TG sponsored a study that examined obstacles which keep many students from enrolling in college. The study was conducted by the Department of Student Financial Aid at Texas A&M and funded with a grant from TG's Public Benefit Grant Program. In this teleconference, you'll learn about the study and its findings, which could be useful in creating an effective educational awareness campaign.

Researchers gathered data from 1,800 adults in Texas, ages 25 and up, and specifically studied the academic, attitudinal, financial, social, and familial barriers that kept them from enrolling in college.

The study found that what students know about financial aid and how early they know it are strong predictors for college enrollment. Students who lack information about going to college are at an immediate disadvantage. The research also found that financial barriers include the perception that college is not affordable or that funding is not available.

A brief question-and-answer session will follow the telephone conference.

How to register
To register for either teleconference, contact AT&T Teleconferencing using the information provided below.

Date	Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Time	1:30-3:00 p.m. (CST)
Registration	You may register with AT&T via Web: http://www.att-rsvp.com, or by phone (888) 428-4473
Reference confirmation number	#866023

About the presenters

Christopher Teran, a management analyst for the Department of Student Financial Aid at Texas A&M University, serves as the department's primary full-time researcher. A demographer by training, Christopher designs large-scale research projects, consults with general survey design and development, generates data reports, and provides statistical analysis and interpretation for department and university staff. He has worked in a university environment for 10 years, spanning work in residence life, orientation and retention programs, and student financial aid. For this study, Chris served as the principal investigator, in which he designed the survey instrument, analyzed the data, and wrote the detailed summary report.

Jacob Fraire is assistant vice president of TG's educational alliances and partnerships team, which is the community service arm of the corporation. The team oversees TG's partnerships and efforts in pre-collegiate outreach, financial literacy, and college success. The team manages TG's evolving partnership with the Council for the Management of Educational Finance, provides leadership to the Texas Awareness Initiative, coordinates corporate efforts in support of the Texas Closing the Gaps plan, and provides consultative and training services that promote integration of recruitment and retention strategies and the delivery of student financial aid.

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Teleconference Materials

Studies on Barriers to Higher Education
(1.77Mb)

Financial Barriers to Higher Education
(57k)