

Table 5, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students need to know where to find
helpful financial aid information.
Finish the sentence:

The information that helped me
understand how to apply for
financial aid mostly came from:

A. Immediate Family
B. The FAIP *
C. Looking online on my
own
D. My social circle
Other special program
at my college.
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

Did both of your parents attend
and finish college in the United
States?

A. Yes.
No.

Use the Likert-scale below to
rate your level of likelihood of
the following statement:

Are you likely to continue to
attend college given what you
now know about your financial
aid status?

1= I will not be likely to
continue to attend college.

2 = I will be somewhat likely to
continue to attend college.

B. 3 = I will likely
continue to attend
college.
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 64

Table 5, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students need to know what is required of
them once they receive financial aid.
The academic expectations of
students that are receiving
financial aid are:

Check all that apply.

A. Complete or renew
FAFSA*
B. Maintain a GPA of 2.0
or higher*
C. Complete 67% of your
cumulative units
attempted*
D. Taking Math and
English your first
semester.
E. Develop an education
plan every semester*
Declare a major*
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to know the FAFSA
application deadline date.
What is the FAFSA application
deadline?

A. January 2
nd
B. March 2
nd
*
C. May 3
rd

F. D. December 1
st

The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to know what expenses
financial aid covers.
What expenses does Financial
aid cover?

A. Tuition and fees.
B. Room and Board
C. Books and supplies.
D. Transportation.
E. All of the above*

AN EVALUATION STUDY 65

Table 5, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Procedural
Students need to know how to…

Students need to know how to prepare to
file their FAFSA application
To file the FAFSA application
students needs to be prepared
to do the following:
Check all that apply:
A. Create an account
(FSA ID) *
B. Fill in the FAFSA form
at FAFSA.GOV*
C. Choose the correct year
you will be attending
College *
D. Fill out the
Demographics section*
E. Have a California
Drivers license.
F. List the schools you
want to attend*
G. Answer the section on
dependency status *
H. Fill out the parent
demographics section*
I. Supply parental
financial information*
J. Sign the FAFSA*
Retrieve Expected Family
Contribution (EFC)*
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to know how to access
information about financial aid in college.
How have you accessed
information about financial
aid?

Choose all that apply:

A. Asking the Financial
Aid or Academic
Counselors*
B. Searching on the
FAFSA website for
helpful tips to navigate
the application*
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 66

Table 5, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
D. Logging into your
school portal to check
your financial aid
status online *
E. Asking the bursar's
office

Students need to know how to seek
helpful information about financial aid in
college.
How would you seek to find
financial aid information?
Check all that apply:

A. Looking on the FAFSA
website for help.*
B. Not filling out the
FAFSA
C. Going to the
admissions office to
ask for financial help
D. Going to the bank to
ask for financial help
F. Ask a SC Counselor.*

Metacognitive
Students need to know how to reflect on...
E.
Students need to know how to reflect on
the decision of accepting a financial aid
award.
I self-evaluate my financial aid
choices by…
A. Having a deep
understanding of what is being
expected of me
B. Discussing my choices
with someone outside of myself
C. Thinking about the
consequences of my decision in
the long term
D. All of the above.*
E. I dont self-evaluate my
decisions about financial aid
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 67

Table 5, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students need to learn how to reflect on
their experiences of support at their
college that helped them understand
financial aid.
When I reflect on my
experiences with the
institutions financial aid
support, I…
A. think about how support
programs have helped me
understand financial aid.*
B. think about how support
programs havent helped me
understand financial aid.
C. I dont reflect on my
experiences with financial aid
support by my institution.
The five surveys
collected over five
years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

Motivation Assessment
Table 6, derived from the literature review in Chapter two, lists the assumed motivation
influences that affect students behavior as it relates to financial aid choices.
Value. According to Clark and Estes (2001) individuals choices are guided by the
perceived benefit they will acquire as a result.
In the context of this evaluation students will be assessed on their perceived value of the
availability of financial aid related access and information. In order to assess the utility value of
financial aid by the perceived effort of students Likert scale items will be used in the form of a
survey to capture, intrinsic, extrinsic, attainment and cost value (Eccles et al., 1983) related to
their beliefs about financial aid . Students will be asked to rank in order of satisfaction,
fulfillment and enjoyment to rank the task value of each of the task-value items being addressed:
financial aid availability, financial aid related information and access to financial aid. It is
appropriate to use a Likert scale because the ranked list will indicate students beliefs about the
value of financial aid related services.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 68

Self-efficacy. According to Clark and Estes (2008) self-efficacy is defined as those that
have the confidence to invest in a mental effort task. Those who do not have the confidence will
not work hard because they will believe they will fail.
In this evaluation students will be asked to answer questions regarding their confidence
about their ability to take the steps to complete the process of financial aid.
Mood. According to Clark and Estes (2008) mood refers to the positive or negative
emotional reaction about achieving a goal or activity.
In the context of this evaluation students will be asked to answer questions related to their
feelings about completing the FAFSA application and accepting their financial aid award and
having available financial aid assistance.
Attribution. According to Weiner (1986) attribution is the attitude of individuals about
themselves and their behavior.
In the context of this evaluation students will be asked questions about the perceptions of
their effort and achievement in the financial aid process due to their behavior.
Goal Orientation. According to Clark and Estes (2008) the goals individuals set are
related to their values and beliefs about their ability to succeed. Their approach to those goals
should be assessed for gaps and closed for them to be achieved.
In this evaluation students will be asked to focus on tasks that will help them to maintain
their financial aid eligibility. Table 6 shows the motivation influences and their method of
assessment for this evaluation.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 69

Table 6
Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences and Method of Assessment
Assumed Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document Analysis
Value
Stakeholders need to
value…
Using the scale below,
rate the extent to
which you
agree or disagree with
the following
statements:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

Students need to value the
availability of financial
aid.
Financial aid is
important for
achieving my future
goals.
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP
Students need to value the
financial aid-related
information offered by
institutional supports on
campus.
Information on
financial aid provided
by my institution is
important to me.
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.
Students need to value
access to higher
educations benefits.
Finishing my college
degree is important
for achieving my
future goals.
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.
Students need to value
their completion of the
FAIP.
Completing the FAIP
program was an
important support that
I needed to stay in
school.
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 70

Table 6, continued
Assumed Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document Analysis
Self-Efficacy
Students need to be
confident that they can
take the steps to receive
financial aid eligibility.
Using the scale below,
rate your confidence
in being able to do the
following right now
with 0 being ‘Not
Confident At ALL
and 100 being Highly
Confident

A. Complete the
FAFSA
application at
FAFSA.GOV.
B. Supply
parental tax
information
and
documents.
C. Retrieve your
expected
family
contribution
(EFC)
number.
D. Navigate your
school's portal
account to
check your
financial aid
status.
E. Check your
financial aid
eligibility.
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.
Students need to have
confidence that they can
take the steps to maintain
Financial Aid eligibility
(Satisfactory Academic
Progress).
F. Maintain a
2.0 GPA or
better

The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 71

Table 6, continued
Assumed Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students need to have
confidence that they can
take the steps to make a
decision about their
financial aid award options
(grants, loans, work-study,
etc.)
G. Decide
between the
different grant
and loan
options
awarded.
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.
Students need to be
confident that they can
take the steps to seek help
with their FAFSA
application.
H. Seek help
when
needed on the
FAFSA
application.
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.
Mood
Students need to feel
positive about…

Using the scale below,
rate the extent to
which you
agree or disagree with
the following
statements:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

Students need to feel
confident about
completing their FAFSA
application after their
participation of the FAIP.
After completing the
FAIP I feel positive
about completing the
FAFSA application.

The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.
Students need to feel
positive about accepting
their financial aid award
after their participation of
the FAIP
After completing the
FAIP I feel positive
about accepting my
financial aid award.

The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 72

Table 6, continued
Assumed Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students need to feel
positive about the available
institutional support
navigating financial aid
assistance after their
participation in the FAIP
After completing the
FAIP, I feel positive
about the available
institutional support
navigating financial
aid assistance.

The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.
Attribution
Students need to believe
that the success or failure
to secure financial aid is
due to their own efforts
after their participation in
the FAIP.
My ability to secure
financial aid was
heavily influenced
by….
Please check all that
apply.
A. Support from
my college
administration
B. Help from my
teachers
C. Help from my
counselors
D. My own
efforts*

The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.
Goal Orientation
Students need to know
they can succeed in
applying to financial aid
even in the face of
setbacks.
Using the scale below,
rate the extent to
which you
agree or disagree with
the following
statements:
1. Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

Even with setbacks it
is my goal to secure
financial aid.
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 73

Table 6, continued
Assumed Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students learn from their
mistakes while applying
for financial aid.
Even if I make
mistakes, my goal is
to finish the FAFSA.

1. Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree
The five surveys collected over five years of
implementation by the FAIP.

Organization/Culture/Context Assessment
Table 6, derived from the literature review in Chapter two, lists the assumed organization
influences that affect students behavior as it relates to financial aid choices.
Resources. According to Clark and Estes (2008) within an organization the proper
allocation of resources may support individuals to have the proper access to acquire the proper
knowledge, skills and motivation to achieve their goal. In the context of this evaluation students
will be asked to describe the availability of visible and available information, support programs
they are able to access about financial aid at SC.
Policies, processes, & procedures. According to Clark & Estes (2008) policies and
procedures are the systems within an organization that are put in place to facilitate the work of
employees. In the context of this evaluation students will be asked to describe the policies they
feel are aligned to benefit them if they are low-income, first-generation and students of color
applying to financial aid.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 74

Cultural settings. According to Clark & Estes (2008), Culture refers to an
organizations core values, goals, beliefs, emotions. In the context of this evaluation the students
will be asked to describe the access to support, information, and their perception that their
College environment cultivates the motivational beliefs that they are able to be successful.
According to Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) the concept of cultural setting to describe an
aspect of what makes up culture in an educational context. Their definition of a cultural setting is
the “occasions where people come together to carry out joint activity that accomplishes
something they value” (Pg.48). This definition supports that culture exists in educational
contexts and that it is created. In the context of this evaluation students will be asked about their
experiences with having access to face-to-face interactions with Counselors and express if they
feel they could rely on those interactions to navigate the college process and meet their financial
aid completion goals. According to Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) the concept of cultural
models is defined as the shared meaning of how the world works. This is explained as a
manifestation of the collective environmental cognitive and affective components of behavior.
Organizational culture can be implicit in the operational patterns within the organization.
According to Cole (1985), cultural models or “tools of the mind”, are part of ecological niches
that are so familiar they are invisible and often those who hold them are unaware, yet they define
the way individuals think about things. In the context of this evaluation students will be asked to
describe if they feel support from the College to achieve academically. Table 7 shows the
organization influences and their method of assessment for this evaluation.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 75

Table 7
Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences and Method of Assessment
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Resources (time; finances; people)
Students need resources to …
Using the scale below, rate the
extent to which you agree or
disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

Students need resources to
successfully complete the FAFSA on
time.
I have access to resources that
can help me successfully
complete the FAFSA on time.

The FAIP helped me to
successfully complete the
FAFSA on time.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the FAIP
Students need institutional resources
to academically succeed in college.
I have access to resources that
can help me academically
succeed in college.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to be informed of the
support programs and services
available to them.
I have access to support
programs that can help me to
navigate the financial aid
process.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to have resources that
create visible and accessible financial
aid information for low-income, first-
generation, and students of color.
I have access to support
programs that help me as a
low-income, first-generation,
student of color.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 76

Table 7, continued
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Policies, Processes, & Procedures
Students need to have policies that
align with ...

The school has policies that align
with financial aid information for
low-income, first-generation, and
students of color.
Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

The policies,
processes, and procedures of
my institution support my
ability
to access information about
financial aid.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Culture
Stakeholders need to be part of a
culture that aligns with ...
Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 77

Table 7, continued
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Students need to be part of a culture
that supports students of low-status
backgrounds to access information
and programs that create equitable
processes for them to persist through
to educational goal completion.
The culture at my institution
supports my educational goals
equitably.

The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to be a part of a culture
that cultivates their motivational
beliefs and manages educational
expectations.
The culture at my institution
motivates me to believe in
myself academically.

The culture at my institution
motivates me to manage my
educational expectations.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need student-centered
approaches to facilitate student
success in their first year of college.

The culture at my institution
supports a culture of success
for students in their first year
of college.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Cultural Setting (incentives;
rewards; recognition, etc.)
Stakeholders need to have
Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to have access to
Counselors and rely on face-to-face
interactions to understand how to
navigate the college transition
process, which includes financial aid.
I can access face-to-face
interactions with Counselors
easily.

The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 78

Table 7, continued
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Cultural Settings and Models. Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
Financial Aid Intervention
progra
Students need to feel that they are
part of a culture that supports
financial aid.
The culture of my institution
supports my ability to pursue
financial aid.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
FAIP.
Students need to feel that they are
part of a culture that supports
academic achievement.
The culture of my institution
supports my academic
achievement.
The five surveys collected
over five years of
implementation by the
Financial Aid Intervention
program.

Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection
The stakeholder group of focus for this paper will be FAIP student completers who have
finished the program and secured financial aid their first year.
Sampling
According to Fink (2017) the sample of the study includes who and how many people
will be contacted, how often and where the study will take place. The sample group was
intentionally chosen given the design of the study. In this evaluation the stakeholder group are
the students that have finished the FAIP. The student completers of the FAIP that have also
AN EVALUATION STUDY 79

secured financial aid their first year were surveyed to understand the effectiveness of the
program.
Recruitment
For the purpose of this study, the sampling strategy will seek out the 373 students that
completed the FAIP under the counseling faculty at the NSCSO. The counseling faculty at the
NSCSO oversees the FAIP activities and has records of all of the students that completed the
program. The counseling faculty at the NSCSO will provide the list of completers that started the
program for the 2017-2018 school year who will be entering their second year with the college.
Of these completers the students that secured financial aid the first year after completing the
FAIP program were contacted with the intention to survey and interview them. No interviews
were able to be conducted despite several attempts.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation used for this study will be an online survey sent to participants, an
interview protocol, and an analysis of the pre and post surveys given to students during the FAIP.
Instrument items are contained in Tables 4, 5, and 6. The items were generated based on the
assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational influences.
Survey design. The survey used in this study consists of 14 knowledge items, 14
motivation items, and 12 organization items that measure the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences that may or may not support the learning and persistence of students in
college securing financial aid their first year through the FAIP. In addition, the survey items are
intended to measure the students values, self-efficacy, organizational perceptions of support and
the types of knowledge gained and transferred in the FAIP. Further the study will seek students
responses to the organizational resources, policies, processes and procedures that support
AN EVALUATION STUDY 80

students of color and first-generation college students. Finally, the students will answer questions
regarding the college culture and their perception of the colleges commitment to maintain a safe
environment where they feel motivated to academically succeed.
Document analysis design. In this evaluation the college administration will provide pre
and post surveys taken before the intervention and after the previous interventions for the five
cohorts of students. The analysis will focus specifically on the students entering their second
year of college. The surveys will be evaluated for alignment of items within the categories of the
assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational influences that students should know in order
to secure financial aid in their first and second years of college. This analysis will provide a
source of triangulating the data with the current evaluation items.
Data Collection
Following University of Southern California Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval,
participants were solicited by the FAIP Counselors to participate in the survey and interviews.
Surveys
The survey will be sent out electronically for students to participate. The communication
will happen through the FAIP Counselors by sending out communication via email first, and a
follow-up phone will remain a second attempt at trying to reach individuals that are unresponsive
by email. The sample size chosen for the survey will be actively attending school during the fall
semester and will be able to have the opportunity to meet with the researcher at the New Student
Counseling Office twice a week to complete it on campus. Data was not provided to the
researcher to identify if there are students who completed the program have not continued their
education or have transferred or completed.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 81

Document Analysis
The FAIP has granted access for the researcher to analyze the pre and post examination
of students to understand the retention rate of the information disseminated during the program
for five consecutive semesters. The FAIP program will provide the documentation of their
survey and their recorded data. The document analysis will focus on the five pre and post
surveys with the matching responses. The responses and the items chosen on the survey will be
analyzed to determine the reliability of the survey in measuring the different types of knowledge
students are expected to know and transfer into their second year at the end of the program.
Data Analysis
Survey
According to Merriam & Tisdell (2016) valid quantitative findings are determined
through the use of statistical analysis. The survey data will be analyzed using descriptive
statistics and frequencies, these will include using standard deviation, the mean and the mode.
Interviews
This study intended to collect interviews but due to the low rate of responses this was a
limitation of the study. No students volunteered to be interviewed.
Documents
Document analysis in qualitative research involves the process of reviewing and making
an assessment appraisal by coding content into subject. In this evaluation the content in the
surveys being analyzed will be compared to the items of the KMO framework tables to provide a
reliable standard to improve their program instruction and determine the quality of their survey
items.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 82

Credibility and Reliability
In order to minimize bias concepts such as reliability, validity and generalizability are
important quantitative research concepts to address. According to Creswell (2014) validity is the
extent to which an instrument or tool can be said to measure what it is designed to measure. It is
assumed that much of the quantitative data utilized for this study will be collected from the
surveys conducted from the sample population. Collection of quantitative data will be useful in
answering the research questions by deductively quantifying the assumed knowledge influences
being assessed. Additionally, reliability refers to the scores that result from past use of the survey
or instrument are consistent with the constructs being used.
Trustworthiness of Data
In order to maintain the credibility and trustworthiness of this study, evaluating the
quality of the research is important to ensure the findings are utilized in practice and
incorporated in delivery. According to Creswell (2014) qualitative validity refers to the
procedure put in place by the researcher to ensure the credibility of the findings. Qualitative
reliability refers to the approach the researcher chooses to remain consistent.
When analyzing the qualitative data of this study, rather than looking to meet the
standard of validity, the criterion of credibility will be utilized. In a qualitative study that aims to
validate “objective” truths, credibility seeks to accurately represent participant experiences
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The students in the sample were given the choices to self-select the
option to be interviewed in addition to voluntarily filling out the survey. In order to ensure the
credibility of the quantitative data analyzed in this evaluation, namely document analysis surveys
triangulation will be utilized. As suggested by Wolcott (2005) correspondence between research
and the real world” (p.16) will be exemplified by triangulating the data between surveys and
AN EVALUATION STUDY 83

document analysis. Patton (2015) argues triangulation increases the credibility of the studys
findings.
Role of Investigator
According to Locke et al. (1987), the role of the investigator as the first data collection
instrument must self-identify. The investigator must disclose personal values, assumptions and
biases in order for their contribution to be positive and as objective as possible.
The investigator in this study has served as an adjunct Community College Counselor
and Professor of Counseling for three years. In this capacity the researcher has worked mostly as
an onboarding counselor for new students, an outreach counselor for transitioning High School
students and a career counselor. The investigator in this study is a Hispanic immigrant that has
served mainly at HSIs. The investigator has experience leading and coordinating a HSI-Title V
Grant and additionally has been a part of the implementation of Workforce and Economic
Development Program initiatives as a Career and Technical Education Counselor.
The role of the investigator in this evaluation was to report the answers to the research
questions by providing evidence and data that answers each question. The investigator will write
the final report with clear language and in a voice that is appropriate for the stakeholder audience
so that findings are utilized to answer the research questions (Alkin, 2017). The investigator will
obtain permission from the IRB at the University of Southern California in order to collect data
and conduct the study. The investigator will respond to all requests for information or materials
solicited by the IRB and conduct the study in strict accordance with IRB-approved research
protocol.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 84

Limitations and Delimitations
According to Anderson (2010), limitations or influences outside of the researchers
control exist within the qualitative data. In qualitative research there is a risk to the constructs
utilized in the inductive process of categories and not being able to be translated into conclusive
theoretical justifications. Further, qualitative research may also be limited by the inability to
generalize and replicate the results and findings of the case study. This study investigates one
community college in the State of California of 114 others. Thus, a limitation of this study is the
sample size.
The sample size of this evaluation is limited to self-reported surveys which can contain
several sources of bias, such as selective memory, telescoping, attribution, and exaggeration
(McGregor, 2017). Therefore, another limitation of this study is the instrumentation used for data
collection. The delimitations of research include choosing a sample of students who have
returned, not taking into consideration those students who have not continued to attend SC.
Data Collection
A big limitation of this study was the ability to collect student surveys. An additional
limitation due to the shelter in place and low rate of responses no interviews were conducted.
The researcher had a difficult time following up with the identified students chosen for the study.
The sampling strategy for this study identified the 373 students that completed the FAIP the
summer before their first year of college. The list of completers chosen for this evaluation were
those who attended the intervention program in the summer of 2018 and started their first year of
college in the fall of 2018. The Counselors that oversee the New Student Center Services Office
gave permission for an email with the survey to be sent on the researchers behalf to the list of
completers that started the program. The survey contained a link at the end inviting the survey
AN EVALUATION STUDY 85

participant to volunteer for an interview. Three survey email attempts were sent out with the help
of the Faculty Coordinator, the program Lead Counselor, and the secretary of the program. The
secretary of the program was the main person with access to the database of student emails. The
secretary cautioned that the colleges email system was presently “experiencing issues”.
Additionally, she stated that she would be unable to follow up on any difficulties as she was
going on leave. As suspected the email blast was not successful. The process of troubleshooting
the email malfunctions persisted from January to March of 2020. During this time three separate
emails with the survey resulted in eleven students opening the email and only one student
participating in the survey. The FAIP survey additionally had a large number of non-
respondents. Given the high number of questions that were not answered in the FAIP survey data
it makes it hard for the findings and assertions in this study to be truly considered assets or needs
thus, it was necessary to include assets and recommendations for both assets and needs to give
comprehensive solutions.
The researcher formulated a new strategy at the end of February and beginning of March
of 2020. The Faculty Coordinator gave permission for QR codes to be taped to counselors
desks, and for counselors to ask students if at the end of their session they would like to
participate in this study. The QR codes were also placed in various locations in the Student
Services building and the counseling faculty at the NSCSO also populated the survey on their
computers for use in the lobby of their office. Progress started after a week of the new
recruitment strategy as a total of three more students filled out the survey shortly after. After one
week of the recruitment through the QR codes the mandatory stay at home order was placed in
the county due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The progress of recruitment came to a halt with the
new stay at home order. As a result, only four students participated in the survey, without
AN EVALUATION STUDY 86

participating in an interview. In order to seek out additional data to attempt to confirm the assets
and needs identified in Chapter Three, the researcher turned to the FAIP survey. This FAIP
survey is the only existing document of any meaning due to the number of respondents (n=373).
This is the limitation reasoning for the data collection described in Chapter Four.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 87

Chapter Four: Results and Findings
This chapter presents an analysis of the data available to the researcher for the purpose of
evaluating the degree to which the counseling faculty at the NSCSO has provided a meaningful
intervention to new incoming students to secure financial aid their second year after completing
the FAIP at SC. The intended data collection plan for this study was to focus on the knowledge,
motivation and organizational influences related to achieving SCs goal by conducting surveys
and interviews. No interviews were collected in this study. The sections that follow provide a
description of the intentioned data collection in comparison with the actual data collected.
Data Collection Approach
Recruitment
The sample of identified students (n = 373) completed the Financial Aid Intervention
Program the summer before fall of 2018. Of these students only four students answered the
online survey sent out by the New Student Counseling Services Office. Two surveys were
collected by the FAIP counselors, one before the program began as a pre-survey and a second
one as a post-survey immediately after the program ended. The FAIP Survey. The FAIP survey
was administered to the new cohorts of students starting their first year at SC. In the summer of
2018, students enrolled were given a pre-survey (n=373) and a post-survey (n=373). The survey
was intended for faculty to determine a students knowledge about financial aid programs,
policies and resources, which the program refers to as financial aid literacy. The pre-survey was
used to identify demographic data of students.
Ethnicity. The demographic data showed that of the sample size who attended the
program (n=373) 59% (n=185) identified as Latino, 12% (n=39) identified as Asian, 8%
(n=26) identified as Black/African American, 7% (n=24) identified as White/Non-Hispanic, 3%
AN EVALUATION STUDY 88

(n=11) identified as Filipino, 0.6% (n=2) identified as American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 78
students did not respond to this question.
Citizenship Status. Students were asked to answer a question about their citizenship
status. Only n=313 students answered this question, of these 92% ((n=290) identified as U.S.
citizens, 4% (n=15) disclosed as green card holders, 0.32% (n=1) identified as an international
student and 2% (n=7) chose none of the previous categories.
Gender. Students were asked to identify their gender as female or male. Only n=313
students answered this question. 41% (n=129) identified as male, and 59% (n=184) identified as
female.
Age. Students (n=373) were asked how old they would be by December 31st of 2018,
only 314 students answered the survey. 77% (n=244) answered they would be 17, 16% (n=53)
answered they would be 19, 1% (n=4) answered they would be 17, 1% (n=4) answered they
would be 20, 59 students did not respond.
First-Generation. Students (n=373) were asked if their parent(s)/guardian(s) completed a
bachelors degree at a four-year college or university in the U.S. 79% (n=248) of students said
no, and 21% (n=65) of students said yes.
Overall, the demographic data displays the majority of the student sample identified as
Latino, female, 18 years old and first-generation.
The data collected in the post test was used to help the program determine their
contribution to the financial literacy of the SC students and predict the likelihood of a students
ability to apply for financial aid their second year in college.
The overall results measured the students knowledge of the program, policies and
resources of financial aid increased after students complete the training. The summary of their
AN EVALUATION STUDY 89

report did not include a detailed breakdown of the gaps in knowledge their students may be
experiencing according to the collected data. Their pre-survey included six background and
demographic questions that included gender, age, ethnicity, citizenship status, parents education
background, and the types of financial aid they have received. Additionally, the pre-survey
included seventeen questions. For all the questions students were asked to rate their knowledge
using a Likert scale from 1 (“not knowledgeable”) to 5 (“knowledgeable.”) As the previous data
collected by the FAIP program survey for incoming students might prove to be useful, the
researcher created a cross walk to compare the responses of the instrument created in this current
evaluation (Evaluation Survey). The cross walk includes the knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences discussed in Chapter Three and the corresponding survey item for the
Evaluation Survey and the FAIP survey items.
A Crosswalk of the Evaluation Survey and the FAIP
The Evaluation Survey (ES) and the FAIP Survey were created using different
perspectives. Due to the different approaches, a crosswalk was created to list the 19 Knowledge
influences and the items that correspond from each of the surveys. The researcher created the ES
to match the influences and thus, all ES items correspond to all 19 influences. The FAIP Survey
matched with only six of the influences. Table 8 displays the 19 Knowledge influences and their
corresponding item from each survey. The five influences that match both the ES and the FAIP
Survey are highlighted below.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 90

Table 8
Crosswalk of Evaluation Survey and FAIP Survey
Assumed Knowledge
Influences
Evaluation Survey Questions FAIP Survey
Declarative Factual
(terms, facts, concepts)
Students know…

1. Students need to know
financial aid is an option
available to them.
When did you become aware of the
availability of financial aid?

A. Middle School
B. High School
C. First-Year of College
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

2. Students need to know
if they are still receiving
Financial Aid their second
year of college.
*Requested by the
organization
Are you still receiving financial aid
your second year of college?

A. Yes
B. No
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.
3. Students need to know
the definition of
eligibility.
Which of the following correctly
defines “financial aid eligibility”?
A. The state of having the appropriate
conditions to qualify for financial
assistance. *
B. The state of not having anything
set up for financial assistance.
C. State being able to go to school due
to lack of financial aid.
D. The state of being happy with your
financial situation.
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

4. Students need to know
what the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) is in order to fill
it out and determine if
they are eligible for
financial aid.
Fill in the blank:
Students need to know they must fill
out the ____________ in order to
determine if they are eligible for
financial aid.
A. Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA)*
B. College Application
C. Application for Financial Aid
D. Federal Application for Student Aid
(FASA)
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 91

Table 8, continued
Assumed Knowledge
Influences
Evaluation Survey Questions FAIP Survey
Declarative Factual
(terms, facts, concepts)
Students know…

5. Students need to know
what qualifies them to be
eligible to receive
financial aid.
Financial aid can be given to any
student that meets the following
requirements:
Choose all that apply:
A. Be a US citizen or other
eligible non-citizen*
B. Be enrolled in a minimum
number of units*
C. Have a drivers license number
D. Be making Satisfactory
Academic Progress*
E. Own a car
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

6. Students need to know
grants and scholarships do
not have to be paid back.

Which of the following types of
financial aid do not have to be paid
back?

A. Grants and Scholarships *
B. Loans and Scholarships
C. Loans and Grants

Please rate
your knowledge in the
following financial aid tools
and resources at the college:

“Grant and Scholarships you
do not have to be repaid.”

Likert scale from 1 (“not
knowledgeable”) to 5
(“knowledgeable.”)

7. Students need to know
they have to renew their
FAFSA yearly and
maintain Satisfactory
Academic Progress.

Students need to know to receive
financial aid every year students need
to:
Check all that Apply.

A. Renew their FAFSA yearly*
B. Increase their work hours
C. Maintain a good GPA or
Satisfactory Academic Progress*
D. Show up to class on time.

Please rate
your knowledge in the
following financial aid tools
and resources at the college:

Importance of renewing your
financial aid applications each
year.

Likert scale from 1 (“not
knowledgeable”) to 5
(“knowledgeable.”)

AN EVALUATION STUDY 92

Table 8, continued
Assumed Knowledge
Influences
Evaluation Survey Questions FAIP Survey
Declarative Conceptual
(categories, process
models, principles,
relationships) Students
need to know...

8. Students need to know
the different types of
financial aid available to
them.

Matching test.

Identify the type of financial aid that
needs to be paid back and the types that
do not have to be paid back.

A. Pay back
B. Do not pay back

1. Federal Pell Grant: B
2. Cal Grants: B
3. Board of Governors Fee
Waiver: B
4. Chafee Grant: B
5. Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant:
B
6. Federal Work-Study: B
7. Direct Subsidized Loan: A
8. Direct Unsubsidized loan: A
9. Direct Plus Loan: A
10. Los Angeles College Promise:
B
11. South Bay Promise: B

Please rate
your knowledge in the
following financial aid
programs at the college:

1. Board of Governors
Fee Waiver
(California College
Promise Grant)
2. Federal Pell Grant
3. Federal Work Study
4. California Dream Act
Application
5. College given
Scholarships for
continuing students
6. The College not
providing student
loans

Likert scale from 1 (“not
knowledgeable”) to 5
(“knowledgeable.”)

9. Students need to know
if they are considered a
first-generation college
student.

Did both of your parents attend and
finish college in the United States?

A. Yes.
B. No.
C.
Did your parent(s)/legal
guardian(s) complete a
bachelors degree at a four -
year college or university in
the U.S.?

A. Yes.
B. No.
C.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 93

Table 8, continued
Assumed Knowledge
Influences
Evaluation Survey Questions FAIP Survey
Declarative Conceptual
(categories, process
models, principles,
relationships) Students
need to know...

10. Students need to know
where to find helpful
financial aid information.
Finish the sentence:

The information that helped me
understand how to apply for financial
aid mostly came from:

A. Immediate Family
B. The FAIP *
C. Looking online on my own
D. My social circle
E. Other special program at my
college.
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

11. The more knowledge a
student has about financial
aid the higher the
likelihood of enrolling
into their second year of
college.
Use the Likert-scale below to rate your
level of likelihood of the following
statement:

Are you likely to continue to attend
college given what you now know
about your financial aid status?

1= I will not be likely to continue to
attend college.

2 = I will be somewhat likely to
continue to attend college.

3 = I will likely continue to attend
college.
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 94

Table 8, continued
Assumed Knowledge
Influences
Evaluation Survey Questions FAIP Survey
Declarative Conceptual
(categories, process
models, principles,
relationships) Students
need to know...

12. Students need to know
what is required of them
once they receive financial
aid.

The academic expectations of students
that are receiving financial aid are:

Check all that apply.

A. Complete or renew FAFSA*
B. Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or
higher*
C. Complete 67% of your
cumulative units attempted*
D. Taking Math and English your
first semester.
E. Develop an education plan
every semester*
F. Declare a major*

Please rate
your knowledge in the
following financial aid tools
and resources the college:

1. On maintaining your
financial aid
eligibility.
2. How GPA affects
your financial aid
3. The 67% completion
rate to maintain your
financial aid
4. Ways to receive your
financial aid refund.

Likert scale from 1 (“not
knowledgeable”) to 5
(“knowledgeable.”)

13. Students need to know
the FAFSA application
deadline date.
What is the FAFSA application
deadline?

A. January 2
nd
B. March 2
nd
*
C. May 3
rd

D. December 1
st

The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

14. Students need to know
what expenses financial
aid covers.
What expenses does Financial aid
cover?

A. Tuition and fees.
B. Room and Board
C. Books and supplies.
D. Transportation.
E. All of the above*
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 95

Table 8, continued
Assumed Knowledge
Influences
Evaluation Survey Questions FAIP Survey
Procedural
Students need to know
how to…

15. Students need to know
how to prepare to file their
FAFSA application
To file the FAFSA application students
need to be prepared to do the following:
Check all that apply:
A. Create an account (FSA ID) *
B. Fill in the FAFSA form at
FAFSA.GOV*
C. Choose the correct year you
will be attending College *
D. Fill out the Demographics
section*
E. Have a California Drivers
license.
F. List the schools you want to
attend*
G. Answer the section on
dependency status *
H. Fill out the parent
demographics section*
I. Supply parental financial
information*
J. Sign the FAFSA*
K. Retrieve Expected Family
Contribution (EFC)*

The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.

16. Students need to know
how to access information
about financial aid in
college.

How have you accessed information
about financial aid?

Choose all that apply:

A. Asking the Financial Aid or
Academic Counselors*
B. Searching on the FAFSA
website for helpful tips to
navigate the application*
C. Logging into your school portal
to check your financial aid
status online *
D. Asking the bursar's office
E.
Please rate
your knowledge in the
following financial aid
programs at the college:

1. Activating your Bank
Mobile Vibe or
Higher one Account
2. Checking your “My
documents” in
MyECC account.

Likert scale from 1 (“not
knowledgeable”) to 5
(“knowledgeable.”)

AN EVALUATION STUDY 96

Table 8, continued
Assumed Knowledge
Influences
Evaluation Survey Questions FAIP Survey
17. Students need to know
how to seek helpful
information about
financial aid in college.
How would you seek to find financial
aid information?
Check all that apply:

A. Looking on the FAFSA website
for help.*
B. Not filling out the FAFSA
C. Going to the admissions office
to ask for financial help
D. Going to the bank to ask for
financial help
E. Ask a SC Counselor.*
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.
Metacognitive
Students need to know
how to reflect on...

18. Students need to know
how to reflect on the
decision of accepting a
financial aid award.
I self-evaluate my financial aid choices
by…
A. Having a deep understanding of
what is being expected of me
B. Discussing my choices with
someone outside of myself
C. Thinking about the consequences
of my decision in the long term
D. All of the above.*
E. I dont self-evaluate my decisions
about financial aid
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.
19. Students need to learn
how to reflect on their
experiences of support at
their college that helped
them understand financial
aid.
When I reflect on my experiences with
the institutions financial aid support,
I…
A. Think about how support programs
have helped me understand financial
aid.*
B. Think about how support programs
havent helped me understand financial
aid.
C. I dont reflect on my experiences
with financial aid support by my
institution.
The FAIP program did not
provide a question applicable
to this influence.
*The highlighted items showcase the questions that had overlap between the Evaluation Survey questions
and the FAIP Survey questions.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 97

Determination of Assets and Needs
Two data sets were analyzed in this chapter to determine if the 41 assumed influences
chosen for this evaluation are assets or needs. The first survey (n=4) was collected by the
researcher using Qualtrics software. A threshold of 70% determined whether the influence was
an asset or need. The second survey (n=373) was collected by the FAIP. The FAIP collected a
pre-test and a post-test for the cohort that completed the program summer of 2018. The survey
analyzed here was solely the post-test taken after the completion of the program at the end of the
summer of 2018. Since, all the questions on the FAIP survey use a Likert scale from 1 (“not
knowledgeable”) to 5 (“knowledgeable.”) An asset is the highest and second highest (4 and 5
combined) for a total of at least 70% is considered an asset. The comparisons below of both
surveys serve as triangulation to determine if each influence is an Asset or a Need.
Factual Knowledge
Influence 1. The first assumed influence item is, “Students need to know financial aid is
an option available to them.” This item is declarative factual.
Survey results. Students were given three choices to the question “When did you become
aware of the availability of financial aid?” For this item, factual knowledge needed to be
collected and thus all answers were valid responses. As shown in Table 9, a total of 75% students
responded with the choice “High School” and 25% responded with the choice “First-Year of
College.” This is valuable informational data for the program to take into consideration. No
correct or erroneous responses were given.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 98

Table 9
Evaluation Survey
Factual Knowledge Item on Survey (n=4)
When did you become aware of the availability of financial aid?
% Count
A. Middle School 0% 0
B. High School 75% 3
C. First-Year of College 25% 1

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. The responses above indicate that all students completed the survey item.
Thus, making this influence an asset. Since this question does not appear in the FAIP survey it
may be an important item to add to future surveys. The accuracy of the information students
learn and choose to accept from the intervention may be dependent on their previous knowledge.
Influence 2. The second assumed influence item, which is declarative factual is,
“Students need to know if they are still receiving Financial Aid their second year of college.”
Survey results. Students were given two choices to the question “Are you still receiving
financial aid your second year of college? As shown in Table 10 students responded “Yes” a rate
of 100%, thus this question is an asset. Students knew how to receive financial aid their second
year.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 99

Table 10
Evaluation Survey
Factual Knowledge Item on Survey (n=4)
Are you still receiving financial aid your second year of college?
% Count
A. Yes* 100% 4
B. No 0% 0

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence. This question was formulated for the evaluation to use as triangulation that the
program met its goal. Due to the low number of respondents this question is not applicable for
this evaluation but it is an important question to answer for future evaluations.
Summary. 100% of respondents answered “yes” and thus, it is an asset. This answer may
provide important information for the program to measure its success a year later.
Influence 3. The third influence item is declarative factual and it states, “Students need to
know the definition of eligibility.”
Survey results. Students answered the question “Which of the following correctly defines
“financial aid eligibility?” 100% of respondents answered correctly “having the appropriate
conditions to qualify for financial assistance”. This response rate makes this an asset. Table 11
below displays their answers.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 100

Table 11
Evaluation Survey
Which of the following correctly defines “financial aid eligibility”? (n=4) % Count
A. Having the appropriate conditions to qualify for financial assistance. * 100% 4
B. Not having anything setup for financial assistance. 0% 0
C. Being happy with your financial situation. 0% 0
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. According to these results the students answered 100% correctly and this
influence is an asset. This is an important item that was not found in the surveys of the FAIP.
Influence 4. The fourth influence is Students need to know what the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is in order to fill it out and determine if they are eligible for
financial aid.” This influence is declarative factual.
Survey results. Students were asked to complete the sentence, Sden need to know
they must fill out the _____ in order to determine if they are eligible for financial aid. Seventy-
five (75%) of students answered the question correctly, making this item an asset. Table 12
below displays the question and the answers for this item.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 101

Table 12
Evaluation Survey
Complete the sentence with the choices below. Students need to know they
must fill out the _____ in order to determine if they are eligible for financial
aid. (n=4)
% Count
A. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)* 75% 3
B. College Application 0% 0
C. Federal Application for Student Aid (FASA) 25% 1
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. Students answered the question shown on Table 11 correctly at least 70% of
the time making this influence an asset. The FAIP program did not apply a question to their
students for this influence.
Influence 5. The fifth influence is “Students need to know what qualifies them to be
eligible to receive financial aid.” This influence is declarative factual.
Survey results. Students were asked to check all that apply to the following statement,
Financ ial aid can be given to any student that meets the following e iem e n. Table 13
displays the most frequented answers for this question. Answers (b), (d) and (e) meet the
threshold of minimum 70% making these answers an asset. Answer (a) “Have a social security
number” was selected at a rate of 50% demonstrating a possible knowledge gap.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 102

Table 13
Evaluation Survey
Financial aid can be given to any student that meets the following
requirements: Check all that apply. (n=4)
% Count
A. Have a social security number. 50% 2
B. Be enrolled in a minimum number of units.* 75% 3
C. Have a drivers license number 0% 0
D. Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress* 100% 4
E. Demonstrate financial need* 100% 4
F. Own a car 0% 0
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. The survey displayed in Table shows a possible knowledge gap for the item
listed under answer (a) “Have a social security number” with a 50% answer threshold. It should
have not been chosen as students in the DACA or DREAM programs do not require a social
security number to receive financial aid.
Answers (b), (c), and (d) shown in Table 14 are all correct and thus, this influence is an
asset. The FAIP program did not provide any corresponding question.
Influence 6. The sixth declarative factual influence is “Students need to know grants and
scholarships do not have to be paid back.”
Survey results. Students were asked to answer, “Which of the following types of
financial aid do NOT have to be paid back?” The answers are displayed in Table 13 below. One
hundred percent (100%) of the respondents choose the correct answer. This influence is an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 103

Table 14
Evaluation Survey
Which of the following types of financial aid do not have to be paid back?
(n=4)
% Count
A. Grants and Scholarships* 100% 4
B. Loans and Scholarships 0% 0
C. Loans and Grants 0% 0
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. On the FAIP survey, students were asked to rate their knowledge on
Gan and scholarships that do not have to be e aid, and their answers are listed in Table 15
below. A Likert scale from 1 (“not knowledgeable”) to 5 (“knowledgeable.”) was used for all
responses. The numbers 4 and 5 (“knowledgeable”) combined do not reach the 70% threshold.
Thus, this item shows a possible knowledge gap.
Table 15
FAIP Survey
Please rate your knowledge in the following financial aid tools and
resources at the college: (n = 373)

Grant and Scholarships you do not have to be repaid.
% Count
1 - Not Knowledgeable .54% 2
2 .54% 2
3 3.49% 13
4 18.50% 69
5- Knowledgeable 52.01% 194
No response 24.93% 93

AN EVALUATION STUDY 104

Summary. The students were asked to demonstrate their knowledge of the types of
financial aid that do and do not have to be repaid in Table 13. All students responded with 100%
accuracy, thus the Evaluation Survey shows this item is an asset. Whereas, the FAIP survey
displayed a possible knowledge gap shown in Table 14. Additionally, the no response rate neared
25% which is a significant number that should be considered. This is a need. An important note
is there is no definite answer as to why the non-response rate is so high. The FAIP survey item
could be creating excessive mental effort for students to retrieve information.
Influence 7. The seventh influence and last item for this declarative factual section is,
“Students need to know they have to renew their FAFSA yearly and maintain Satisfactory
Academic Progress .
Survey results. Students were given four choices to answer the prompt “To receive
financial aid every year students need to...” and were tasked to choose all that apply. From the
four choices only two were answered correctly. Table 16 below displays that 100% of students
chose the correct answers below. Thus, this influence is an asset.
Table 16
Evaluation Survey
To receive financial aid every year students need to:
Choose all that apply. (n = 4)
% Count
A. Renew their FAFSA yearly* 100% 4
B. Increase their work hours 0% 0
C. Maintain a Good GPA or Satisfactory Academic Progress* 100% 4
D. Show up to class on time 0% 0
*indicates the correct answer

AN EVALUATION STUDY 105

Document analysis. On the FAIP survey two items were chosen for this influence. Both
items and their responses are displayed below in Table 17 FAIP Survey. Both items asked
students to rate their knowledge of financial aid tools using a Likert scale from 1 (“not
knowledgeable”) to 5 (“knowledgeable.”)
The first item asked students to rate their knowledge on the imo anc e of renewing
your financial aid applications each year.” A total of 68.10 % of students responded they were
“knowledgeable” and chose 5 for that answer. Students chose a 4 at a rate of 13.98%. For this
survey the responses of four and five are combined and exceeds the threshold of 70% and thus
this influence is an asset.
The second item asked students to rate their knowledge on “Satisfactory Academic
Progress.” For this item students chose a 4 at a rate of 22.52% and a 5 at a rate of 49.60%.
Combining both 4 and 5 responses meets the 70% response threshold, and makes this an asset.
Table 17
FAIP Survey
Please rate your
knowledge in the
following financial aid
programs at the college:
(n = 373)
1 -
Not
Knowledgeable
2 3 4 5-
Knowledgeable
No
response
A. Importance of
renewing your
financial aid
applications each
year.
0.00 %* (0)** .54 % (2) 6.17
%
(23)
13.94
% (52)
68.10% (254) 11.26%
(42)
B. Maintaining
Satisfactory
Academic Progress
2.14%
(8)
1.34%
(5)
6.97%
(26)
22.52%
(84)
49.60% (185) 17.43%
(65)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

AN EVALUATION STUDY 106

Summary. The Evaluation Survey (ES) displayed a question to students on the types of
financial aid they receive a year. Table 16 shows 100% of the correct answer, making this
influence an asset. Whereas, the FAIP Survey asked students about their knowledge on the
importance of renewing their financial aid application each year and maintaining Satisfactory
Academic Progress. Although the threshold meets the category for both items to be assets, given
the high number of non-responses and the number of students who rated a three or less it is
possible that both items are actually needs. Table 18 demonstrates this item is a need for both
questions.
Declarative Conceptual Knowledge
Influence 8. The eighth influence is the first declarative conceptual, “Students need to
know the different types of financial aid available to them.”
Survey results. Students were asked to “Drag and identify the type of financial aid that
needs to be paid back.” The students were given a total of eight responses to choose from and
classify into the two different categories: Pay back or Do not pay back. Table 18 below displays
that all eight types of financial aid had a response rate that met the 70% correct answer threshold
making this item an asset.
Table 18
Evaluation Survey
Drag and identify the type of financial aid that needs to be paid back…(n = 4)
Pay Back Yes or No % Count
Federal Pell Grant* No* 100% No 4
Cal Grant* No* 100% No 4
Los Angeles Promise* No* 100%No 4
SB Promise* No* 100% No 4
AN EVALUATION STUDY 107

Table 18, continued
Drag and identify the type of financial aid that needs to be paid back…(n = 4)
Pay Back Yes or No % Count
Chafee Grant* No* 100% No 4
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grant*
No* 75% No
25% Yes
3
1
Federal Work-Study* No* 100% No 4
Direct Subsidized Loan* Yes* 100% Yes 4
Direct Unsubsidized Loan* Yes* 100% Yes 4
Direct Plus Loan* Yes* 100% Yes 4
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP program asked students to rate their knowledge regarding
several types of financial aid. Students were asked to rate their knowledge of financial aid tools
using a Likert scale from 1 (“not knowledgeable”) to 5 (“knowledgeable.”) The items are
displayed in Table 19 FAIP Survey below.
The first item asked students to rate their knowledge about the Boad of Governors Fee
aie . Students responded with a 4 or 5 at a rate of 47.18%. This item may suggest a
knowledge gap.
The second item asked students to rate their knowledge regarding the Federal Pell
Gan. Students responded with a 4 or a 5 at a rate of 71.31 % meeting the threshold making
this item an asset.
The third item asked students to rate their knowledge about the, “Cal Grant . Students
responded with a 4 or a 5 at a rate of 64.88%. This item may suggest that there is a knowledge
gap in this area.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 108

The fourth item asked students to rate their knowledge about, Fe de al Work Sd.
The rate of responses with a choice of 4 or 5 was 70.78%. Therefore, this item is an asset.
The fifth item asked students to rate their knowledge about the C ali foni a Dream Act
Ali c ai on. The rate of responses with a choice of 4 or 5 was 54.7 %. Based on their responses
students did not meet the threshold of 70%. This item may suggest a knowledge gap.
The sixth item asked students to rate their knowledge about, C oll e ge given Scholarships
for continuing students. The rate of responses with a choice of 4 or 5 was 61.66 %. This item
may suggest a possible knowledge gap.
The seventh and last item asked students to rate their knowledge about, T he College not
providing student loan . The rate of responses with a choice of 4 or 5 was 73.94 % making this
item is an asset.
Table 19
FAIP Survey
Please rate your
knowledge in the
following
financial aid
programs at the
college:
1 -
Not
Knowledgeable
2 3 4 5-
Knowledgeable
No
response
Invalid
A. Board of
Governors
Fee Waiver
(n = 373)
4.29%* (16)** 3.75%
(14)
20.64%
(77)
27.61%
(103)
19.57%
(73)
23.06%
(86)
1.07%
(4)
B. Federal Pell
Grant
1.88% (7) 5.09%
(19)
11.53%
(43)
38.07%
(142)
33.24% (124) 10.19%
(38)
N/A
C. Cal Grant 0.80% (3) 1.61%
(6)
8.58%
(32)
24.93%
(93)
39.95% (149) 23.06%
(86)
1.07%
(4)
D. Federal
Work Study
1.34% (5) 4.02%
(1)
13.40%
(50)
28.42%
(106)
42.36% (158) 10.19%
(38)
0.27%
(1)

AN EVALUATION STUDY 109

Table 19, continued
Please rate your
knowledge in the
following
financial aid
programs at the
college:
1 -
Not
Knowledgeable
2 3 4 5-
Knowledgeable
No
response
Invalid
E. California
Dream Act
Application
1.61% (6) 5.09%
(19)
15.82%
(59)
26.01%
(97)
28.69% (107) 22.52%
(84)
.27%
(1)
F. College
Given
Scholarships
for
Continuing
Students
2.14% (8) 4.83%
(18)
19.57%
(73)
29.22%
(109)
32.44% (121) 11.53%
(43)
0.27%
(1)
G. College
Not
Providing
Student
Loans
0.54% (2) 1.34%
(5)
5.36%
(20)
21.72%
(81)
52.55% (196) 18.50%
(69)
N/A
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Summary. For this influence the ES asked something completely different than the FAIP
Survey. The ES asked students to categorize types of financial aid by identifying which need to
be paid back and which did not, this is shown in Table 17. From their responses students were
able to do so within the threshold of 70% for all 10 items, making this item an asset.
In comparison, the FAIP program students were asked to rate their knowledge using a
Likert scale from 1 (“not knowledgeable”) to 5 (“knowledgeable”) on the various application
processes to qualify for aid. Table 18 for the FAIP survey shows that not all items were assets
and some indicate the possibility of a knowledge gap for the following items: (A) Board of
Governors Fee Waiver, (C) Cal Grant, (E) California Dream Act Application, (F) College given
Scholarships for continuing students.” Students did meet the 70% threshold, suggesting the
following items were all an asset: (B) Federal Pell Grant, (D) Federal Work Study, (G) The
AN EVALUATION STUDY 110

College not providing student loans. Overall due to the number of respondents of the FAIP
Survey, this influence is a need.
Influence 9. The ninth influence is “Students need to know where to find helpful
financial aid information.”
Survey results. Students were asked to finish the sentence: T he information that helped
me to understand how to apply for financial aid mostly came from _____. Students were given
a list of five choices listed A through E. Only three of the responses were chosen out of the five.
Choice (A) was chosen at a rate of 25%. Choice (B) was chosen at a rate of 50%. Choice (C) was
chosen at a rate of 25%. One hundred percent (100%) of respondents answered, and this is
valuable informational data for the program to take into consideration. No correct or erroneous
responses were given. The responses collected are displayed in Table 20 Evaluation Survey
below.
Table 20
Evaluation Survey
Declarative Conceptual Factual Knowledge (n = 4) % Count
Finish the sentence:

The information that helped me to understand how to apply for financial aid
mostly came from _____.

A. Immediate family 25% 1
B. The FAIP at the FYE office. 50% 2
C. Looking online on my own. 25% 1
D. My friends 0% 0
E. Other special programs at my college 0% 0

AN EVALUATION STUDY 111

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. For the ES all respondents answered the prompt making this influence an
asset. An important response to pay attention is choice (B). The ES respondents selected Choice
(B) at rate of 50%. The FAIP did not provide a question for this influence.
Influence 10. The tenth influence remains declarative conceptual, Sden need to
know if they are considered a first-generation college den.
Survey results. Students were asked to answer the question Did both of your parents
attend and finish c oll e ge ? Table 21 Evaluation Survey below displays their responses. One
hundred percent (100%) of the students that filled out the survey chose (B) No. This is valuable
informational data for the program to take into consideration. No correct or erroneous responses
were given.
Table 21
Evaluation Survey
Did both of your parents attend and finish college? (n = 4) % Count
A. Yes 0% 0
B. No 100% 4

Document analysis. Students were given the question, Did your parent(s)/legal
guardian(s) complete a b ac he lo degree at a four-year college or university in the U.S.?
Students chose no at a response rate of 79.98% and e at a response rate of 20.70%. Both
answers in this case indicate this influence is an asset. Table 21 displays the FAIP Survey item
below.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 112

Table 22
FAIP Survey
Did your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) complete a bachelors degree at a four-
year college or university in the U.S.? (n = 373)
% (Count)
A. Yes 20.70% (65)
B. No 78.98% (248)
C. No Response 0.32% (1)

Summary. The Evaluation Survey in Table 20 displays a 100% response rate. All
students answered no ” to the question of Did both of your parents attend and finish c oll e ge ?
These results match with the FAIP Survey response rate. In the FAIP Survey the majority,
78.98%, of students also answered no to the question: Did both of your parents attend and
finish college?” Both surveys indicate that the majority of students do not have parents that have
attended college before. Thus, this is valuable informational data for the program to take into
consideration. No correct or erroneous responses were given.
Influence 11. The eleventh influence is “The more knowledge a student has about
financial aid the higher the likelihood of enrolling into their second year of c oll e ge .
Survey results. Students were asked to rate their level of likelihood from “Definitely yes”
to “Definitely not” on the following statement, “Are you likely to continue to attend college given
what you now know about your financial aid a ? The response rate was 100% for
“Definitely Yes”. Thus, this is valuable informational data for the program to take into
consideration. No correct or erroneous responses were given.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 113

Table 23
Evaluation Survey
Use the scale below to rate your level of likelihood of the following
statement: (n = 4)
Are you likely to continue to attend college given what you now know
about your financial aid status?
% Count
A. Definitely yes 100% 4
B. Probably yes 0% 0
C. Might or might not 0% 0
D. Probably not 0% 0
E. Definitely not 0% 0

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. Students were asked, “Are you likely to continue to attend college given what
you now know about your financial aid a ? From the results 100% of the students chose
“yes indicating the importance of the understanding of financial aid for students. Thus, this
influence is an asset.
Influence 12. The twelfth influence is “Students need to know what is required of them
once they receive financial aid.”
Survey results. Students were asked to finish the sentence, T he academic expectations
of a student that are receiving financial aid ae and choose all the corresponding answers
that may apply. Students were given choices from A through F. The response rate of students is
shown in Table 24 Evaluation Survey below.
Students chose the correct answer (A) c omle e or renew FAFS A at a rate of 100%
Students chose the correct answer (B) Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or highe at a rate of
100%.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 114

Students chose the correct answer (C) Complete 67% of your cumulative units
a e me d at a rate of 100%.
Students chose the correct response by not choosing answer (D), T ak ing Math and
English your first e me e at a rate of 100%.
Only 25% of students correctly answered (E) Develop or update an education plan
every e a. This may indicate the possibility of a knowledge gap for this answer.
No students correctly chose answer (F) De c lae a major with Admissions and
Re c od. Therefore it may indicate a knowledge gap for this answer.
Overall, the correct answers were chosen by 75% of all respondents making this item an
asset.
Table 24
Evaluation Survey
The academic expectations of a student that are receiving financial aid
are: (n = 4)

Choose all that apply.
% Count
A. Complete or renew FAFSA * 100% 4
B. Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher * 100% 4
C. Complete 67% of your cumulative units attempted * 100% 4
D. Taking Math and English your first semester 0% 0
E. Develop or update an education plan every year * 25% 1
F. Declare a major with Admissions and Records * 0% 0
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. On the FAIP survey, students were asked to rate their knowledge of
financial aid tools using a Likert scale from 1 (“not knowledgeable”) to 5 (“knowledgeable.”)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 115

For this item the FAIP survey questioned the students on four different tools and resources as
seen below in Table 25.
First, students were asked to rate their knowledge on, mainai ning your financial aid
e li gibi li . A total of 60.32 % of students responded they were “knowledgeable” and chose 5
for that answer. Students chose a 4 at a rate of 12.33%. Thus, students chose a 4 or 5 at a rate of
72.65% making this an asset.
For the second question students were asked to rate their knowledge on, H o GPA
affects your financial aid . Students marked a 4 or 5 at a rate of 72.65%, making this an asset.
For the third question, students were asked to rate their knowledge about, T he 67%
completion rate to maintain your financial aid. Students marked an answer of a 4 or 5 at a rate
of 74.8%, making this an asset.
For the fourth question, students were asked to rate their knowledge about, W a to
receive your financial aid e fnd. Students responded with a 4 or 5 at a rate of 64.61%. This
may indicate a knowledge gap.
Table 25
FAIP Survey
Please rate your knowledge
in the following financial
aid programs at the college:
(n = 373)
1 -
Not
Knowledgeable
2 3 4 5-
Knowledgeable
No
response
A. On maintaining your
financial aid
eligibility.
0%
(0)
1.34%
(5)
3.75%
(5)
12.33%
(46)
60.32% (225) 22.25%
(83)
B. How GPA affects your
financial aid
0%
(0)
0.54%
(2)
2.41%
(9)
12.06%
(45)
60.59% (226) 24.40%
(91)

AN EVALUATION STUDY 116

Table 25, continued
Please rate your knowledge
in the following financial
aid programs at the college:
(n = 373)
1 -
Not
Knowledgeable
2 3 4 5-
Knowledgeable
No
response
C. The 67% completion
rate to maintain your
financial aid
0.80%
(3)
.27%
(1)
4.83%
(18)
18.77%
(70)
56.03% (209) 19.30%
(72)
D. Ways to receive your
financial aid refund.
2.95%
(11)
3.49%
(13)
16.35%
(61)
26.54%
(99)
38.07% (142) 12.06%
(47)

Summary. The ES survey asked students to identify all the answers that corresponded
with he academic expectations of a student that is receiving financial aid. The ES survey
found students did not answer this question with 100% accuracy. Answers A, B, C, E and F were
all necessary for students to answer to meet the threshold for this question. Answer E was chosen
less than 50% of the time, and answer F was chosen at a rate of 0%. An important consideration
is that these are important items which students did not mark as academic expectations of a
student receiving financial aid. Overall, the correct answers were chosen by 70% of all
respondents making this item an asset.
The FAIP Survey asked a different kind of question than the ES. It asked for students to
rate their perceived knowledge of M ain aini ng your financial aid eligibility” and the rate of
responses found a knowledge gap. They asked students to rate their knowledge on “Ways to
receive a financial aid refund,” and also found a knowledge gap. Overall, the FAIP Survey found
this to be a knowledge gap.
Even though the ES found this to be an asset overall, answers (E) and (F) were left
outstanding. This finding and the number of respondents by the FAIP Survey makes this
influence a knowledge gap.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 117

Influence 13. The thirteenth influence is, Students need to know the FAFSA application
deadline date.
Survey results. Students were asked, W ha is the FAFSA application de adli ne ? in
Table 26 below. Students answered correctly at a rate of 100%, making this item an asset.
Table 26
Evaluation Survey
What is the FAFSA application deadline? (n = 4) % Count
A. January 2
nd
0% 0
B. March 2
nd
* 100% 4
C. May 3
rd
0% 0
D. December 1
st
0% 0
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. All students answered the ES correctly, making this item an asset. All
respondents demonstrated they know the FAFSA application deadline. The FAIP Survey did not
have a corresponding question for this influence.
Influence 14. The fourteenth influence is “Students need to know what expenses financial
aid c o e .
Survey results. Students were asked to answer the question, W ha expenses does
financial aid c o e ? All answers are displayed in Table 27 Evaluation Survey below. All
answers were correct for this item, but only 50% of respondents chose answer (B) and only 25%
of respondents chose answer (D). Only 50% of the correct answers were chosen by a total of
70% of respondents. This indicates a knowledge gap.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 118

Table 27
Evaluation Survey
What expenses does Financial aid cover? (n = 4) % Count
A. Tuition and fees.* 75% 3
B. Room and Board * 50% 2
C. Books and Supplies* 100% 4
D. Transportation* 25% 1
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to answer, W h a expenses does financial aid c o e .
The respondents of the survey did not correctly identify all the expenses covered by financial aid.
This demonstrates a knowledge gap for this influence. The FAIP Survey did not present an item
for this influence.
Procedural Knowledge
Influence 15. The fifteenth influence is “Students need to know how to prepare to file
their FAFSA ali c ai on.
Survey results. Students were asked to check all that apply to the statement, To file the
FAFSA application students need to be prepared to do the fol lo ing... Only two of the ten
correct answers that applied were chosen for this influence by 100% of respondents. This item is
a knowledge gap.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 119

Table 28
Evaluation Survey
To file the FAFSA application students need to be prepared to do the following:
Check all that apply. (n = 4)
% (Count)
A. Create an account (FSA ID) * 50% (2)
B. Fill in the FAFSA form at FAFSA.GOV* 50% (2)
C. Choose the correct year you will be attending College * 0% (0)
D. Fill out the Demographics section* 0% (0)
E. Have a California Drivers license. 0% (0)
F. List the schools you want to attend* 0% (0)
G. Answer the section on dependency status * 0% (0)
H. Fill out the parent demographics section* 0% (0)
I. Supply parental financial information* 0% (0)
J. Sign the FAFSA* 0% (0)
K. Retrieve Expected Family Contribution (EFC)* 0% (0)
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. This influence shows a knowledge gap. The ES asked students to retrieve
knowledge about the process of applying to FAFSA and 100% of students missed 8 correct
answers. The FAIP Survey did not provide a question for this influence.
Influence 16. The sixteenth influence is “Students need to know how to access
information about financial aid in c oll e ge .
Survey results. Students were asked to choose all that apply to the question, Ho have
you accessed information about financial aid? 100% of students answered this question. This is
AN EVALUATION STUDY 120

valuable informational data for the program to take into consideration. No correct or erroneous
responses were given. All answers shown below in Table 29 Evaluation Survey.
Table 29
Evaluation Survey
How have you accessed information about financial aid?
Choose all that apply. (n = 4)
% (Count)
A. Asking the Financial Aid or Academic Counselors 50% (2)
B. Searching on the FAFSA website for helpful tips to navigate the application 75% (3)
C. Logging into your school portal to check your financial aid status online 75% (3)
D. Asking the bursar's office 0% (0)

Document analysis. On the FAIP survey, students were asked to rate their knowledge of
financial aid programs at the college using a Likert scale from 1 (“not knowledgeable”) to 5
(“knowledgeable.”) For this item the FAIP survey questioned the students on two different items
shown in Table 30. For item (A) students responded at a rate of 61.66% for answers 4 and 5.
This item shows a knowledge gap. For item (B) students responded at a rate of 70.78% for
answers 4 and 5. Thus, this item is an asset. However, item (B) also had an 18.23% no response
rate. This is notable because understanding on how to find knowledge about their financial aid is
important to achieve financial literacy.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 121

Table 30
FAIP Survey
Please rate
your
knowledge in
the following
financial aid
programs at
the college.
(n = 373)
1 -
Not
Knowledgeab
le
2 3 4 5-
Knowledgeab
le
No
respons
e
Invali
d
A. Activating
your Bank
Mobile
Vibe or
College
offered
Account
*2.14% (8) 4.83%
(18)
19.57
% (73)
29.22
%
(109)
32.44% (121) 11.53%
(43)
0.27%
(1)
B. Checking
your “My
document
s” in my
college
account.
0.00% (0) 0.27%
(1)
10.72
% (40)
16.62
% (62)
54.16%
(202)
18.23%
(68)
N/A
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Summary. The ES survey asked the students to identify how theyve accessed
information about financial aid. The 100% rate of responses by students makes this item an asset.
The FAIP Survey item asked students to identify their knowledge on two ways the college offers
to access information about financial aid. The response rate for item (A) demonstrated a
knowledge gap, whereas the response rate for item (B) demonstrated this item was an asset.
Overall, for the ES and FAIP Survey this item is an asset.
Influence 17. The seventeenth influence is “Students need to know how to seek helpful
information about financial aid in college.”
AN EVALUATION STUDY 122

Survey results. Students were asked, Ho would you seek to find financial aid
inf omai on? and check all that apply. 100% of respondents filled out the question. Thus, this
item is an asset.
Table 31
Evaluation Survey
How would you seek to find financial aid information?
Check all that apply.
(n = 4)
% Count
A. Looking on the FAFSA website for help.* 100% 4
B. Not filling out the FAFSA 0% 0
C. Going to the admissions office to ask for financial help 75% 3
D. Going to the bank to ask for financial help 0% 0
E. Ask an SC Counselor.* 0% 0
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. This influence is an asset. All 100% The ES showed no students who
answered the survey chose answer (E) Ak an SC C one lo. This is an important note that
may be a question the FAIP Survey may want to consider adding. The FAIP did not provide a
question for this influence.
Metacognitive Knowledge
Influence 18. The eighth influence is “Students need to know how to reflect on the
decision of accepting a financial aid award.”
AN EVALUATION STUDY 123

Survey results. Students were asked to answer the prompt, I self-evaluate my financial
aid choices b One hundred percent (100%) of the respondents answered the question by
stating their opinion. Thus, this influence is an asset.
Table 32
Evaluation Survey
I self-evaluate my financial aid choices by… (n = 4) % (Count)
A. Having a deep understanding of what is being expected of me 25% (1)
B. Discussing my choices with someone outside of myself 25% (1)
C. Thinking about the consequences of my decision in the long term 0% (0)
D. All of the above.* 25% (1)
E. I dont self-evaluate my decisions about financial aid 25% (1)
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. This influence is an asset. The ES respondents expressed their opinion at a
rate of 100%. The FAIP did not provide a question for this influence.
Influence 19. The nineteenth influence is “Students need to learn how to reflect on their
experiences of support at their college that helped them understand financial aid.
Survey results. Students were asked to answer the prompt, W he n I reflect on my
experiences with the in i i on financial aid support, I The respondents answered the
question at a rate of 100% stating their opinions. Answer (A) demonstrates the response that
indicates was chosen at a rate of 50%. This response rate demonstrates this influence is a need.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 124

Table 33
Evaluation Survey
When I reflect on my experiences with the institutions financial aid support,
I… (n = 4)
% (Count)
A. Think about how support programs have helped me understand financial
aid.*
50% (2)
B. Think about how support programs havent helped me understand
financial aid.
25% (1)
C. I dont reflect on my experiences with financial aid support by my
institution.
25% (1)
*indicates the correct answer

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. For this influence the ES program needed at least 70% of respondents to
choose answer (A) I think about how support programs have helped me understand financial
aid. For this question answer (A) would demonstrate that respondents in fact reflect on the
types of help they have received to understand financial aid, and therefore they place value on
programs like FAIP. Students answered this question correctly at a rate of 50%, thus this
influence is a need. There was no equivalent FAIP Survey question for this influence.
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
Students motivation was assessed and triangulated by comparing two surveys. The
researcher created a questionnaire with one question for each influence and the results are
analyzed in this section. Furthermore, the FAIP questionnaire was also analyzed and matched
with an influence, if applicable. The two different surveys were analyzed and compared, the final
assessment of the needs or an assets for the Motivation causes are presented in the summary
section.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 125

Table 34

Crosswalk of FAIP survey and Evaluation Survey for Assumed Motivation Influences and
Method of Assessment

Assumed
Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document
Analysis
Value
Stakeholder need
to value…
Using the scale below, rate the
extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements:

1. Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

20. Students need
to value the
availability of
financial aid.
Financial aid is important for achieving my future goals.

The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
21. Students need
to value the
financial aid-
related
information
offered by
institutional
supports on
campus.
Information on financial aid provided by my institution is
important to me.
The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
22. Students need
to value access to
higher educations
benefits.
Finishing my college degree is important for achieving
my future goals.
The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 126

Table 34, continued
Assumed
Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document
Analysis
23. Students need
to value their
completion of the
FAIP.
Completing the FAIP program was an important support
that I needed to stay in school.
Please rate
your knowledge in
the following
financial aid
programs SC:

1. I found this
orientation to be
easy to
understand.

2. I found the
information
presented to be
useful.

3. I think this
session should
be repeated next
year for
incoming FYE
students.

Likert scale from 1
(“not
knowledgeable”) to
5
(“knowledgeable.”)
Self-Efficacy
24. Students need
to be confident
that they can take
the steps to receive
financial aid
eligibility.
Using the scale below, rate your confidence in being able
to do the following right now with 0 being ‘Not
Confident At ALL and 100 being Highly Confident

A. Complete the FAFSA application at
FAFSA.GOV.
B. Supply parental tax information and documents.
C. Retrieve your expected family contribution (EFC)
number.
D. Navigate your schools portal account to check
your financial aid status.
E. Check your financial aid eligibility.

The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 127

Table 34, continued
Assumed
Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document
Analysis
25. Students need
to have confidence
that they can take
the steps to
maintain Financial
Aid eligibility
(Satisfactory
Academic
Progress).
F. Maintain a 2.0 GPA or better

The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
26. Students need
to have confidence
that they can take
the steps to make a
decision about
their financial aid
award options
(grants, loans,
work-study, etc.)
G. Decide between the different grant and loan
options awarded.

The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
27. Students need
to be confident
that they can take
the steps to seek
help with their
FAFSA
application.
H. Seek help when needed on the FAFSA
application.
The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
Mood
Students need to
feel positive
about…

Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

AN EVALUATION STUDY 128

Table 34 continued
Assumed
Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document
Analysis
28. Students need
to feel confident
about completing
their FAFSA
application after
their participation
in the FAIP.
After completing the FAIP I feel positive about
completing the FAFSA application.
The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
29. Students need
to feel positive
about accepting
their financial aid
award after their
participation in the
FAIP.
After completing the FAIP I feel positive about accepting
my financial aid award.

The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
30. Students need
to feel positive
about the available
institutional
support navigating
financial aid
assistance after
their participation
of the FAIP.
After completing the FAIP, I feel positive about the
available institutional support navigating financial aid
assistance.

The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
Attribution
31. Students need
to believe that the
success or failure
to secure financial
aid is due to their
own efforts after
their participation
of the FAIP.
My ability to secure financial aid was heavily influenced
by….
Please check all that apply.
A. Support from my college administration
B. Help from my teachers
C. Help from my counselors
D. My own efforts*
The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 129

Table 34, continued
Assumed
Motivation
Influences
Survey Questions Document
Analysis
Goal Orientation
32. Students need
to know they can
succeed in
applying to
financial aid even
in the face of
setbacks.
Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

Even with setbacks it is my goal to secure financial aid.
The FAIP program
did not provide a
question applicable
to this influence.
33. Students learn
from their
mistakes while
applying for
financial aid.
Even if I make mistakes, my goal is to finish the FAFSA.
1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

Value
Influence 20. The twentieth influence is “Students need to value the availability of
financial aid.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use the scale to answer the prompt, “Financial aid
is important for achieving my future goal . Student respondents chose “Strongly Agree” at a
rate of 100%. This makes this influence an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 130

Table 35
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate the
extent to which you agree or
disagree with the following
statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Moderately
3
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
4
Moderately
Agree
5
Strongly
Agree
Financial aid is important
for achieving my future
goals.
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
100%
(4)
* Percentage
** Count

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. This influence is an asset. The ES asked for students' opinion on financial aid.
Respondents chose “Strongly Agree” at a rate of 100%. The response rate indicates the students
who responded value the availability of financial aid. The FAIP did not provide a question
applicable to this influence.
Influence 21. The twenty-first influence is “Students need to value the financial aid-
related information offered by institutional supports on campus.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use the scale to agree or disagree with the
statement below in Table 36. Students chose Some ha Age e a rate of 25% and “Strongly
Disagree” at a rate of 25%. Infomaion on financial aid provided by my institution is important
to me . The respondents chose Son gl Agree” at a rate of 50%. Thus, this influence is a need.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 131

Table 36
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate
the extent to which
you agree or
disagree with the
following
statements:
(n = 4)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Somewhat
Disagree
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree Strongly
Agree
Information on
financial aid
provided by my
institution is
important to me.
25% (1) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 0%
(0)
50% (2)
* Percentage
** Count

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. This influence is a need. The ES asked for students' opinion on the
information provided by the institution on financial aid. Respondents chose “Strongly Agree” at
a rate of 50%. The response rate indicates the students who responded may or may not value the
information on financial aid given by the institution. The FAIP did not provide a question
applicable to this influence. Additionally, given the number of respondents from the ES, more
information is necessary to fully understand if this influence is an asset.
Influence 22. The twenty-second influence is “Students need to value access to higher
educations benefits.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use the scale to agree or disagree with the
statement below in Table 36. Students chose Son gl Age e a rate of 100%. This makes this
influence an asset.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 132

Table 37
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate
the extent to which
you agree or
disagree with the
following
statements:
(n = 4)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Somewhat
Disagree
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree Strongly
Agree
Finishing my college
degree is important
for achieving my
future goals.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0%
(0)
100%
(4)
* Percentage
** Count

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. This influence is an asset. The ES asked for students' opinion on whether
finishing college is important for their future goals. Respondents chose Son gl Age e at a
rate of 100%. The response rate indicates the students who responded value finishing their
college degree. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 23. The twenty-third influence is “Students need to value their completion of
the FAIP.”
Survey results. This influence is an asset. Students were asked to use the scale to agree or
disagree with the statement below in Table 38. Students chose the answer Son gl age e at a
rate of 100% to the statement, C omle i ng the FAIP program was an important support that I
needed to stay in c hool.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 133

Table 38
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate
the extent to which
you agree or
disagree with the
following
statements:
(n = 4)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Somewhat
Disagree
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree Strongly
Agree
Completing the
FAIP program was
an important support
that I needed to stay
in school.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0%
(0)
100%
(4)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. On the FAIP survey, students were asked to rate their perceptions of
financial aid programs at the college using a Likert scale from 1 (“not knowledgeable”) to 5
(“knowledgeable.”) For this item the FAIP survey questioned the students on three different
items shown in Table 39. Students responded with a 4 or a 5 at a rate of 91.69% for item (A).
Students responded with a 4 or a 5 at a rate of 75.06% for item (B). Students responded with a 4
or a 5 at a rate of 90.88% for item (C). Thus, this influence is an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 134

Table 39
FAIP Survey
Please rate your
knowledge in the
following financial
aid programs SC:
(n = 373)
1 -
Not
Knowledgeable
2 3 4 5-
Knowledgeable
No
response
A. I found this
orientation to
be easy to
understand.
0.00% (0) 0.27%
(1)
6.17%
(23)
21.45%
(80)
70.24% (262) 1.88%
(7)
B. I found the
information
presented to be
useful.
0.27% (1) 1.07%
(4)
4.29%
(16)
19.03%
(71)
56.03% (209) 19.30%
(72)
C. I think this
session should
be repeated
next year for
incoming FYE
students.
0.27% (1) 1.07%
(4)
1.07%
(4)
12.33%
(46)
78.55% (293) 6.70%
(25)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Summary. For both surveys this influence is an asset. The ES asked the opinion of the
respondents on whether completing the FAIP was important to them or not. Students chose the
answer Son gl Age e at a rate of 100%. The students who responded found value in the
contribution of their financial aid knowledge due to the FAIP. Similarly, the FAIP Survey asked
students to rate their knowledge on the programs offered by SC. Respondents answered with a 4
or a 5 above 70% for all three items. Given the large number of students that participated in the
FAIP Survey, this item significantly supports the continuation of the FAIP. This is an important
finding for this evaluation.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 135

Self-Efficacy
Influence 24. The twenty-fourth influence is “Students need to be confident that they can
take the steps to receive financial aid eligibility.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their confidence from 1 (“Not
Confident at all”) to 10 (“Highly Confident”). The students were asked to use the scale on items
A through E.
For item (A) 100% of students answered with a 9 or 10 (“Highly Confident”).
For item (B) students answered with a 9 or 10 (“Highly Confident”) at a rate of 75%.
For item (C) students answered with a 9 or 10 (“Highly Confident”) at a rate of 75%.
For item (D) students answered with a 9 or 10 (“Highly Confident”) at a rate of 75%.
Thus, this influence is an asset.
Table 40
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate your confidence in being able to do the following right now with 1 being ‘Not
Confident at ALL” and 10 being “Highly Confident”.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A. Complete the FAFSA
application at
FAFSA.GOV.
0%*
(0)
**
0%
(0)
0%(0) 0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
50%
(2)
50%
(2)
B. Supply parental tax
information and
documents.
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%(0) 0%
(0)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0))
75%
(3)
C. Retrieve your expected
family contribution
(EFC) number.
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%(0) 0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
50%
(2)

AN EVALUATION STUDY 136

Table 40, continued
Using the scale, rate your confidence in being able to do the following right now with 1 being ‘Not
Confident at ALL” and 10 being “Highly Confident”.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
D. Navigate your school's
portal account to check
your financial aid
status.
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%(0) 0%
(0)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%
(0)
50%
(2)
E. Check your financial
aid eligibility.
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%(0) 0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
75%
(3)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Survey results. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. This item is an asset. The ES asked students to rate their abilities with the
scale shown in Table 39 about their confidence on their abilities regarding financial aid
processes. All students responded at a rate higher than 70% for items A through E. The FAIP
Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 25. The twenty-fifth influence is “Students need to have confidence that they
can take the steps to maintain Financial Aid eligibility (Satisfactory Academic Progress).”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their confidence from 1 (“Not
Confident at all”) to 10 (“Highly Confident”). Table 41 shows students responses below. For
item F, students chose a 10 (“Highly Confident”) at a rate of 100%. Thus, this item is an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 137

Table 41
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate your confidence in being able to do the following right now with 0 being
‘Not Confident At ALL and 10 being Highly Confident
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
F. Maintain a 2.0 GPA
or better
0%*
(0)
**
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
100%
(4)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.

Summary. This item is an asset. The ES asked students to rate their abilities with the
scale shown in Table 40 about their confidence on their abilities regarding financial aid
processes. All students chose answer 10 (“Highly Confident) for 100% of respondents. The FAIP
Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 26. The twenty-sixth influence is “Students need to have confidence that they
can take the steps to make a decision about their financial aid award options (grants, loans, work-
study, etc.)”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their confidence from 1 (“Not
Confident at all”) to 10 (“Highly Confident”). Table 42 shows students responses below. For
item G, students chose a 9 or 10 (“Highly Confident”) at a rate of 50%. Thus, this item is a need.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 138

Table 42
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate your confidence in being able to do the following right now with 0 being
‘Not Confident At ALL and 10 being Highly Confident
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
G. Decide between the
different grant and
loan options
awarded.
0%*
(0)
**
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%
(0)
50%
(2)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. This item is a need. The ES asked students to rate their abilities with the scale
shown in Table 42 about their confidence on their abilities regarding financial aid processes.
Item G is about their ability to decide between different grant and loan options. All students
chose answer 10 (“Highly Confident) at a rate of 100%. The FAIP Survey did not provide a
question applicable to this influence.
Influence 27. Students need to be confident that they can take the steps to seek help with
their FAFSA application.
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their confidence from 1 (“Not
Confident at all”) to 10 (“Highly Confident”). Table 43 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For item H, students chose a 9 or 10 (“Highly Confident”) at a rate of 50%.
Thus, this item is a need.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 139

Table 43
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate your confidence in being able to do the following right now with 0 being
‘Not Confident At ALL and 10 being Highly Confident
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
H. Seek help when
needed on the
FAFSA
application.
0%*
(0)**
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%
(0)
50%
(2)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP program did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to rate their abilities with the scale shown in Table 42
about their confidence on their abilities regarding financial aid processes. Item H asked students
about their perceived ability to seek help when needed on the FAFSA application. Students
chose a 9 or 10 (“Highly Confident) at a rate of 50%. Thus, this item is a need. The FAIP Survey
did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Mood
Influence 28. The twenty-eight influence is “Students need to feel confident about
completing their FAFSA application after their participation in the FAIP.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their confidence from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 5 (“Strongly Agree”). Table 44 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
100%. Thus, this item is an asset.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 140

Table 44
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate the extent
to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements. (n
= 4)

After completing the FAIP ...
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
5
Strongly
Agree
I feel positive about completing
the FAFSA application.
0%*
(0) **
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
75%
(3)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Summary. The ES asked students to rate their abilities with the scale shown in Table 43.
Students were asked about their feelings about completing the FAFSA application after
participating in the FAIP. Students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 100%. Thus,
this item is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 29. The twenty-ninth influence is “Students need to feel positive about
accepting their financial aid award after their participation in the FAIP.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their confidence from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 5 (“Strongly Agree”). Table 45 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
100%. Thus, this item is an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 141

Table 45
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate the extent
to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements: (n
= 4)
After completing the FAIP....
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
5
Strongly
Agree
I feel positive about accepting
my financial aid award.
0%*
(0) **
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
100%
(4)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Summary. The ES asked students to rate their abilities with the scale shown in Table 44.
Students were asked about their feelings about accepting a financial aid award after participating
in the FAIP. Students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 100%. Thus, this item is an
asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 30. The thirtieth influence is “Students need to feel positive about the available
institutional support navigating financial aid assistance after their participation of the FAIP.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their confidence from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 5 (“Strongly Agree”). Table 46 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
75%. Thus, this item is an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 142

Table 46
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate the extent
to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements:
(n = 4)
After completing the FAIP.
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
5
Strongly
Agree
I feel positive about the
available institutional support
navigating financial aid
assistance.
0%*
(0) **
0%
(0)
25%
(1)
0%
(0)
75%
(3)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Summary. The ES asked students to rate their abilities with the scale shown in Table 45.
After participating in the FAIP, students were asked to rate their feelings about the available
institutional support navigating financial aid assistance. Students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly
Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this item is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a question
applicable to this influence.
Attribution
Influence 31. The thirty-first influence is “Students need to believe that the success or
failure to secure financial aid is due to their own efforts after their participation in the FAIP.”
Survey results. Students were asked to finish the sentence, “My ability to secure financial
aid was heavily influenced by…” by checking all the answers that apply. Answers A through D
were given. Students chose answer (D) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this is an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 143

Table 47
Evaluation Survey
My ability to secure financial aid was heavily influenced by…
Check all that apply. (n = 4)
%
(Count)
A. Support from my college administration 50% (2)
B. Help from my teachers 25% (1)
C. Help from my counselors 25% (1)
D. My own efforts* 75% (3)
* indicates the right answer

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their beliefs about their
ability to secure financial aid. Students chose answer (D) M own e ff o at a rate of 75%.
This answer may indicate that students are confident in their ability to secure financial aid. Thus,
this item is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Goal Orientation
Influence 32. The thirty-second influence is “Students need to know they can succeed in
applying to financial aid even in the face of setbacks.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 5 (“Strongly Agree”). Table 48 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
75%. Thus, this item is an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 144

Table 48
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate the extent
to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
5
Strongly
Agree
Even with setbacks it is my goal
to secure financial aid.
0% *
(0)**
0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 50% (2)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement with the
statement, “Even with setbacks it is my goal to secure financial aid. Students chose a 4
(“Agree”) or a 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this item is an asset. This is an
important item for the FAIP Survey to consider adding in the future as it demonstrates students
perceived ability to secure financial aid despite possible setbacks. The FAIP Survey did not
provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 33. The thirty-third influence is “Students learn from their mistakes while
applying for financial aid.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 5 (“Strongly Agree”). Table 48 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. Students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 100%. Thus, this item is
an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 145

Table 49
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale, rate the
extent to which you agree or
disagree with the following
statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Moderately
3
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
4
Moderately
Agree
5
Strongly
Agree
Even if I make mistakes, my
goal is to finish the FAFSA.
0% *
(0)**
0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 75% (3)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement about their
ability to learn from their mistakes while applying to financial aid. . Students chose a 4 (“Agree”)
or a 5 (“Strongly Agree”) for the statement, E e n if I make mistakes, my goal is to finish the
FAFS A. at a rate of 100%. Thus, this item is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a
question applicable to this influence.
Results and Findings for Organization Causes
Students perceptions of programs and resources by the college were analyzed in this
section. The ES and the FAIP Survey were compared and analyzed. The influences for this
section check each assumed influence for an asset or a need by the program in the categories of
resources, policies, processes, procedures, culture, cultural settings and cultural models. The
results of the surveys and triangulation are presented in the summary section of each influence,
as well as the conclusion of the need or assets for each influence. Table 50 presents the
crosswalk done to match the ES and FAIP Survey items to each of the organizational influences.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 146

Table 50
Crosswalk of the Evaluation Survey and FAIP Survey for Assumed Organization Influences
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Resources (time; finances; people)
Students need resources to …
Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

34. Students need resources to successfully
complete the FAFSA on time.
I have access to resources that
can help me successfully
complete the FAFSA on time.

The FAIP helped me to
successfully complete the
FAFSA on time.

35. Students need institutional resources to
academically succeed in college.
I have access to resources that
can help me academically
succeed in college.

36. Students need to be informed of the
support programs and services available to
them.
I have access to support
programs that can help me to
navigate the financial aid
process.

37. Students need to have resources that
create visible and accessible financial aid
information for low-income, first-
generation, and students of color.
I have access to support
programs that help me as a low-
income, first-generation, student
of color.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 147

Table 50, continued
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
Policies, Processes, & Procedures
Students need to have policies that align
with ...

38. The school has policies that align with
financial aid information for low-income,
first-generation, and students of color.
Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

The policies,
processes, and procedures of
my institution support my
ability
to access information about
financial aid.
Please rate your knowledge in
the following financial aid
policies at Samaria College :
*Based on a 5 point Likert
scale-percent of respondents
that rated 5 or 4.

Maintaining your financial aid
eligibility
Satisfactory Academic Progress
(SAP)
How GPA affects your
financial aid
The 67% completion rate to
maintain your financial aid
Grants and scholarships, you
do not have to be repaid
Samaria College not providing
student loans
The Student Success Act and
the mandates as they relate to
eligibility for financial aid

Culture
Stakeholders need to be part of a culture
that aligns with ...
Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

39. Students need to be part of a culture
that supports students of low-status
backgrounds to access information and
programs that create equitable processes
for them to persist through to educational
goal completion.
The culture at my institution
supports my educational goals
equitably.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 148

Table 50, continued
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
40. Students need to be a part of a culture
that cultivates their motivational beliefs
and manages educational expectations.
The culture at my institution
motivates me to believe in
myself academically.

The culture at my institution
motivates me to manage my
educational expectations.

41. Students need student-centered
approaches to facilitate student success in
their first year of college.

The culture at my institution
supports a culture of success for
students in their first year of
college.

Cultural Setting (incentives; rewards;
recognition, etc.)
Stakeholders need to have
Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

42. Students need to have access to
Counselors and rely on face-to-face
interactions to understand how to navigate
the college transition process, which
includes financial aid.
I can access face-to-face
interactions with Counselors
easily.

Cultural models. Using the scale
below, rate the
extent to which you
agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding your
school:

1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately
Disagree
3. Neither Agree or
Disagree
4. Moderately Agree
5. Strongly Agree

AN EVALUATION STUDY 149

Table 50, continued
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Questions Document Analysis
43. Students need to feel that they are part
of a culture that supports financial aid.
The culture of my institution
supports my ability to pursue
financial aid.

44. Students need to feel that they are part
of a culture that supports academic
achievement.
The culture of my institution
supports my academic
achievement.

Influence 34. The thirty-fourth influence is “Students need resources to successfully
complete the FAFSA on time.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from (“Strongly
Disagree”) to (“Strongly Agree”). Table 51 Evaluation Survey shows students' responses below.
Two items were chosen for this influence. Students chose (“Strongly Agree”) for the statement,
I have access to resources that can help me successfully complete the FAFSA on time at a rate
of 100%. Thus, this item is an asset. Students chose (“Neither Agree nor Disagree”) for the
statement, T he FAIP helped me to successfully complete the FAFSA on i me . at a rate of
100%. Thus, this item is an asset.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 150

Table 51
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Somewhat
Disagree
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree Strongly
Agree
I have access to
resources that
can help me
successfully
complete the
FAFSA on time.
0% *
(0)**
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 0%
(0)
75% (3)
The FAIP helped
me to
successfully
complete the
FAFSA on time.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 100% (4) 0% (0) 0%
(0)
0% (0)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement with two
statements regarding the financial aid resources given by the college. For the statement, I have
access to resources that can help me successfully complete the FAFSA on i me . For this
statement, students chose (“Agree”) or (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this item is an
asset. For the statement, T he FAIP helped me to successfully complete the FAFSA on i me ,
students chose (“Neither Agree nor Disagree”) at a rate of 100%. Thus, this item is an asset. This
question is important for the evaluation of the FAIP to measure its perceived utility by students
and should be considered in their future assessments. The FAIP Survey did not provide a
question applicable to this influence.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 151

Influence 35. The thirty-fifth influence is “Students need institutional resources to
academically succeed in college.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from (“Strongly
Disagree”) to (“Strongly Agree”). Table 52 Evaluation Survey shows students' responses below.
Students chose “(Agree)” or “(Strongly Agree)” at a rate of 75%, thus this item is an asset.
Table 52
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Somewhat
Disagree
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree Strongly
Agree
I have access to
resources that
can help me
academically
succeed in
college.
0% *
(0)**
0% (0) 25% (1) 0% (0) 0% (0) 25%
(1)
50% (2)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement with the
statement I have access to resources that can help me academically succeed in c oll e ge . For
this statement, students chose (“Agree”) or (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this item
is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 36. The thirty-sixth influence is “Students need to be informed of the support
programs and services available to them.”
AN EVALUATION STUDY 152

Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from (“Strongly
Disagree”) to (“Strongly Agree”) to the statement, I have access to support programs that can
help me to navigate the financial aid oc e . Table 53 Evaluation Survey shows students
responses below. Students chose “(Agree)” or “(Strongly Agree)” at a rate of 75%, thus this item
is an asset.
Table 53
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Somewhat
Disagree
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree Strongly
Agree
I have access to
support programs
that can help me
to navigate the
financial aid
process.
0% *
(0)**
25% (1) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 50%
(2)
25% (1)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement regarding
the support programs that help students navigate the financial aid process. For this statement,
students chose (“Agree”) or (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this item is an asset. The
FAIP Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 153

Influence 37. The thirty-seventh influence is “Students need to have resources that create
visible and accessible financial aid information for low-income, first-generation, and students of
color.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 5 (“Strongly Agree”). Table 54 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose (“Agree”) or (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
75%. Thus, this item is an asset.
Table 54
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Somewhat
Disagree
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree Strongly
Agree
I have access to
support programs
that help me as a
low-income,
first-generation,
student of color.
0% *
(0)**
0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 0% (0) 50%
(2)
25% (1)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement regarding
the access to support programs that help students who are low-income, first-generation, and
students of color. For this statement, students chose (“Agree”) or (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
AN EVALUATION STUDY 154

75%. Thus, this item is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a question applicable to this
influence.
Policies and Procedures
Influence 38. The thirty-eight influence is “The school has policies that align with
financial aid information for low-income, first-generation, and students of color.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from (“Strongly
Disagree”) to (“Strongly Agree”). Table 55 Evaluation Survey shows students' responses below.
For the item below, students chose (“Agree“) or (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this
item is an asset.
Table 55
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Somewhat
Disagree
Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Somewhat
Agree
Agree Strongly
Agree
The policies,
processes, and
procedures of my
institution
support my
ability to access
information
about financial
aid.
0% *
(0)**
0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 0% (0) 50%
(2)
25% (1)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Document analysis. On the FAIP survey, students were asked to rate their knowledge of
financial aid tools using a Likert scale from 1 (“Not knowledgeable”) to 5 (“Knowledgeable.”)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 155

For this item the FAIP survey questioned the students on financial aid programs at the college as
seen below in Table 56. For the statement, T he Students Success Act and the mandates as they
relate to eligibility for financial aid students chose a 4 or a 5 (“Knowledge”) at a rate of
56.57%. Thus, this influence is a need.
Table 56
FAIP Survey
Please rate your
knowledge in the
following
financial aid
programs at the
college: (n = 373)
1 -
Not
Knowledgeable
2 3 4 5-
Knowledgeable
No
response
The Students
Success Act and
the mandates as
they relate to
eligibility for
financial aid.
0.80% (3) 3.75%
(14)
13.94%
(52)
22.79%
(85)
33.78% (126) 24.93%
(93)
*Percentage of responses
** Number of responses

Summary. The ES survey asked the students to rate their agreement on whether or not the
college has policies that align with financial aid information for low-income, first-generation,
and students of color. This question is important for this evaluation because the population the
FAIP serves majority are first-generation, low-income, students of color. Students responded to
this question by stating that they “(Agree)” at a rate of 50% and “(Strongly Agree)” at a rate of
25%. Overall, a total of 75% which makes this item an asset. The FAIP survey asked students to
state their perceived knowledge instead of their agreement to the statement, “The Students
Success Act and the mandates as they relate to eligibility for financial aid.” The FAIP survey is
asking about a school policy and the rate of responses reveal the students may not be familiar
AN EVALUATION STUDY 156

with it. The students responded with a 4 or a 5 “(Knowledgeable)” at a rate of 56.57%, which
makes this influence a need. Overall, the response rate for the FAIP survey is larger than the
response rate for the ES and thus, this item is a need.
Cultural Setting
Influence 39. The thirty-ninth influence is “Students need to be part of a culture that
supports students of low-status backgrounds to access information and programs that create
equitable processes for them to persist through to educational goal completion.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 7 (“Strongly Agree”). For the seven point-scale below choosing a rate
of a 6 or 7 above a 70% will indicate an asset. Table 57 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 5 (“Somewhat Agree”) or a 7 (“Strongly
Agree) at a rate of 50%. Thus, this item is a need.
Table 57
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
Agree nor
Disagree
5
Somewhat
Agree
6
Agree
7
Strongly
Agree
The culture at
my institution
supports my
educational goals
equitably.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 50% (2) 0%
(0)
50% (2)
Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement about the
culture of the college. Students chose a 7 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 50%. This answer may
AN EVALUATION STUDY 157

indicate that students do not agree with the statement, T he culture at my institution supports my
educational goals e i abl. Thus, this item is a need. The FAIP Survey did not provide a
question applicable to this influence.
Influence 40. The fortieth influence is “Students need to be a part of a culture that
cultivates their motivational beliefs and manages educational expectations.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 7 (“Strongly Agree”). For the seven point-scale below choosing a rate
of a 6 or 7 above a 70% will indicate an asset. For the seven point-scale below choosing a rate of
a 6 or 7 will indicate an asset. Two items were chosen for this influence. Table 58 Evaluation
Survey shows students' responses below.
Table 58
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
Agree nor
Disagree
5
Somewhat
Agree
6
Agree
7
Strongly
Agree
A. The culture
at my
institution
motivates me
to believe in
myself
academically.
0% (0) 0% (0)

0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 50%
(2)

0% (0)

B. The culture
at my
institution
motivates me
to manage
my
educational
expectations.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 0% (0) 50%
(2)
25% (1)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 158

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.

Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement about the
culture of the college for two items. For item (A) students chose a 5 (“Somewhat Agree”) and a 6
(“Agree”) at a rate of 75%. For item (B) students chose 4 (“Neither Agree nor Disagree”) at a
rate of 25% but chose a 6 (“Agree”) and a 7 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Even though,
not all students answered item A student responses still met the threshold for this scale thus, this
item is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 41. The forty-first influence is “Students need student-centered approaches to
facilitate student success in their first year of college.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 7 (“Strongly Agree”). For the seven point-scale below choosing a rate
of a 6 or 7 above a 70% will indicate an asset. Table 59 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 4 or 5 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
100%. Thus, this item is an asset.
Table 59
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
Agree nor
Disagree
5
Somewhat
Agree
6
Agree
7
Strongly
Agree
C. The culture at
my institution
supports a culture
of success for
students in their
first year of
college.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 50%
(2)
50% (2)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 159

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.

Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement about the
culture of the college. Students chose a 6 (“Agree”) or a 7 (“Strongly Agree”) for the statement,
T he culture at my institution supports a culture of success for students in their first year of
c oll e ge at a rate of 100%. Thus, this item is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide a
question applicable to this influence.
Influence 42. The forty-second influence is “Students need to have access to Counselors
and rely on face-to-face interactions to understand how to navigate the college transition process,
which includes financial aid.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 7 (“Strongly Agree”). For the seven point-scale below choosing a rate
of a 6 or 7 above a 70% will indicate an asset. Table 60 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 7 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%.
Thus, this item is an asset.
Table 60
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
Agree nor
Disagree
5
Somewhat
Agree
6
Agree
7
Strongly
Agree
I can access
face-to-face
interactions with
Counselors
easily.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 0% (0) 0% (0) 75% (3)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 160

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement with the
statement, I can access face-to-face interactions with Counselors e ail . Students chose a 7
(“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this item is an asset. The FAIP Survey did not provide
a question applicable to this influence.
Cultural Models
Influence 43. The forty-third influence is “Students need to feel that they are part of a
culture that supports financial aid.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 7 (“Strongly Agree”). For the seven point-scale below choosing a rate
of a 6 or 7 above a 70% will indicate an asset. Table 61 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 6 or 7 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
75%. Thus, this item is an asset.
Table 61
Evaluation Survey
Using the scale,
rate the extent to
which you agree
or disagree with
the following
statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
Agree nor
Disagree
5
Somewhat
Agree
6
Agree
7
Strongly
Agree
The culture of
my institution
supports my
ability to pursue
financial aid.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 50%
(2)
25% (1)

AN EVALUATION STUDY 161

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement on the
statement, T he culture of my institution supports my ability to pursue financial aid. Students
chose a 6 (“Agree”) or a 7 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this item is an asset. The
FAIP Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Influence 44. The forty-fourth influence is “Students need to feel that they are part of a
culture that supports academic achievement.”
Survey results. Students were asked to use a scale to rate their agreement from 1
(“Strongly Disagree”) to 7 (“Strongly Agree”). For the seven point-scale below choosing a rate
of a 6 or 7 above a 70% will indicate an asset. Table 62 Evaluation Survey shows students'
responses below. For the item below, students chose a 6 or 7 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of
75%. Thus, this item is an asset.
Table 62
Evaluation Survey
Using the
scale, rate
the extent to
which you
agree or
disagree
with the
following
statements:
(n = 4)
1
Strongly
Disagree
2
Disagree
3
Somewhat
Disagree
4
Neither
Agree nor
Disagree
5
Somewhat
Agree
6
Agree
7
Strongly
Agree
The culture
of my
institution
supports my
academic
achievement.
0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 25% (1) 50%
(2)
25% (1)

AN EVALUATION STUDY 162

Document analysis. The FAIP did not provide a question applicable to this influence.

Summary. The ES asked students to use the scale to identify their agreement on the
statement, T he culture of my institution supports my academic ac hie e m e n . Students chose a
6 (“Agree”) or a 7 (“Strongly Agree”) at a rate of 75%. Thus, this item is an asset. The FAIP
Survey did not provide a question applicable to this influence.
Summary of Validated Influences
Knowledge
Table 63
Knowledge influences table of assets and needs
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Declarative Factual (terms, facts, concepts) Students need to know..
1. Students need to know financial aid is an option available to them. Asset
2. Students need to know if they are still receiving Financial Aid their second year of college. Asset
3. Students need to know the definition of eligibility. Asset
4. Students need to know what the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is in
order to fill it out and determine if they are eligible for financial aid.
Asset
5. Students need to know what qualifies them to be eligible to receive financial aid. Asset
6. Students need to know grants and scholarships do not have to be paid back. Need
7. Students need to know they have to renew their FAFSA yearly and maintain Satisfactory
Academic Progress.
Need
Declarative Conceptual (categories, process models, principles, relationships) Students need to
know...
8. Students need to know the different types of financial aid available to them. Need
9. Students need to know if they are considered a first-generation college student. Asset
10. Students need to know where to find helpful financial aid information. Asset

AN EVALUATION STUDY 163

Table 63, continued
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
11. The more knowledge a student has about financial aid the higher the likelihood of
enrolling into their second year of college.
Asset
12. Students need to know what is required of them once they receive financial aid. Need
13. Students need to know the FAFSA application deadline date. Asset
14. Students need to know what expenses financial aid covers. Need
Procedural (Students need to know how to…)
15. Students need to know how to prepare to file their FAFSA application Need
16. Students need to know how to access information about financial aid in college. Asset
17. Students need to know how to seek helpful information about financial aid in college. Asset
Metacognitive (Students need to know how to reflect on.)
18. Students need to know how to reflect on the decision of accepting a financial aid award. Asset
19. Students need to learn how to reflect on their experiences of support at their college that
helped them understand financial aid.
Need

Motivation
Table 64
Assumed Motivation Influences Table
Assumed Motivation Influences Need
or
Asset
Value Stakeholder need to value…
20. Students need to value the availability of financial aid. Asset
21. Students need to value the financial aid-related information offered by institutional
supports on campus.
Need
22. Students need to value access to higher educations benefits. Asset
23. Students need to value their completion of the FAIP. Asset

AN EVALUATION STUDY 164

Table 64, continued
Assumed Motivation Influences Need
or
Asset
Self-Efficacy
24. Students need to be confident that they can take the steps to receive financial aid
eligibility.
Asset

25. Students need to have confidence that they can take the steps to maintain Financial Aid
eligibility (Satisfactory Academic Progress).
Asset
26. Students need to have confidence that they can take the steps to make a decision about
their financial aid award options (grants, loans, work-study, etc.)
Need
27. Students need to be confident that they can take the steps to seek help with their FAFSA
application.
Need
Mood Students need to feel positive about…
28. Students need to feel confident about completing their FAFSA application after their
participation in the FAIP.
Asset
29. Students need to feel positive about accepting their financial aid award after their
participation in the FAIP.
Asset
30. Students need to feel positive about the available institutional support navigating financial
aid assistance after their participation of the FAIP.
Asset
Attribution
31. Students need to believe that the success or failure to secure financial aid is due to their
own efforts after their participation in the FAIP.
Asset
Goal Orientation
32. Students need to know they can succeed in applying to financial aid even in the face of
setbacks.
Asset
33. Students learn from their mistakes while applying for financial aid. Asset

AN EVALUATION STUDY 165

Organization
Table 65
Assumed Organization Influences Table
Assumed Organization Influences Asset
or
Need
Resources (time; finances; people) Students need resources to …
34. Students need resources to successfully complete the FAFSA on time. Asset
35. Students need institutional resources to academically succeed in college. Asset
36. Students need to be informed of the support programs and services available to them. Asset
37. Students need to have resources that create visible and accessible financial aid
information for low-income, first-generation, and students of color.
Asset
Policies, Processes, & Procedures Students need to have policies that align with ...
38. The school has policies that align with financial aid information for low-income, first-
generation, and students of color.
Need
Culture Stakeholders need to be part of a culture that aligns with ...
39. Students need to be part of a culture that supports students of low-status backgrounds to
access information and programs that create equitable processes for them to persist through
to educational goal completion.
Need
40. Students need to be a part of a culture that cultivates their motivational beliefs and
manages educational expectations.
Need
41. Student-centered approaches to facilitate student success in their first year of college.

Asset
Cultural Setting (incentives; rewards; recognition, etc.) Stakeholders need to have...
42. Students need to have access to Counselors and rely on face-to-face interactions to
understand how to navigate the college transition process, which includes financial aid.
Asset
Cultural models.

43. Students need to feel that they are part of a culture that supports financial aid.

Asset
44. Students need to feel that they are part of a culture that supports academic achievement. Asset

AN EVALUATION STUDY 166

Summary
The Knowledge influences indicated that the majority of students who answered the
surveys know financial aid terms, facts and concepts. Data from this section also indicated that
students understand procedures related to financial aid applications. Further, the results also
show that students know how to seek financial aid information and know how to reflect on the
decisions related to financial aid.
The findings for the Motivation influences indicated students who answered the questions
found value in the financial aid resources offered at the college and the information given to
them specifically by the FAIP. Results also indicated most students felt confidence in themselves
regarding financial aid processes after completion of the FAIP.
The findings for the Organization influences indicated that most students were able to
identify the resources necessary to help them successfully navigate the financial aid process,
identify policies that protect students equitably, and have access to the resources necessary to
succeed in college.
Most of the influences in each of the three sections were found to be Assets, but all three
sections were found to have needs. The results did indicate there are Knowledge, Motivation and
Organizational influences that indicate areas for growth. Chapter Five will present
recommendations for solutions for these influences based in empirical evidence.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 167

Chapter Five: Recommendations and Evaluation
The purpose of this evaluation was to evaluate the degree to which the counseling faculty
at the NSCSO is providing a meaningful and effective intervention for students to secure
financial aid their second year after completing the FAIP at SC. The focus of this analysis was on
the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences related to achieving this organizational
goal. While a complete evaluation project would focus on all SC stakeholders, for practical
purposes the stakeholders that the researcher focused on in this analysis were the student
completers who participated in the FAIP in the summer of 2018. As such, the questions that were
addressed in this study are the following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to the
FAIP completers to continue to maintain their financial aid a year later?
2. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of
knowledge, motivation, and organizational resources?
This Chapter Five addresses the second research question.
Recommendations to Address Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Influences
The assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences in the following
tables include both the possible needs and the assets found through the consensus of both the
evaluation survey and the FAIP survey. The following tables will list the evidence-based
principles that support each of the recommendations. Each recommendation is derived from a
learning principle. In this evaluation both the needs and the assets are included in this analysis
for two reasons. First, because the language used in the FAIP survey is different from the
evaluation survey. Therefore, the recommendations are going to be based on the evidence in the
body of literature to provide a common reference for the discussion of the assets and needs.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 168

Second, addressing assets as well as needs provides the opportunity for the college to provide
consistency, continuity and build commitment to maintain the assets. Maintaining the assets
would ultimately mean that the college will meaningfully onboard students during the FAIP.
Knowledge Recommendations
The knowledge influences in Table 66 include the needs as well as the assets of the
assumed knowledge influences. The data collected on the knowledge influences in this study is
limited due to the small sample size (n=4) of the evaluation survey, and that the FAIP questions
were asked using a different approach and language. Thus, both needs and assets were validated
by using a set of common learning principles for factual, conceptual, procedural, and
metacognitive knowledge influences to ensure financial literacy at the end of the Financial Aid
Training Program. The researcher chose the Gap Analysis Clark and Estes (2008) as the
framework for this study. Table 66 lists the knowledge influences, needs or assets with a
corresponding set of principles and recommendations. Following the table, a detailed discussion
for each recommendation and the literature supporting the recommendation is provided.
Table 66
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Declarative Factual (terms, facts,
concepts) Students need to know.

1. Students need to know financial
aid is an option available to them.
Asset Information learned
meaningfully and connected
with prior knowledge is stored
more quickly and remembered
more accurately because it is
elaborated with prior learning
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).
Provide students with
easily accessible
information about the
availability of financial
aid for different types
of students.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 169

Table 66, continued
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
2. Students need to know if they are
still receiving Financial Aid their
second year of college.
Asset Information learned
meaningfully and connected
with prior knowledge is stored
more quickly and remembered
more accurately because it is
elaborated with prior learning
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling
someone how to succeed at a
task on their own is by giving
them information.
Provide students with
a visual aid with the
steps to apply for
financial aid their
second year of college
and determine if they
will be receiving
financial aid their
second year of college.
3. Students need to know the
definition of eligibility.
Asset How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) people acquire
“conceptual, theoretical, and
strategic” knowledge and skills
that will help them handle
novel challenges through
education.
Provide students with
the glossary of terms
they will need to know
the definitions.
4. Students need to know what the
Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) is in order to fill it out
and determine if they are eligible for
financial aid.
Asset How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) people acquire
“conceptual, theoretical, and
strategic” knowledge and skills
that will help them handle
novel challenges through
education.
Provide students with
a glossary of terms and
definitions.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 170

Table 66, continued
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
5. Students need to know what
qualifies them to be eligible to
receive financial aid.
Asset How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) people can acquire
higher levels of information
from job aids that contain self-
help information.

Provide students with
a visual aid to know
what the qualifications
are for financial aid
eligibility.
6. Students need to know grants and
scholarships do not have to be paid
back.
Need How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) people can acquire
higher levels of information
from job aids that contain self-
help information.
Provide students with
a visual aid to
distinguish between
types of financial aid.
7. Students need to know they have
to renew their FAFSA yearly and
maintain Satisfactory Academic
Progress.
Asset How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling
someone how to succeed at a
task on their own is by giving
them information.

Provide students with
a calendar with
important financial aid
dates.
A color coded calendar
with a key of dates is
suggested.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 171

Table 66, continued
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Declarative Conceptual (categories,
process models, principles,
relationships)
Students need to know...

8. Students need to know the
different types of financial aid
available to them.
Need How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling
someone how to succeed at a
task on their own is by giving
them information.

Provide students with
a visual aid to
distinguish between
types of financial aid.
9. Students need to know if they are
considered a first-generation college
student.
Asset How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) people acquire
“conceptual, theoretical, and
strategic” knowledge and skills
that will help them handle
novel challenges through
education.
Provide students with
the glossary of terms
and definitions.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 172

Table 66, continued
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
10. Students need to know where to
find helpful financial aid
information.
Asset How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling
someone how to succeed at a
task on their own is by giving
them information.
Provide students with
a list of resources that
specify where to look
up different types of
financial aid
information.

11. The more knowledge a student
has about financial aid the higher the
likelihood of enrolling into their
second year of college.
Asset Information learned
meaningfully and connected
with prior knowledge is stored
more quickly and remembered
more accurately because it is
elaborated with prior learning
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling
someone how to succeed at a
task on their own is by giving
them information.

Provide students with
an infographic
displaying the
application process of
financial aid.
12. Students need to know what is
required of them once they receive
financial aid.
Need How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling
someone how to succeed at a
task on their own is by giving
them information.
Provide students a
financial aid checklist
for them to follow post
application.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 173

Table 66, continued
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
13. Students need to know the
FAFSA application deadline date.
Asset How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling
someone how to succeed at a
task on their own is by giving
them information.
Provide students with
a calendar with
important financial aid
dates.
A color coded calendar
with a key of dates is
suggested.
14. Students need to know what
expenses financial aid covers.
Need How individuals organize
knowledge influences how
they
learn and apply what they
know
(Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling
someone how to succeed at a
task on their own is by giving
them information.

Provide students with
a visual aid that
specifically organizes
the expenses financial
aid covers.
Procedural (Students need to know
how to…)

15. Students need to know how to
prepare to file their FAFSA
application
Need To develop mastery,
individuals
must acquire component skills,
practice integrating them, and
know when to apply what they
have learned (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) people can acquire
higher levels of information
from job aids that contain self-
help information.
Provide students with
an application guide
(job aids) for students
to follow.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 174

Table 66, continued
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
16. Students need to know how to
access information about financial
aid in college.
Asset To develop mastery,
individuals
must acquire component skills,
practice integrating them, and
know when to apply what they
have learned (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) people can acquire
higher levels of information
from job aids that contain self-
help information.

Provide students with
a guide (job aid) for
accessing information
about financial aid.
17. Students need to know how to
seek helpful information about
financial aid in college.
Asset To develop mastery,
individuals
must acquire component skills,
practice integrating them, and
know when to apply what they
have learned (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).

According to Clark and Estes
(2008) people can acquire
higher levels of information
from job aids that contain self-
help information.
Provide students with
a visual aid with
financial aid
information, and a
guide on how to access
the resources available
at the college and
online.
Metacognitive (Students need to
know how to reflect on.)

18. Students need to know how to
reflect on the decision of accepting a
financial aid award.
Asset The use of metacognitive
strategies facilitates learning
(Baker, 2006).
Learning and motivation are
enhanced when learners set
goals, monitor their
performance and evaluate their
progress towards achieving
their goals. (Ambrose et al.,
2012; Meyer, 2011)
Provide students with
an online guide that
offers them step by
step exercises designed
for them to reflect
about financial aid
award decisions.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 175

Table 66, continued
Knowledge Influences

Need
or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
19. Students need to learn how to
reflect on their experiences of
support at their college that helped
them understand financial aid.
Need The use of metacognitive
strategies facilitates learning
(Baker, 2006).
Learning and motivation are
enhanced when learners set
goals, monitor their
performance and evaluate their
progress towards achieving
their goals. (Ambrose et al.,
2012; Meyer, 2011)
According to Clark and Estes
(2008) a situation where
people are able to understand
the “how to” knowledge and
skills is through training. This
entails the ability to practice
with proper feedback about
how to meet their desired
outcome.
Provide students with
an opportunity to give
feedback about the
support they are
receiving from the
college.

Factual knowledge solutions. Factual knowledge influences include: (a) Students need
to know financial aid is an option available to them; (b) Students need to know if they are still
receiving Financial Aid their second year of college; (c) Students need to know the definition of
eligibility; (d) Students need to know what the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) is in order to fill it out and determine if they are eligible for financial aid; (e) Students
need to know what qualifies them to be eligible to receive financial aid; (f) Students need to
know that grants and scholarships do not have to be paid back; (g) Students need to know they
have to renew their FAFSA yearly and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. Overall the
findings and results showed most of these knowledge influences were assets and students
showed knowledge about financial aid terms, facts, and concepts. According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the act of telling someone how to succeed at a task on their own is by giving them
AN EVALUATION STUDY 176

information. Schraw and McCrudden (2006) suggest that information learned meaningfully and
connected with prior knowledge is stored more quickly and remembered more accurately
because it is elaborated with prior learning. This suggests that students need information to
successfully complete the financial aid process. Thus, it is recommended that the organization
provide information that meaningfully helps students to understand and review, when necessary,
in order to identify and remember financial aid terms, facts and concepts meaningfully to
maintain this as an asset.
Hillman et al. (2015) found that students do not know how to navigate the financial aid
system. Findings for this study suggest that students do not have the proper information to know
if they qualify for financial aid. Additionally Feeney et al. (2013) found that students have a
general lack of knowledge about financial aid eligibility. SC can enact the suggestions of Schraw
and McCrudden (2006) by providing students with financial aid information. Information can
help students to understand their financial aid eligibility and navigate their financial aid process
effectively and address the factual knowledge needs of students.
Conceptual knowledge solutions. Conceptual knowledge influences include:(a)
Students need to know the different types of financial aid available to them; (b) Students need to
know if they are considered a first-generation college student; (c) Students need to know where
to find helpful financial aid information; (d) The more knowledge a student has about financial
aid the higher the likelihood of enrolling into their second year of college; (e) Students need to
know the FAFSA application deadline date; (f) Students need to know what expenses financial
aid covers. The data for the declarative conceptual knowledge demonstrated both assets and
needs for students to have more knowledge of financial aid categories, process models,
principles and an understanding of relationships. Schraw and McCrudden (2006) suggest how
AN EVALUATION STUDY 177

individuals organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know. This
suggests that students need education and information on financial aid categories and principles
in order to successfully complete the financial aid process. Thus, it is recommended that the
organization provide students with information in the form of visual aids, checklists, a glossary
of terms, and calendars with key dates to help students conceptualize the financial aid process.
Students have a general lack of knowledge about financial aid availability in college.
Feeney et al. (2013) found students do not know the kinds of financial aid they are eligible to
receive. They found that students do not know the difference between federal, state and
institutional financial aid packages they are eligible for. This study found that students who
understood the differences in types of financial aid eligibility were more likely to complete the
FAFSA. SC can address this need by implementing the suggestions of Schraw and McCrudden
(2006) by providing information in the forms of visual aids, checklists and glossary terms,
calendars with key dates to clearly organize the necessary information for students to understand
the financial aid process and address any conceptual knowledge needs.
Procedural knowledge solutions. Procedural Knowledge influences include: (a)
Students need to know how to prepare to file their FAFSA application, (b) Students need to
know how to access information about financial aid in college; (c) Students need to know how to
seek helpful information about financial aid in college. The results of this study showed one need
and two assets for this category. Students need to know how to execute financial aid related
tasks. According to Clark and Estes (2008) people can acquire higher levels of information from
job aids that contain self-help information. Schraw and McCrudden (2006) suggest to develop
mastery, individuals must acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to
apply what they have learned. Students need to be provided with a visual aid on financial aid
AN EVALUATION STUDY 178

processes to successfully complete financial aid related tasks. Thus, it is recommended that the
organization provide students with information in the form of visual aids, and guides for students
to follow in order to complete all financial aid tasks successfully.
Castleman & Lindsay (2015) found a direct impact in the amount of students who
attempted financial aid processes by the lack of information students and families have about
financial aid. Their research used interventions focused on providing information to students
through online and personal communication through text messages to improve their participation
in financial aid applications. They found that more knowledge and information about procedural
tasks improved student participation. SC can implement the suggestions by Schraw and
McCrudden (2006) by providing students with specific information that helps them to practice
and navigate the financial aid system when they are unaware of who to ask or where to go to
access information.
Metacognitive knowledge solutions. Metacognitive knowledge solutions include: (a)
Students need to know how to reflect on the decision of accepting a financial aid award; (b)
Students need to learn how to reflect on their experiences of support at their college that helped
them understand financial aid. Overall the findings and results showed both assets and needs for
these knowledge influences. Students showed some knowledge about how to reflect on financial
aid decisions. According to Baker (2006) the use of metacognitive strategies facilitates learning.
Additionally, Learning and motivation are enhanced when learners set goals, monitor their
performance and evaluate their progress towards achieving their goals (Ambrose et al., 2012;
Meyer, 2011). This suggests that students need to reflect about their financial aid decisions to
better understand their choices. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide students
AN EVALUATION STUDY 179

with opportunities for feedback about the financial aid support they are receiving from the
college.
Brown et al. (2016) concluded even when students have access to financial aid
information they do not have the skills to meaningfully understand and may not have the tools to
interpret it appropriately. Additionally Brown et al. (2016) found that interventions where
students are given face to face interactions may help students to understand their choices as
suggested by Ambrose et al. (2012) and Meyer (2011). As suggested by Ambrose et al. (2012)
and Meyer (2011) implementing interventions where students are able to provide feedback about
the financial aid information they are receiving will help students to reflect on their choices thus,
helping to address their metacognitive knowledge needs.
Motivation Recommendations
The motivation influences in Table 67 include the needs as well as the assets of the
assumed knowledge influences. The data collected on the motivation influences in this study is
limited due to the small sample size (n=4) of the evaluation survey, and that the FAIP questions
were asked using a different approach and language. Thus, both needs and assets were validated
by using a set of common learning principles for value, self-efficacy, mood, attribution and goal
orientation. Table 67 lists the motivation causes, priority, principle and recommendations.
Following the table, a detailed discussion for each recommendation and the literature supporting
the recommendation is provided.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 180

Table 67
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Motivation
Influences
Need or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Value Stakeholder need to
value…

20. Students need to value
the availability of financial
aid.
Asset Learning and motivation are
enhanced if the learner values the
task (Eccles, 2006).
Provide students with examples
of other students as models, and
testimonials about the
importance of financial aid.
21. Students need to value
the financial aid-related
information offered by
institutional supports on
campus.
Need Activating personal interest
through opportunities for
choice and control can increase
motivation (Eccles,
2006).

Provide students with
testimonials from their peers
about the most useful supports
on campus.
22. Students need to value
access to higher educations
benefits.
Asset Learning and motivation are
enhanced if the learner values the
task (Eccles, 2006).
Provide students with
testimonials by peers to provide
context about educations
benefits.
23. Students need to value
their completion of the FAIP.
Asset Learning and motivation are
enhanced if the learner values the
task (Eccles, 2006).
Provide students with models of
success for them to follow, and
examples of students who have
successfully finished the FAIP
Self-Efficacy
24. Students need to be
confident that they can take
the steps to receive financial
aid eligibility.
Asset

Learning and motivation
are enhanced when
learners have positive
expectancies for success
(Pajares, 2006).

Provide students access to a
counselor to review with them a
checklist they can follow as
steps and mark their progress.
25. Students need to have
confidence that they can take
the steps to maintain
Financial Aid eligibility
(Satisfactory Academic
Progress).
Asset Learning and motivation
are enhanced when
learners have positive
expectancies for success
(Pajares, 2006).

Provide students with access to
a counselor to review their
checklist steps to maintain their
financial aid eligibility.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 181

Table 67, continued
Assumed Motivation
Influences
Need or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
26. Students need to have
confidence that they can take
the steps to make a decision
about their financial aid
award options (grants, loans,
work-study, etc.)
Need Learning and motivation
are enhanced when
learners have positive
expectancies for success
(Pajares, 2006).

Provide students with access to
a counselor and opportunities to
discuss with their peers the
different decisions about their
financial aid award.
27. Students need to be
confident that they can take
the steps to seek help with
their FAFSA application.
Need Learning and motivation
are enhanced when
learners have positive
expectancies for success
(Pajares, 2006).

Provide students access to a
counselor to review a checklist
with steps they can take to seek
help with their FAFSA
application.
Mood Students need to feel
positive about…

28. Students need to feel
confident about completing
their FAFSA application
after their participation in the
FAIP.
Asset Positive emotional
environments
support motivation
(Clark & Estes,
2008).

Provide students with various
choices on the type of support
they can choose to get help on
their FAFSA application.
29. Students need to feel
positive about accepting their
financial aid award after their
participation in the FAIP.
Asset Positive emotional
environments
support motivation
(Clark & Estes,
2008).

Provide students with financial
aid choices with information
and testimonials as peer support.
30. Students need to feel
positive about the available
institutional support
navigating financial aid
assistance after their
participation of the FAIP.
Asset Positive emotional
environments support motivation
(Clark & Estes,
2008).

Provide students with
information about the types of
support choices that the college
offers for financial aid
assistance.
Attribution
31. Students need to believe
that the success or failure to
secure financial aid is due to
their own efforts after their
participation in the FAIP.
Asset Learning and motivation are
enhanced when individuals
attribute success or failures to
effort rather than ability.
(Anderman & Anderman, 2009).

Provide students with a caring
and supportive environment to
ask questions and understand
how to address any mistakes.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 182

Table 67, continued
Assumed Motivation
Influences
Need or
Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Goal Orientation
32. Students need to know
they can succeed in applying
to financial aid even in the
face of setbacks.
Asset Designing learning tasks that are
novel, varied, diverse, interesting,
and reasonably challenging
promotes mastery orientation
(Yough &
Anderman, 2006).

Provide students with a
community of support where it
is normal to ask questions and
discuss setbacks.
33. Students learn from their
mistakes while applying for
financial aid.
Asset Designing learning tasks that are
novel, varied, diverse, interesting,
and reasonably challenging
promotes mastery orientation
(Yough &
Anderman, 2006).

Provide students with
testimonials to model learning
from errors made by their peers,
and faculty alike and accept
mistakes as opportunities for
learning.

Value solutions. Value influences include: (a) Students need to value the availability of
financial aid; (b) Students need to value the financial aid-related information offered by
institutional supports on campus; (c) Students need to value access to higher educations
benefits; (d) Students need to value their completion of the FAIP. The findings and results
showed most of these knowledge influences were assets. Students showed they value access to
financial aid resources and the completion of the FAIP. According to Eccles (2006) activating
personal interest through opportunities for choice and control can increase motivation. This
suggests that students need to value financial aid choices available to them. Thus, it is
recommended that the organization provide students with opportunities to exercise their financial
aid choices appropriately.
Tierney et al. (2017) suggest the active choice to attend college is reserved for those
students who understand how to make decisions about financial aid. Further, this study found
that if you provide information for students that increase their understanding of their choices
AN EVALUATION STUDY 183

students are more likely to follow the steps to maintain their financial aid eligibility. SC can
implement the Eccles (2006) suggestions by providing opportunities for students to feel they
understand their decisions and thus, feel confident about the actions they need to take related to
financial aid.
Self-efficacy solutions. Self-efficacy influences include: (a) Students need to be
confident that they can take the steps to receive financial aid eligibility; (b) Students need to have
confidence that they can take the steps to maintain Financial Aid eligibility (Satisfactory
Academic Progress); (c) Students need to have confidence that they can take the steps to make a
decision about their financial aid award options (grants, loans, work-study, etc.) ; (d) Students
need to be confident that they can take the steps to seek help with their FAFSA application. The
findings and results showed both assets and needs for this knowledge solution. Students showed
a need for confidence in their abilities and tasks related to financial aid. According to Pajares
(2006) learning and motivation are enhanced when learners have positive expectancies for
success. This suggests that students need to feel confident about their ability to execute financial
aid related steps. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide students with the proper
instructional support, and provide multiple opportunities for practice and feedback.
Castleman and Lindsay (2015) sought to help students to feel confident about their ability
to demystify the financial aid process. They used personalized messaging to allow students to
clearly understand and confirm their understanding of financial aid information. They found that
sending personalized messages with information about the complex tasks helped students to
engage in the financial aid system. The college can follow the recommendations of Pajares
(2006) by providing students with increased communication that can improve self-efficacy levels
AN EVALUATION STUDY 184

by giving them access to information with opportunities for targeted feedback about financial
aid.
Mood solutions. Mood influences include: (a) Students need to feel confident about
completing their FAFSA application after their participation in the FAIP; (b) Students need to
feel positive about accepting their financial aid award after their participation in the FAIP; (c)
Students need to feel positive about the available institutional support navigating financial aid
assistance after their participation of the FAIP. The findings and results showed mood influences
were assets and that students feel positive about their choices about financial aid processes.
According to Clark and Estes (2008) positive emotional environments support motivation. This
suggests that students need autonomy and choice for them to feel in control of their decision
making. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide students with models for success
for their financial aid choices.
Tierney and Venegas (2017) found that students are not applying to the available
financial aid because they are unaware of their choices. Feeney et al. (2013) suggests students
feel positive and a sense of mattering after they have visible encounters with advisors. SC can
implement the Clark and Estes (2008) recommendations to boost positive emotional
environments by providing students with opportunities to discuss information with other students
or faculty that have already had success in their financial aid choices previously.
Attribution solutions. Attribution influences include: (a) Students need to believe that
the success or failure to secure financial aid is due to their own efforts after their participation in
the FAIP. The findings and results showed the attribution influence was an asset. This means that
students perceived they would overcome possible setbacks in the process of obtaining financial
aid. According to Anderman and Anderman (2009) learning and motivation are enhanced when
AN EVALUATION STUDY 185

individuals attribute success or failures to effort rather than ability. This suggests that students
need a supportive environment with opportunities for accurate feedback. Thus, it is
recommended that the organization provide students with an opportunity for students to discuss
curiosities and address any possible mistakes.
Stephens et al. (2014) found that institutions should shift their focus from the fear of
failure to communicating the expectations of success for students. SC should implement the
interventions from Anderman and Anderman (2009) by providing students with an inclusive and
accepting environment for students to learn perspectives that are diverse and therefore more
comfortable sharing their background and more willingly share any possible setbacks and
challenges in the financial aid process. The college should provide students with opportunities to
share and get feedback and address students attribution needs.
Goal orientation solutions. Goal Orientation influences include: (a) Students need to
know they can succeed in applying to financial aid even in the face of setbacks; (b) Students
learn from their mistakes while applying for financial aid. The findings and results showed the
goal orientation solutions were assets in this study. Students know they can succeed even in the
face of setbacks. According to Yough and Anderman (2006) designing learning tasks that are
novel, varied, diverse, interesting, and reasonably challenging promotes mastery orientation.
This suggests that students need a model of learning that accepts mistakes as opportunities to
learn. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide students with testimonials to model
learning from errors made by their peers and accept mistakes as opportunities for learning.
According to Bird and Castleman (2016) students that did not engage in financial aid
processes were due to informational and behavioral barriers. SC can implement the
recommendations of Yough and Anderman (2006) by providing students with the opportunity to
AN EVALUATION STUDY 186

complete various tasks that expose them to the benefits of the goals they are exploring during
their participation in the FAIP. Students need institutional interventions that expose them to
successful models such as students that have already finished the program successfully.
Organizational Recommendations
The organizational influences in Table 68 include the needs as well as the assets of the
assumed knowledge influences. The data collected on the motivation influences in this study is
limited due to the small sample size (n=4) of the evaluation survey, and that the FAIP questions
were asked using a different approach and language. Thus, both needs and assets were validated
by using a set of common learning principles for resources, policies, processes and procedures,
culture, cultural setting, and cultural models. Table 68 lists the organizational influences,
principles and recommendations. Following the table, a detailed discussion for each
recommendation and the literature supporting the recommendation is provided.
Table 68
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Organization
Influences
Asset or
Need
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Resources (time; finances;
people) Students need resources
to …

34. Students need resources to
successfully complete the
FAFSA on time.
Asset Effective change efforts
ensure that
everyone has the resources
(equipment,
personnel, time, etc.) needed
to do their job,
and that if there are resource
shortages, then
resources are aligned with
organizational
priorities (Clark and Estes,
2008).
Provide students with a planning
process to go through the financial
aid information and monitor their
progress.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 187

Table 68, continued
Assumed Organization
Influences
Asset or
Need
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
35. Students need institutional
resources to academically
succeed in college.
Asset Effective change efforts
ensure that
everyone has the resources
(equipment,
personnel, time, etc) needed
to do their job,
and that if there are resource
shortages, then
resources are aligned with
organizational
priorities (Clark and Estes,
2008).

Provide students with a guide book
of resources at the college and
online.
36. Students need to be
informed of the support
programs and services available
to them.
Asset Effective change efforts
ensure that
everyone has the resources
(equipment,
personnel, time, etc) needed
to do their job,
and that if there are resource
shortages, then
resources are aligned with
organizational
priorities (Clark and Estes,
2008).

Provide students with a guide book
of resources, including support
programs and services, at the
college and online.
37. Students need to have
resources that create visible and
accessible financial aid
information for low-income,
first-generation, and students of
color.
Asset Effective change efforts
insure that all key
stakeholders perspectives
inform the design and
decision-making process
leading to change.

Provide students with a guide book
of resources at the college and
online that is comprehensive, and
simple to understand.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 188

Table 68, continued
Assumed Organization
Influences
Asset or
Need
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Policies, Processes, &
Procedures Students need to
have policies that align with ...

38. The school has policies that
align with financial aid
information for low-income,
first-generation, and students of
color.
Need Effective organizations
insure that organizational
messages, rewards, policies
and procedures that govern
the work of the organization
are aligned with or are
supportive of organizational
goals and values
(Clark and Estes, 2008).

Provide students with information
regarding financial aid and the
benefits for low-income, first-
generation, and students of color.

Culture Stakeholders need to
be part of a culture that aligns
with ...

39. Students need to be part of a
culture that supports students of
low-status backgrounds to
access information and
programs that create equitable
processes for them to persist
through to educational goal
completion.
Need Effective change efforts use
evidence-
based solutions and adapt
them, where necessary, to
the organizations culture
(Clark and Estes, 2008).

Provide students with information
about the supports at the school
including programs and services
for diverse-need populations.
Discuss the types of information
that is relevant to low-status
students of color during the
training program.

Provide students with a true
culture of support where they feel
they are a part of a supportive
campus culture.
40. Students need to be a part of
a culture that cultivates their
motivational beliefs and
manages educational
expectations.
Need Effective change efforts use
evidence-
based solutions and adapt
them, where necessary, to
the organizations culture
(Clark and Estes, 2008).

Provide students with information
about the expectations at the
college for all students.

Providing in person support to
ensure students feel a part of a
supportive campus culture.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 189

Table 68, continued
Assumed Organization
Influences
Asset or
Need
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
41. Student-centered
approaches to facilitate student
success in their first year of
college.

Asset Effective change efforts
insure that all key
stakeholders perspectives
inform the design
and decision-making process
leading to the
change.
Provide students with feedback
forms and participation platforms
for them to give feedback that the
program can implement as best
practices.

Inform the students of student-
centered approaches they have
taken in the program.
Cultural Setting (incentives;
rewards; recognition, etc.)
Stakeholders need to have...

42. Students need to have
access to Counselors and rely
on face-to-face interactions to
understand how to navigate the
college transition process,
which includes financial aid.
Asset Effective change efforts
ensure that
everyone has the resources
(equipment,
personnel, time, etc) needed
to do their job,
and that if there are resource
shortages, then
resources are aligned with
organizational
priorities (Clark and Estes,
2008).

Provide students with a designated
time to meet with a counselor for a
one-on-one or a small group
session several times during the
duration of the training.
Cultural models.

43. Students need to feel that
they are part of a culture that
supports financial aid.
Asset Effective change efforts
ensure that all key
stakeholders perspectives
inform the design and
decision-making process
leading to the
change (Clark and Estes,
2008).
Provide students with personal
support from faculty by having
small group check-ins and discuss
their understanding on financial
aid and the decision making
process.
44. Students need to feel that
they are part of a culture that
supports academic
achievement.
Asset Effective change efforts use
evidence-based solutions
and adapt them, where
necessary, to the
organizations culture (Clark
and Estes, 2008).

Provide students with more
support through small group
check-ins to discuss their academic
achievement goals and the
academic resources on campus
(i.e. tutoring, library use, etc.)

AN EVALUATION STUDY 190

Cultural model solutions. Cultural Models influences include: (a) Students need to feel
that they are part of a culture that supports financial aid; (b) Students need to feel that they are
part of a culture that supports academic achievement. The findings and results showed the
cultural model solutions were assets, students felt part of a college culture supports them.
According to Clark and Estes (2008) effective change efforts ensure that all key stakeholders
perspectives inform the design and decision-making process leading to the change. This suggests
that students need the organization to provide a culture that supports the financial aid decision
making process. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide students with resources
to support their financial aid decision making process. It is important that the college does not
just provide information to the students.
Although information is an important way to make students feel supported, and the
campus should not only resort to giving information but rather use information as a tool to
enhance other important interpersonal ways to make students feel a part of supportive school
culture. According to Jacklin and Riche (2009) there is a difference between offering student
“support” which refers to a reactive response to the perceived student challenges and offering a
“supportive” culture which offers a proactive approach by offering services and functions and
the range of services offered by an institution, Tait (2000) argued “ three main functions of
support as being cognitive (supportive learning), affective (ensuring a supportive environment)
and systemic (ensuring effective administrative systems) (p.736).” The organization should have
a system of support built into its infrastructure to help students to build a school community that
contributes to self-help and peer support climate.
Wang (2013) suggests that providing a college climate that facilitates students success
can be employed by student-centered approaches. Recommendations made by Clark and Estes
AN EVALUATION STUDY 191

(2008) included providing students with a culture that supports the financial aid decision making
process. SC can implement these recommendations by providing students with opportunities for
feedback to the college in order to understand the resources students need to feel supported.
Cultural settings solutions. Cultural settings influences include: (a) Students need to
have access to Counselors and rely on face-to-face interactions to understand how to navigate the
college transition process, which includes financial aid; (b) Students need to be part of a culture
that supports students of low-status backgrounds to access information and programs that create
equitable processes for them to persist through to educational goal completion; (c) Students need
to be a part of a culture that cultivates their motivational beliefs and manages educational
expectations; (d) Student-centered approaches to facilitate student success in their first year of
college. The findings and results showed the cultural setting influences had assets and needs.
Students felt they have access to counselors and the support to transition to college and felt they
needed to be a part of a culture that supports students of low-status and that cultivates their
educational expectations. According to Clark and Estes (2008) effective change efforts ensure
that everyone has the resources (equipment, personnel, time, etc.) needed to do their job, and that
if there are resource shortages, then resources are aligned with organizational priorities. Students
need to feel supported through their college transition including financial aid, and the college can
provide students with financial aid support programs. This suggests students need to know they
have access to college resources and they have the choice to participate in support programs that
address their diverse needs. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide students with
in person resources to help with the college transition process.
Gallimore and Goldberg (2001) discuss cultural settings as a place where students can
accomplish their goals. Their concept of cultural setting supports that a culture within
AN EVALUATION STUDY 192

educational contexts can be created by giving students access to interactions with faculty
interactions and other face to face support. The intervention of support that students may need to
navigate the college process including financial aid processes can be addressed by the college.
The recommendations made by Clark and Estes (2008) can be implemented by providing
students with access to the in person resources and providing information about the online
resources available at the college.
Policies and procedures solutions. Policies and procedures influences include: (a) the
school has policies that align with financial aid information for low-income, first-generation, and
students of color. The findings and results for the policies and procedures influences showed a
need for all students to feel that the college has policies and procedures in place that supports
them. According to Clark and Estes (2008) effective organizations ensure that organizational
messages, rewards, policies and procedures that govern the work of the organization are aligned
with or are supportive of organizational goals and values. This suggests that students need to be
presented with organizational messages that provide awareness of school policies and rewards
that support them. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide students with
information regarding financial aid and the benefits for low-income, first-generation students,
and students of color.
Institutional policies, processes and procedures should reflect equitable support for the
needs of all students. Bird and Castleman (2016) found that financial aid policies typically do not
reflect the support students need to reduce financial aid barriers. SC can address financial aid
barriers by implementing the recommendations made by Clark and Estes (2008) by providing
students with information regarding financial aid benefits. Additionally, the college should
AN EVALUATION STUDY 193

review their policies and procedures to make sure the organizational messages provide rewards
that support students in navigating the financial aid process.
Resources solutions. Resources influences include: (a) Students need resources to
successfully complete the FAFSA on time; (b) Students need institutional resources to
academically succeed in college; (c) Students need to be informed of the support programs and
services available to them; (d) Students need to have resources that create visible and accessible
financial aid information for low-income, first-generation, and students of color. The findings
and results showed the resource influences were all assets. Students felt the college provides
students with resources. According to Clark and Estes (2008) effective change efforts ensure that
everyone has the resources (equipment, personnel, time, etc.) needed to do their job, and that if
there are resource shortages, then resources are aligned with organizational priorities. This means
that all students need to feel they are provided with resources that support their access to
financial aid. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide students with information
about the resources including the support programs and services available to them by the college
in person and online.
Tierney and Venegas (2017) found barriers for students in college included academic
factors and financial factors. SC can implement the recommendations from Clark and Estes
(2008) by providing students resources and information to create visibility and accessibility to
the financial aid support available. Students need to know the college can provide them with
resources in-person and online. The organization can further address financial barriers by
providing students with information on the cost of college, how to navigate the financial aid
system.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 194

Summary of Knowledge, Motivation and Organization
Knowledge recommendations are made for organizational implementation. The
organization should provide students with information that helps them to understand and if
necessary, go back to review terms, facts and concepts related to financial aid to improve their
factual knowledge. Students will also need to know the financial aid categories, process models
and principles thus, the organization will provide students with information in the form of
visual/job aids, checklist and glossary terms to help students improve their conceptual
knowledge. Students will also be provided with information for them to follow in the form of
visual aid and step-by-step guides with opportunities for practice to improve their procedural
knowledge of financial aid related tasks. The organization will need to additionally provide
opportunities for students to give feedback and express their beliefs about the kinds of support
they are receiving from the college to improve their metacognitive knowledge.
Motivation evidence-based recommendations are made. The organization should provide
students with various opportunities to discuss and model after past students their financial aid
choices to increase the value of financial aid. Moreover, the organization should provide students
with instructional support, and multiple opportunities for practice and feedback to improve their
self-efficacy. Students will also need to improve their confidence making financial aid decisions,
and thus, the organization should provide students with a positive emotional environment by
providing peer mentors and testimonials discussing the financial aid choices available to them.
The organization should provide students with an opportunity to address any possible mistakes
and discuss setbacks as a normal part of the financial aid process with opportunities for practice
and feedback to improve students' belief in their own efforts (attribution). Lastly, goal orientation
is necessary for students to believe they can succeed and will accept mistakes as opportunities
AN EVALUATION STUDY 195

for learning thus, the organization should provide students with peer testimonies and examples
for them to model learning from errors.
The organizational recommendations necessary to improve the organizational support
include providing students with a culture of support by providing resources that support their
financial aid process needs. Students need policies and procedures in place to support their
access to resources equitably. Thus, the organization should provide students with accessible
information of the available resources and the benefits of financial aid for low-income, first-
generation students, and students of color. Improving student learning in all these knowledge
areas will increase intended knowledge, student confidence, visibility to college resources,
participation in support programs, and improve student autonomy in financial aid related tasks.
The plan to implement these recommendations and evaluate their success is provided in the next
section.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
The mission of SC is “... to serve a diverse community and to support the various
educational goals, including supporting lifelong learning and the development of their students.”
The goal of the New Student Counseling Office (NSCSO) is to provide students with an
orientation focused on financial aid literacy with the goal of in hopes that students will persist
through to completion. The purpose of this evaluation is to analyze the degree to which the
Counseling faculty at the NSCSO is preparing students to become financially literate through
participation in the FAIP and to prepare them to autonomously secure financial aid their second
year of college. To achieve this goal SC must ensure that all students have the information to
acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence in their abilities to overcome any financial aid
setbacks.
AN EVALUATION STUDY 196

Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
The stakeholders of focus for this study are the students. This study was set out to find
whether or not students were able to secure financial aid their second year of college. Due to the
limitations in participation from the students this outcome will remain unknown. Additionally, a
desired outcome for this study is recommendations for improvement in the reliability and
efficacy of the program. Overall, it is recommended that the FAIP implement the interventions
suggested in this chapter to improve financial aid knowledge, motivation and organizational
knowledge. The college could also use the instrument created for this study to test the knowledge
of the students with more accuracy. The data collected from the program was not an accurate
representation of students knowledge but rather their perceived knowledge. Thus, the data from
this study does not accurately reflect the preparation students have received during the program.
The data tells the researcher however, the perceptions of students of the utility value of the
program are favorable.
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) was used to design
the implementation and evaluation plan for this study. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016)
suggest that it is advantageous to evaluate training programs in order to understand the efficiency
of the learning that is taking place and manifesting into actual work behaviors. The New World
Model presents four levels of evaluation and the model offers in the planning phases of a
program the levels should be approached in reverse order. The reverse order of the Kirkpatrick
Model follows a four part sequence that includes: (a) Level 4: Results, (b) Level 3: Behavior, (c)
Level 2: Learning, (d) Level 1: Reaction. Moving in reverse order means starting with the
evaluation of the organizational purpose and the mission in Level 4. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
AN EVALUATION STUDY 197

use “leading indicators” (p.33) as a way to bridge the gap between individual goals and the goals
of the organization. These “leading indicators” are defined as short-term observations used to
identify critical behaviors that can be used as measurements of the desired outcomes (Kirkpatrick
& Kirkpatrick, 2016). Level 3 refers to the critical behaviors and required knowledge for on-the-
job learning. Critical behaviors are defined as the behaviors that are most frequently performed
on the job and identified as the most important in achieving the organizational mission
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Level 2 refers to the learning process in the organization and
is defined in the evaluation process as the intended knowledge, skills, attitude, and confidence
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Lastly, Level 1 refers to the reaction of the success of the
training by measuring its utility and the relevance to the day to day operations of its participants.
Using the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) New World Model provides the researcher with an
evidence-based evaluation framework. Thus, this model was used in this study to design the
implementation and evaluation plan.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest that Level 4 results are meant to address the
stakeholder expectations first, an approach inviting the end as the beginning. Training is created
with a deep understanding of what the expectations of success are as defined by the stakeholder.
The organizational results often rely on the daily behavior of individuals and thus, this level calls
for the conceptualization of “leading indicators”. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) define
leading indicators as “short-term observations and measurements that suggest that critical
behaviors are on track to create a positive impact” (p.330). This section will focus on the internal
and external indicators to determine if the critical behaviors will positively influence the
organization's desired results. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) internal
AN EVALUATION STUDY 198

indicators are defined as individual, team, departmental and all other outcomes that come from
within the organization. Additionally, they define external indicators as customer, client, market
and/or industry responses and other outcomes derived from outside of the organization. The
metrics used in the Level 4 area of evaluation are meant to create opportunity in the organization
and thus, are formative measures. The proposed leading external and internal indicators, metrics
and methods are displayed in Table 69.
Table 69
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Increased number of
students completing
associate degrees reported
to the chancellors office.
Number of students completing
associate degrees and increased
funding dollars by state.
Institutional Review Board
annual report.
Increased graduation rates
by students of color
reported to the
chancellors office.
Number of students of color
graduating and increased
funding dollars by state.
College Registrars office.
Internal Outcomes
Increased completion of
the FAIP by first time
students.
Number of first time students
that complete the FAIP.
Counseling completion report.
Increased information
materials provided by the
FAIP.
Number of materials provided
to each FAIP participant.
Budget allocation for the FAIP
materials.
Increased completion
rates by students of color.
Number of students of color
receiving an associate s degree
or transferring.
College Registrars office.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 199

Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. The stakeholders of focus are the students, Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016) level 3 outcomes are used to identify their newly gained knowledge and
perceptions, attitudes leading to the possible behavior changes. All critical behaviors are
observable actions that demonstrate the transfer of knowledge into practice (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick (2016). The four critical behaviors outlined in this study are demonstrated in Table
70.
Table 70
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
1. Students
complete the
FAFSA during the
first year of
college.
Number of financial aid
applications submitted by
first-time students received
by the college.
FAFSA submitted
to the Financial
Aid Office.
Once a year
2. Students
complete the
FAFSA their
second year of
college.
Number of renewed
financial aid applications
by second year students
received by the Financial
Aid Office.
FAFSA submitted
to the Financial
Aid Office.
Once a year
3. FAIP completers
demonstrate
financial literacy.
Number of correctly
answered survey items.
Survey collected
by the FAIP.
Once a year
4. Students
determine their
financial aid
eligibility.
Students finish the
financial aid application.
Submit the
FAFSA to the
Financial Aid
Office.
Once a year.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 200

Required drivers. Required drivers support the critical behaviors by demonstrating their
implementation and attainment. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) define required drivers “as
the processes and systems that reinforce, monitor, encourage and reward performance of a
critical behavior” (p 34). The critical behaviors listed in Table 70 are supported by the required
drivers listed below in Table 71.
Table 71
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing Critical Behaviors Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing
Step by step job aids including
checklists, glossary terms with
definitions and calendar dates.
Ongoing 1, 4
College-wide in-person and online
reminders of financial aid
deadlines
Ongoing 1, 2
Counseling meetings to discuss
student follow-up with FAIP
completers.
Second semester. 2, 3, 4
Encouraging
Peer mentoring and collaboration. Ongoing 1,2,3, 4
Feedback from Counselors during
financial aid application period.
Ongoing 1,2,3,4
Counselor mentoring and coaching
follow-up.
Ongoing 1, 2 ,3 ,4
Counselor ensures financial aid job
aids are accessible in-person or
online.
Ongoing 1, 2 ,4

AN EVALUATION STUDY 201

Table 71, continued
Method(s) Timing Critical Behaviors Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Rewarding
Reward students that completed
the FAIP by giving them priority
enrollment.
Once a year 2, 4
Provide students with a
refreshment corner on campus to
acknowledge and reward the
students that finished their
financial aid application.
Once a year 1, 2, 4
Monitoring
Counselors will track students'
progress of their financial aid
milestone checklists.
Once a year 1, 2, 4
Counselors track the financial aid
completion of students who
completed FAIP in their second
year.
Once a year 2,3

Organizational support. Reinforcing required drivers processes will include job aids.
These will include checklists, glossary terms with definitions and calendar dates. These job aids
will help students with their procedural knowledge and help them to navigate the financial aid
system independently. Additionally, job aids are meant for students to improve their factual and
declarative knowledge about financial aid. The college will also have college-wide in-person and
online reminders of financial aid deadlines and this will help address organizational goals
including helping students to feel a part of a culture that supports financial aid. Counseling
meetings to discuss student follow-up with FAIP completers. Counseling meetings and follow-
AN EVALUATION STUDY 202

ups with the FAIP completers will help to reassure students they have access to in-person
resources and boosting their mood.
Students will need required drivers that encourage them to navigate the financial aid
system. Peer mentoring and collaboration between students can help students to feel confident
about their decisions and increase their self-efficacy. Feedback from counselors and counselor
mentorship during the financial aid application period will help students to value the FAIP,
increase their procedural and metacognitive knowledge. Counselors will ensure financial aid job
aids are accessible to all students after and during the program in-person or online providing
students a school culture of support.
The required drivers to reward students that completed the FAIP include giving them
priority enrollment. By rewarding students the college maintains a commitment to support
navigating the financial aid process. Further, in order to provide a cultural setting where students
feel supported by their processes and policies the college will provide students with a
refreshment corner on campus to acknowledge and reward the students that finished their
financial aid application.
Students will need to be monitored in their attempts to reach their goals and execute
critical behaviors. Thus, the college will have counselors track students' progress by using job
aid checklists to mark their progress in the completion of the financial aid process. The activities
chosen to monitor students progress will provide students with institutional support and
resources making sure every student is supported through the college transition process.
Level 2: Learning
Students will be asked to participate in the Financial Aid Training Program for the
purpose of learning new knowledge and developing confidence about their abilities as well as
AN EVALUATION STUDY 203

new beliefs about applying for financial aid their first year of college. Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016) describe Level 2 as the evaluation of five components that include:
knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence and commitment. Students will be exposed to these five
components based on their participation in the training and the degree to which these attributes
are adopted will validate the learning goals and outcomes for this program and evaluation.
Learning goals. The goal of this evaluation is for the FAIP to learn how to increase the
effectiveness of their programming to promote transfer of the knowledge and skills beyond the
training program. Based on the validated causes presented in Chapter 4 and the recommendations
in this Chapter 5, 10 learning goals have been developed. These learning goals address the
positions that students need to be able to perform critical behaviors. After the implementation of
the recommended solutions student will be able to:
1. Apply steps to file the financial aid application (P)
2. Apply the steps to access information about financial aid in college (P)
3. Apply the steps to seek helpful information about financial aid in college (P)
4. Apply the steps to renew their financial aid application their second year of college (D-F)
5. Explain the differences between the types of financial aid awards (D-C)
6. Explain the financial aid eligibility requirements to qualify for financial aid (D-F)
7. Be confident that they can take the steps to maintain Financial Aid eligibility
(Satisfactory Academic Progress) (Self-efficacy)
8. Be confident that they can accept their financial aid award after their participation in the
FAIP. (Self-efficacy)
9. Feel positive about the available financial aid support by the institution, such as the FAIP.
(Mood)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 204

10. Attribute the success or failure to secure financial aid to their own efforts (Attribution)
Program. The learning goals listed in the previous section will be achieved through the
implementation of a program that will address the recommendations made in Tables 66, Table
67, and Table 68. The program will focus on the students ability to demonstrate the identified
learning goals by using the organizational resources.
The program will take place every summer before the beginning of the fall semester. The
faculty members will prepare to present financial aid information in a series of eight workshops
in four weeks. The workshop content will include an introduction to financial aid language,
resources, benefits, risks, eligibility, processes and awards. At the beginning of the program a
pre-test will be given to assess prior knowledge. At the beginning of each workshop a small
survey and small group discussions with a counselor will be programmed to check students'
understanding of the learning in the previous workshop, to answer any outstanding question, and
address concerns. During the workshops financial aid information will be scaffolded and
students will be given job aids, visual aids, glossary of terms with definitions, calendars with
important dates and a procedural step by step checklist and the opportunity to execute a plan for
future financial aid tasks. Additionally the workshops will include the exploration of on-campus
financial aid resources for students. During the program students will have opportunities to
participate in small group discussions to demonstrate their understanding and receive feedback.
Once the program has resumed it will provide an audio recording for the content of each
workshop for each student to access from home. In the duration of the program opportunities will
be given for students to reflect on their attitudes and understanding of the financial aid process
and receive peer mentorship and be able to ask questions. At the end of the eight workshops a
post-test will be given. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) recommends incorporating formative
AN EVALUATION STUDY 205

evaluation methods into the program. Throughout the eight workshops students will engage in
prompted activities that are opportunities such as feedback forms, and surveys to assess for
learning and transfer, and evaluate the learning goals.
Evaluation of the components of learning. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest
using formative evaluations during the program will increase the quality. Some of the benefits of
formative assessments include receiving feedback that can be adjusted in a timely manner,
addressing issues related to resources quickly, and increasing the engagement and satisfaction of
the learners because they are listened to and their concerns are addressed amongst others. Table
72 outlines the methods and activities that will be evaluated through the program.
Table 72
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge I know i.
Pre-tests and post test At the beginning and at the end of the program
Knowledge checks for each workshop topic Once during each workshop
Procedural Skills I can do it right n o.
Checklist of FAFSA application During and at the end of the program
Examples that require procedural knowledge
demonstrations
During
Attitude I believe this is o hhi le.
Discussions about benefits of financial aid During
Discussions of the risks of financial aid During
Feedback forms discussing the value of their
participation in the program
At the end of the program

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Table 72, continued
Confidence I think I can do it on the job.
Peer check-ins During
Counselor small group discussion about
concerns and possible worries
During
Commitment I will do it on the job.
Create an action plan detailing the key dates in
the calendar students need to follow-up with a
Counselor.
During
Create an action plan to use the financial aid
job aid with key dates for the next financial
aid application period.
During

Level 1: Reaction
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) defines Level 1 as the “degree to which participants
find the training favorable, engaging, and relevant” (p.66). Level 1 focuses on the participants
reactions and is one of the simplest ways to evaluate a program (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). Level 1 evaluations for learning goals will be formative and take place during the
program and summative for evaluation of the program effectiveness at the end.
For all eight workshops, the students will be asked to participate in different types of
summative assessments. Once at the end of the program students will answer a summative
assessment. Table 73 shows the components that measure the reactions of the program such as
methods/tools and timing.

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Table 73
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Attendance records At the beginning of the training
Peer support participation During the training
Participation in practice examples During the training
Verbal participation and feedback During the training
Relevance
Pulse check via survey and/or discussion Beginning, during and after the training
Survey Beginning and end of the training
Customer Satisfaction
Post workshop survey After the training
Pulse check discussions Beginning, during and after the training
Counseling small group check-ins During

Evaluation Tools
Immediately following the program implementation. Students will be asked to engage
in immediate and delayed evaluation tools. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest that
immediate evaluation tools are used and implemented after the learning has taken place to collect
immediate data. Delayed evaluation tools are to be used and implemented after enough time has
passed to test them on the application of their skills and apply their knowledge. Immediate
evaluations will be used to assess Level 1 (engagement, relevance, customer satisfaction) and
Level 2 (declarative knowledge, procedural skills, attitude, confidence, commitment). Level 1
evaluation tools and will include a pulse check via survey with rating scale questions, and small
AN EVALUATION STUDY 208

discussion feedback from prompts. The Level 2 evaluation tool will also include knowledge
checks via student discussion and counselor feedback and a small survey with rating scale
questions and open ended questions and in person demonstrations. The immediate assessment
tool utilized with students is displayed in Appendix D.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Delayed evaluation tools are
often used after the program has ended and an appropriate amount of time has passed to assess
the application of the knowledge and skills (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The delayed
evaluation tool will be sent out to each participant two weeks after the training has resumed. The
survey sent out via email will include rating scale questions, open-ended questions for Level 1
(Reaction), Level 2 (declarative knowledge, procedural skills, attitude, confidence,
commitment), Level 3 (behavior), Level 4 (results and leading indicators) to ensure program
credibility, and training effectiveness from the application of skills and results (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). The delayed assessment tool utilized with students is displayed in Appendix
E.
Data analysis and reporting. The Level 4 results gathered from a data report to analyze
the program results and determine its success and efficiency. The program faculty will be
updated on the learning goals and critical behaviors of students from Levels 2 and 3 and analyze
and celebrate the volume of students becoming financially literate. A big emphasis of the data
report will include the immediate evaluation results showing whether students finished their
financial aid application successfully during the program and also if based on delayed evaluation
results students demonstrated financial literacy weeks after the program has resumed. The
general counseling Faculty would be presented with an analysis of the immediate and delayed
survey results administered after the program implementation.
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Summary of the Implementation and Evaluation
The New World Kirkpatrick Model offers the opportunity to use a framework that allows
the gathering of meaningful data in quantitative and qualitative ways. The four-level framework
is especially useful for education program evaluations because often programs are set out to be
able to meet the broader mission of the college. This new approach to the model provides
measurable indicators and the use of these metrics to provide data about the actualization of the
goals as they pertain to the organizational mission while being able to implement them through
individual programs. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest that data analysis during a
training program should be done by streamlining the analysis at Levels 1 and 2, and making sure
the formative assessments are examined during the duration of the program.
Community college faculty are seldom trained on how to conduct evaluations and use
data to analyze how to make their training programs better. This model provides faculty the
opportunity to understand what the benchmarks are in order to know if progress is being made.
The simplicity of the evaluation provides the opportunity for a continual improvement approach
that is time effective. Often education resources are attached to broad college missions and goals.
This can provide the program with the ability to link their program objective to the broader
college mission. Thus, also giving the program faculty the ability to provide data to warrant a
new request for more resources by using Level 1 and Level 2 findings to rationalize how future
programs could be improved.

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Limitations and Delimitations
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree to which the counseling faculty at
the New Student Counseling Services Office provided an effective intervention for students to
secure financial aid their second year after completing the FAIP at SC. The study focused on the
knowledge, motivation and organizational influences that were necessary to help students
become financially literate. The limitations and delimitations of this study include the low
response rate of participants.
Additionally, a limitation of this study was the ability to get into contact with the student
participants of the program. A variation of possibilities presented the students may have
graduated from the college, transferred, or dropped out. Without a record of students
whereabouts it was not possible to find out if the participants of the study applied for financial
aid their second year. The analysis focused on the knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences that were derived from the organizational goals and the mission of the college. The
researcher in the study was able to use existing data collected by the FAIP. Although this data
was extremely helpful in the analysis of the program it had its own limitations. The existing
survey data had items that asked students for their perceived knowledge rather than their actual
knowledge. The survey did ask for students' confidence and mood in some items appropriately.
An important stakeholder that could have been added for additional insight are the faculty
members overseeing the program. Counselors could have provided information about student
behaviors, insight on critical behaviors and a deeper understanding of the organizational
resources and needs.

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Recommendations for Future Research
This study focused on the specific evaluation of an existing program at the college and
the population they serve but future studies could consider opening up the evaluation to all
students which may present a better understanding of the overall organizational goals and needs
at the college regarding financial aid. Additionally, widening the participant sample could
present a higher rate of responses which could also help to collect meaningful data on motivation
and organizational influences at the college. The assets and needs identified in a future study
with more participants could help to address inequities at the college and meet college goals that
have not yet been met with the current interventions.
Future studies could ask the question: To what extent are the intervention completers still
eligible for Financial Aid a year after their completion of the program? It could use the same
survey methods in this study to answer it. Recommendations include interviews with questions
that can be used to triangulate and gain insight into the students experiences and perceptions of
the possible barriers to securing financial aid. Additionally, future studies could also focus on the
knowledge, motivation and organizational influences of the counselors that work with first-
generation students of color in their first year of college. An evaluation of the counselor s
knowledge, motivation and organizational gaps may pose a threat to meeting organizational
goals. If counselor needs are met, the college could place resources in helping their faculty meet
those needs and serve the students with a higher quality of services. Lastly, other student services
training programs would benefit from the New Kirkpatrick Model of evaluation. The methods
used in this study would be highly beneficial for all community colleges to consider
implementing as they become more reliant on data to receive funding from the state.

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Conclusion
This study was able to provide insight on the knowledge, motivation and organizational
needs of the problem of obtaining financial literacy through a training program. The benefits of
financial literacy can help students to determine whether or not college is an option (Singer,
2016). This evaluation focused on providing evidence-based recommendations using The New
World Kirkpatrick Method (2016) as the framework. The recommendations were discussed for
all the influences and each was analyzed with a recommendation for improvement by the
organization.
The evaluation was meant to provide the New Student Services Office feedback on the
effectiveness of the FAIP. Overall, the results of this evaluation were able to shed light on the
types of behaviors students need in order to become financially literate, and the kinds of methods
and tools the program can use to evaluate their program accurately. The college will be able to
use the implementation recommendations using the summative and formative evaluation tools to
gather their own data and improve the program after each intervention cohort. This evaluation
provides the college with continuous improvement practices that can be used across student
services programs to meet organizational goals.
The conclusion of this evaluation proposes new conclusions about students' responses
and non-responses post-survey after they initially took the intervention. One of the biggest
takeaways is that the organization should revisit and update the systems of communication with
students post-intervention. This study was limited by not having the availability of the data of
the students who had matriculated, dropped out, or unable to answer just based on the
communication approach chosen for this study.

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Appendix A: Evaluation Survey
Start of Block: Default Question Block
Q33 Are you still receiving financial aid your second year of college?
o Yes (1)
o No (2)

Q1 When did you become aware of the availability of financial aid?
o Middle School (1)
o High School (2)
o First-Year of College (3)

Q2 Which of the following correctly defines "financial aid eligibility"?
o Having the appropriate conditions to qualify for financial assistance. (1)
o Not having anything set up for financial assistance. (2)
o Being happy with your financial situation. (3)

Q3 Complete the sentence with the choices below.

Students need to know they must fill out the __________ in order to determine if they are
eligible for financial aid.
o Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (1)
o College Application (2)
o Federal Application for Student Aid (FASA) (3)

Q4 Financial aid can be given to any student that meets the following requirements:

Check all that apply.
▢ Have a social security number (1)
▢ Be enrolled in a minimum number of units. (2)
▢ Have a driver's license number (3)
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▢ Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (4)
▢ Demonstrate financial need (5)
▢ Own a car (6)

Q5 Which of the following types of financial aid do not have to be paid back?
o Grants and Scholarships (1)
o Loans and Scholarships (2)
o Loans and Grants (3)

Q6 To receive financial aid every year students need to:

Choose all that apply.
▢ Renew their FAFSA yearly (1)
▢ Increase their work hours (2)
▢ Maintain a good GPA or Satisfactory Academic Progress (3)
▢ Show up to class on time (4)

Q7 Drag and identify the type of financial aid that needs to be paid back and the types that do not
have to be paid back.
Pay back Do not pay back
______ Federal Pell Grant (1) ______ Federal Pell Grant (1)
______ Cal Grant (2) ______ Cal Grant (2)
______ Los Angeles Promise (3) ______ Los Angeles Promise (3)
______ South Bay Promise (4) ______ South Bay Promise (4)
______ Chafee Grant (5) ______ Chafee Grant (5)
______ Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (6)
______ Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (6)
______ Federal Work-Study (7) ______ Federal Work-Study (7)
______ Direct Subsidized Loan (8) ______ Direct Subsidized Loan (8)
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______ Direct Unsubsidized Loan (9) ______ Direct Unsubsidized Loan (9)
______ Direct Plus Loan (10) ______ Direct Plus Loan (10)

Q8 The information that helped me to understand how to apply for financial aid mostly came
from:
o Immediate family (1)
o The financial aid intervention Program at the FYE office (2)
o Looking online on my own (3)
o My friends (4)
o Other special program at my college (5)
________________________________________________

Q9 Did both of your parents attend and finish college?
o Yes (1)
o No (2)

Q10 Are you likely to continue to attend college give what you now know about financial aid.
o Definitely yes (1)
o Probably yes (2)
o Might or might not (3)
o Probably not (4)
o Definitely not (5)

Q11 The academic expectations of a student that are receiving financial aid are:

Choose all that apply.
▢ Complete or renew FAFSA (1)
▢ Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher (2)
▢ Complete 67%f of your cumulative unites attempted (3)
▢ Taking Math and English your first semester (4)
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▢ Develop or update an education plan every year (5)
▢ Declare a major with Admissions and Records (6)

Q12 What is the FAFSA application deadline?
o January 2nd (1)
o March 2 (2)
o May 3rd (3)
o December 1st (4)

Q13 What expenses does financial aid cover?
▢ Tuition and fees (1)
▢ Room and Board (2)
▢ Books and Supplies (3)
▢ Transportation (4)

Q14 To file the FAFSA application students need to be prepared to do the following:

Choose all that apply.
o Create an account (FSA ID) (1)
o Fil in the FAFSA form at FAFSA.GOV (2)
o Choose the correct year you will be attending college (3)
o Fill out the demographics section (4)
o Report California license number (5)
o List the schools you want to attend (6)
o Dependency status (7)
o Fill out parental demographic information (8)
o Supply financial information (9)
o Sign the FAFSA (10)
o Retrieve Expected Family Contribution (11)

Q15 How have you accessed financial aid information at your institution?
Check all that apply.
▢ Asking the Financial Aid or Academic Counselors (1)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 226

▢ Searching on the FAFSA website for helpful tips to navigate the application (2)
▢ Logging into your school portal to check your financial aid status online (3)
▢ Asking the bursar's office (4)

Q16 How would you seek to find financial aid information?
Check all that apply.
▢ Looking on the FAFSA website for help (1)
▢ Not filling out the FAFSA (2)
▢ Going to the admissions office to ask for financial help (3)
▢ Going to the bank to ask for financial help (4)
▢ Ask a SC Counselor (5)

Q17 I self-evaluate my financial aid choices by...
o Having a deep understanding of what is being expected of me (1)
o Discussing my choices with someone outside of myself (2)
o Thinking about the consequences of my decision in the long term (3)
o All of the above (4)
o I dont self-evaluate my decisions about financial aid (5)

Q18 When I reflect on my experiences with the institutions financial aid support, I…
o Think about how support programs have helped me understand financial aid (1)
o Think about how support programs havent helped me understand financial aid (2)
o I dont reflect on my experiences with financial aid support by my institution (3)

Q21 Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements:

AN EVALUATION STUDY 227

Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Somewhat
disagree
(3)
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
(4)
Somewhat
agree (5)
Agree
(6)
Strongl
y agree
(7)
Financial
aid is
important
for
achieving
my future
goals. (1)
o o o o o o o
Informatio
n on
financial
aid
provided
by my
institution
is
important
to me. (2)
o o o o o o o
Finishing
my college
degree is
important
for
achieving
my future
goals. (3)
o o o o o o o
AN EVALUATION STUDY 228

Completing
the FAIP
program
was an
important
support
that I
needed to
stay in
school. (5)
o o o o o o o

Q20 Using the scale below, rate your confidence in being able to do the following right now with
1 being "Not Confident At ALL" and 10 being "Highly Confident'
Not
Confi
dent at
all (1)
2 (2) 3 (3) 4 (4) 5 (5) 6 (6) 7 (7) 8 (8) 9 (9) Highl
y
Confi
dent
(10)
Complete the
FAFSA
application at
FAFSA.GOV
(1)
o o o o o o o o o o
Supply parental
tax information
and documents
(2)
o o o o o o o o o o
Retrieve your
expected family
contribution
(EFC) number
(3)
o o o o o o o o o o
Navigate your
schools portal
account to check
your financial
aid status (4)
o o o o o o o o o o
AN EVALUATION STUDY 229

Check your
financial aid
eligibility (5)
o o o o o o o o o o
Maintain a 2.0
GPA or better
(6)
o o o o o o o o o o
Decide between
the different
grant and loan
options awarded
(7)
o o o o o o o o o o
Seek help when
needed on the
FAFSA
application (8)
o o o o o o o o o o

Q21 Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements:
After completing the F.A.AS.T. program...
Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Somewhat
disagree
(3)
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
(4)
Somewhat
agree (5)
Agree
(6)
Strongl
y agree
(7)
I feel
positive
about
completing
the FAFSA
application
(1)
o o o o o o o
AN EVALUATION STUDY 230

I feel
positive
about
accepting
my
financial
aid award
(2)
o o o o o o o
I feel
positive
about the
available
institutiona
l support
navigating
financial
aid
assistance
(3)
o o o o o o o
Q22 My ability to secure financial aid was heavily influenced by…

Please check all that apply.
▢ Support from my college administration (1)
▢ Help from my teachers (2)
▢ Help from my counselors (3)
▢ My own efforts (4)

Q23 Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements:
Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Somewhat
disagree
(3)
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
(4)
Somewhat
agree (5)
Agree
(6)
Strongl
y agree
(7)
AN EVALUATION STUDY 231

Even
with
setbacks
it is my
goal to
secure
financial
aid (1)
o o o o o o o
Even if I
make
mistakes,
my goal
is to
finish the
FAFSA
(2)
o o o o o o o

Q24 Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding your school:
Strongly
disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Somewhat
disagree
(3)
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
(4)
Somewhat
agree (5)
Agree
(6)
Strongl
y agree
(7)
I have access
to resources
that can help
me
successfully
complete the
FAFSA on
time (1)
o o o o o o o
AN EVALUATION STUDY 232

The
F.A.A.S.T.
program
helped me to
successfully
complete the
FAFSA on
time (2)
o o o o o o o
I have access
to resources
that can help
me
academically
succeed in
college (3)
o o o o o o o
I have access
to support
programs
that can help
me to
navigate the
financial aid
process (4)
o o o o o o o
I have access
to support
programs
that help me
as a low-
income,
first-
generation,
student of
color (5)
o o o o o o o

Q25 Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding your school:
AN EVALUATION STUDY 233

Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Somewhat
disagree
(3)
Neither
agree
nor
disagree
(4)
Somewhat
agree (5)
Agree
(6)
Strongl
y agree
(7)
The
policies,
processes,
and
procedures
of my
institution
support my
ability to
access
informatio
n about
financial
aid. (1)
o o o o o o o

Q26 Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding your school:
Strongl
y
Disagre
e (1)
Disagre
e (2)
Somewha
t disagree
(3)
Neither
agree
nor
disagre
e (4)
Somewha
t agree
(5)
Agree
(6)
Strongl
y agree
(7)
The culture at my
institution
supports my
educational goals
equitably (1)
o o o o o o o
The culture at my
institution
motivates me to
believe in myself
academically (2)
o o o o o o o
AN EVALUATION STUDY 234

The culture at my
institution
motivates me to
manage my
educational
expectations (3)
o o o o o o o
The culture at my
institution
supports a culture
of success for
students in their
first year of
college (4)
o o o o o o o

Q27 Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding your school:
Strongly
Disagre
e (1)
Disagre
e (2)
Somewha
t disagree
(3)
Neither
agree
nor
disagre
e (4)
Somewha
t agree
(5)
Agree
(6)
Strongl
y agree
(7)
I can access
face-to-face
interactions with
Counselors
easily (1)
o o o o o o o
The culture of
my institution
supports my
ability to pursue
financial aid (2)
o o o o o o o
AN EVALUATION STUDY 235

The culture of
my institution
supports my
academic
achievement (3)
o o o o o o o

End of Block: Default Question Block

AN EVALUATION STUDY 236

Appendix B: Recruitment Email/Letter:
Dear Samaria College Student,
My name is Mariana Alexandra De La Garza Luviano from the University of Southern
California, and I am conducting a research study focusing on the degree to which the First Year
Experience program is providing a meaningful and effective intervention for students to secure
financial aid their second year of college after completing the Financial Aid and Academic
Student Training at Samaria College. You may be eligible to participate in the study if you have
participated in the Financial Aid and Academic Student Training (F.A.A.S.T.), if you may
identify as Hispanic/Latino and if you may identify as a First-generation college student.
Participation is voluntary. If you agree, you will be asked to take a survey and also if available to
participate in a short interview.
The study procedures are anticipated to take no more than 30 minutes to complete.
If you have questions or would like to participate, please fill out the survey below or contact me
directly at madelaga@usc.edu and I can explain further for your consideration.
Thank you,
Mariana Alexandra De La Garza Luviano
Student at the University of Southern California

AN EVALUATION STUDY 237

Appendix C: Evaluation Tool
Level 1 (engagement, relevance, customer satisfaction) and
Level 2 (declarative knowledge, procedural skills, attitude, confidence, commitment).
Immediately Following the Program

Please use the following rating scale for questions 1-7.
0 = Strongly Disagree 10 = Strongly Agree

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Q1 I actively participated in todays workshop discussions.
Q2 The information presented today was easy to understand.
Q3 The presenter was able to give me feedback on my work.
Q4 I feel confident that I will be able to practice what I just learned by myself.
Q5 I understand how to apply what I learned to my financial aid decisions in the future.
Q6 I believe this program is worth my time.
Q7 I feel comfortable engaging in peer discussions during the workshops.
Q8 Please provide any suggestions for change/improvement you may have for the next workshop
this week, or for future workshops.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Q9 How do you plan to apply what you have learned?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

AN EVALUATION STUDY 238

Q10 What additional help would you like in order to be successful?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

AN EVALUATION STUDY 239

Appendix D: Evaluation Tool
Level 1 (engagement, relevance, customer satisfaction).
Level 2 (declarative knowledge, procedural skills, attitude, confidence, commitment).
Level 3 (behavior) and Level 4 (Results)
2 Weeks following the Program

Use the following rating scale to answer questions 1-3.
Not Confident Very Confident
0 1 2 3 4 5
Q1 I feel confident about completing the financial aid application on my own.
Q2 I feel confident about making decisions about my financial aid award.
Q3 I feel confident seeking help using the resources at the college.

Q4 What information from this training has been the most helpful to you while navigating the
financial aid process?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Use the rating scale, circle the rating that best describes your current level of application for each
of the listed behaviors for question 5-7.

1- Little to no application
2- Mild degree of application
3- Moderate degree of application
4- Strong degree of application
5- Very strong degree of application
Q5 I have determined my financial eligibility [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Q6 I have completed the FAFSA during the first year of college [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Q7 I have applied what I learned to my decisions about continuing my education at the college
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
AN EVALUATION STUDY 240

If you circled 4 or below, please indicate the reasons (Check all that apply):
___ I do not have the knowledge and skills.
___ I do not feel confident in my abilities.
___ I feel overwhelmed by the process of financial aid.
___ The training didnt help me to complete my application.
___ Other (please explain): ___________________________________________.

Q8 What do you need to successfully complete the financial aid process on your own next year?
Q9 What resources have you used on your own, or plan on using?
Q10 Describe your overall understanding of financial aid as it relates to your specific needs.

AN EVALUATION STUDY 241

Appendix E: Level 4 Dashboard

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study applies the gap analysis framework (Clark and Estes, 2008) to the evaluation of a financial aid intervention program at an existing community college in California. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree to which the counseling faculty at the New Student Counseling Services Office (NSCSO) provided a meaningful and effective intervention for students to secure financial aid after completing the Financial Aid Intervention Program (FAIP) at Samaria College (a pseudonym

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Asset Metadata

Creator De La Garza Luviano, Mariana Alexandra Piechota (author)

Core Title An evaluation study of the training, orientation, and implementation of a community college new student counseling intervention program: a gap analysis

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 11/01/2020

Defense Date 08/10/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag college attrition,community college,Counseling,evaluation,financial aid,financial aid program,financial literacy,gap analysis,Higher education,Hispanic students,intervention,Knowledge,Latinx students,Learning and Instruction,Motivation,OAI-PMH Harvest,organization,reliability,retention,student services

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Yates, Kenneth (committee chair), Hirabayashi, Kimberly (committee member), Muraszewski, Alison (committee member)

Creator Email MADELAGA@USC.EDU,MDELAGARZALUVIANO@GMAIL.COM

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-389947

Unique identifier UC11665968

Identifier etd-DeLaGarzaL-9097.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-389947 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-DeLaGarzaL-9097.pdf

Dmrecord 389947

Document Type Dissertation

Rights De La Garza Luviano, Mariana Alexandra Piechota

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA