Part D - References

Appendix D
Letters and Contacting Materials

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Chief Administrator Letter

NPSAS
Endorsed by
American Association of
Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers
American Association of Community
Colleges
American Association of State
Colleges and Universities
American Council on Education
Association for Institutional Research
Association of American Colleges
and Universities
Association of Catholic Colleges and
Universities
Association of Schools of Allied
Health Professions
Career College Association
The Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching
The College Board
Council of Graduate Schools
The Council of Independent Colleges
Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities
Midwestern Higher Education
Compact
National Accrediting Commission of
Cosmetology Arts and Sciences
National Association of College and
University Business Officers
National Association for Equal
Opportunity in Higher Education
National Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities
National Association of State
Universities and
Land-Grant Colleges
National Association of Student
Financial Aid Administrators
New England Board of Higher
Education
Southern Regional Education Board
State Higher Education Executive
Officers
The United Negro College Fund
Western Interstate Commission for
Higher Education

Your IPEDS UNITID:
Your PASSWORD:
Dear :
has been selected to participate in the field test of the 2008
National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08). The Higher Education Act
(Sec. 131 (d) as amended in 1998) mandates that the U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) periodically gather information from
students and institutions on how students and their families finance education beyond
high school.
In response to the continuing need for these data, NPSAS collected information from
students and institutions in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2004. NPSAS:08 is
being conducted for NCES by RTI International, a not-for-profit research
organization. Additional information about our plans for NPSAS:08 is provided in
the enclosed NPSAS brochure.
The purpose of the field test is to evaluate survey instruments and procedures so that
the full-scale study is as effective as possible. Your institution’s participation is
crucial to the success of the field test. Institutions selected for the field test will not be
selected for the full-scale study.
I am writing to request that you appoint a NPSAS coordinator, who will be asked to
send a data file of the students enrolled at your institution. Once a small sample of
students has been selected from your institution, the NPSAS coordinator will be
asked to provide additional information on the enrollment status, the demographic
characteristics, and the financial assistance provided for each sampled student. The
sampled students will also be asked to complete a questionnaire on the Internet.
All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may
be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable
form for any other purpose, unless otherwise compelled by law. The enclosed
brochure details our data collection procedures and provides a full description of the
laws and procedures safeguarding the confidentiality of questionnaire responses,
contact information, and other data collected. Additional information, including
reports based on data from previous NPSAS studies, is available on the NPSAS
website: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool.
We are aware that you and the staff at your institution are confronted with many
competing demands for your time. Therefore, we are providing you—and the
coordinator you designate—with this advance notice of the study to allow you
adequate time to plan for this data collection effort and, if needed, to contact us for
more information prior to the start of student list collection in winter 2007. Once
designated, an RTI representative will contact your coordinator to discuss the study
timeline and the information needed from your institution.

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If you have any questions about the study or procedures involved, please contact the RTI Project
Coordinator, Brian Kuhr, at 1–888-NPSAS411 (1-888-677-2741) or via e-mail at [email protected].
You may also direct questions to NCES by contacting James Griffith at 1–202–502–7387 (e-mail address:
[email protected]) .
At your earliest convenience, please complete the NPSAS Designate a Coordinator form online at the
NPSAS website, using the IPEDS UNITID and password printed on the first page of this letter.
We look forward to your participation in this important study. Thank you for your cooperation and
prompt completion of the NPSAS Designate a Coordinator form.
Sincerely,

Mark Schneider
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics
Enclosures

The NPSAS Designate a Coordinator form may be completed online at
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov//NPSASschool
To access the online form, enter the user name (which is your IPEDS
UNITID) and password printed on the first page of this letter.

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NPSAS
Endorsed by
American Association of
Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers
American Association of Community
Colleges
American Association of State Colleges
and Universities
American Council on Education
Association for Institutional Research
Association of American Colleges and
Universities
Association of Catholic Colleges and
Universities
Association of Schools of Allied Health
Professions
Career College Association
The Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching
The College Board
Council of Graduate Schools
The Council of Independent Colleges
Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities
Midwestern Higher Education Compact
National Accrediting Commission of
Cosmetology Arts and Sciences
National Association of College and
University Business Officers
National Association for Equal
Opportunity in Higher Education
National Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities
National Association of State
Universities and
Land-Grant Colleges
National Association of Student
Financial Aid Administrators

Institution Coordinator Early Contacting Letter

Your IPEDS UNITID:
Your PASSWORD:
Dear
has been selected to participate in the field test of the
2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08). The Higher
Education Act (Sec. 131 (d) as amended in 1998) mandates that the U.S.
Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
periodically gather information from students and institutions on how students and
their families finance education beyond high school.
In response to the continuing need for these data, NPSAS collected information
from students and institutions in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2004.
The purpose of the field test is to evaluate survey forms and procedures so that the
full-scale study is as effective as possible. Your institution’s participation is crucial
to the success of the field test. Institutions selected for the field test will not be
asked to participate in the full-scale study.
Additional information about our plans for NPSAS:08 is provided in the enclosed
brochure and project timeline.
The chief administrative officer of your institution has selected you as your
institution’s coordinator for NPSAS:08. You will have three primary
responsibilities for NPSAS:08:
•

Complete the Institution Registration Page online at the NPSAS website,
within the next few weeks, using the UNITID and password printed at the
top of this letter. We will schedule data collection for your institution
based on the information you provide. (This can also be done by telephone,
if you prefer.)

•

Oversee the preparation of an enrollment list of students at your institution.
These data files will be used to draw a small sample of students from your
institution for participation in NPSAS:08. Sampled students will be asked
to complete a questionnaire on the Internet.

•

Complete a separate web-based program requiring institution record
information on such things as enrollment status, demographic
characteristics, and financial assistance provided for the sampled students.

New England Board of Higher
Education
Southern Regional Education Board
State Higher Education Executive
Officers
The United Negro College Fund
Western Interstate Commission for
Higher Education

Complete instructions for your institution’s participation will be sent directly to
you in advance of your institution’s due date. This date is tailored to your
institution’s term structure. (Your student enrollment list is due 2 weeks after the
start of the last term at your institution that includes April 30, 2007.) In the
meantime, please review the enclosed materials at your earliest convenience.

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We are aware that you and other staff at your institution are confronted with many competing demands
for your time. We hope that giving you this advance notice of the study will provide you with ample time
to plan for your school’s participation in NPSAS:08. A project representative will call you in the next few
days to ensure that you have received this notification and to answer any questions that you may have.
You may also call the NPSAS Help Desk directly at 1–888–NPSAS411(1–888–677–2741).
All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may be used only for
statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose, unless
otherwise compelled by law. The enclosed materials detail our data collection procedures and provide a
detailed description of the laws and procedures safeguarding the confidentiality of questionnaire
responses, contact information, and demographic data collected. Additional information, including reports
based on data from previous NPSAS studies, is available on the NPSAS website:
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool.
RTI International, the contractor for the study, is a not-for-profit research organization based in North
Carolina. If you have questions about the study or procedures, please contact the RTI NPSAS Project
Coordinator, Brian Kuhr, at 1–888–677-2741or via e-mail at [email protected]. You may also direct
questions to NCES by contacting James Griffith at 1–202–502–7387 (e-mail address:
[email protected]).
At your earliest convenience, please complete the Institution Registration Page online at the NPSAS
website, using the IPEDS UNITID and password printed on the first page of this letter.
We look forward to your participation in this important study.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,

Mark Schneider
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics
Enclosures
The NPSAS Coordinator Response Form may be completed online at
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool
To access the online form, enter the IPEDS UNITID and password
printed on the first page of this letter.

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NPSAS:08
Endorsed by
American Association of
Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers
American Association of Community
Colleges
American Association of State
Colleges and Universities
American Council on Education
Association for Institutional Research
Association of American Colleges and
Universities
Association of Catholic Colleges and
Universities
Association of Schools of Allied
Health Professions
Career College Association
The Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching
The College Board
Council of Graduate Schools
The Council of Independent Colleges
Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities
Midwestern Higher Education
Compact
National Accrediting Commission of
Cosmetology Arts and Sciences
National Association of College and
University Business Officers
National Association for Equal
Opportunity in Higher Education
National Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities
National Association of State
Universities and
Land-Grant Colleges
National Association of Student
Financial Aid Administrators
New England Board of Higher
Education
Southern Regional Education Board
State Higher Education Executive
Officers
The United Negro College Fund

Parent Letter1

Dear parent or guardian of ,
I am writing to inform you that your child,, has been selected to participate in an
important study that will help determine how students and their families meet the cost of
education beyond high school. We would like to complete a questionnaire that
will take about 25 minutes to complete and will allow the U.S. Department of Education
to get a national picture of the background of students, their educational costs, amount of
family support, types of financial aid, student loan debt, and earnings from jobs.
Students from all types of institutions and all financial situations have been randomly
selected to participate in the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. Your
child’s responses along with those of other selected students will represent responses of
all students enrolled in postsecondary education. Therefore, your child’s participation in
this study is critical. However, because is less than 18 years old, we need your
permission for to participate.
NCES is authorized by federal law (Public Law 107-279) to conduct NPSAS:08. RTI
International (RTI) is a non-profit research organization in North Carolina that has been
contracted by NCES to collect all data for NPSAS:08. All information collected will be
kept confidential and will be protected to the fullest extent allowable under law. By law,
researchers may use the data for statistical purposes only. Data from student interviews
and student record information (e.g. enrollment characteristics and financial aid data) will
be combined to produce statistical reports for Congress and others. No individual data
(e.g., names or addresses) will be reported.
Participation is voluntary. Even if you consent to your child’s participation in this study,
he or she may still decline to participate, without any penalty to you or your child. Your
child may withdraw from the study at any point. However, we do need your help. Your
child was selected to represent many others. His/her responses are necessary to make the
results of this important study accurate and timely. Your child may refuse to answer any
question that makes him/her feel uncomfortable. While there are neither significant risks
nor direct benefits to your child for participating, the survey may benefit all of the
nation’s students by providing timely data relevant to educational policy making.
We hope that you will allow your child to participate in this important study. If for
any reason you object to your son’s or daughter’s participation, you may simply
deny permission. Please fill out the enclosed form to indicate whether or not you
consent to your child’s participation and return it as soon as possible in the postage
paid envelope provided.

Western Interstate Commission for
Higher Education

1

The parental notification letter and consent form will be sent to parents of students identified as minors. There will be two
separate sheets for the letter and consent form so parents can sign and return the consent form but keep a copy of the notification
letter.

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The enclosed brochure gives more information about the study, including information on the risks and benefits of
participation and the security measures in place to protect your child’s confidentiality. If you have any questions
about NPSAS:08 or your son’s or daughter’s participation in the survey, please call the NPSAS Helpdesk toll-free at
1-877-677-2766. If you have questions about the rights of study participants, you may call RTI’s Office for
Research Protection toll-free at 1-866-214-2043.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this important research.

Sincerely,

Mark Schneider
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics
Enclosures

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Parent Consent Form

The 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08)

Please check the line that indicates your decision about your teenager’s participation in the
NPSAS:08 study and complete the rest of the form.
PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM IN THE POSTAGE PAID ENVELOPE AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
Please check only one:

______
I GIVE PERMISSION for __________________________ to participate in
the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08)
Or
______
I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION for ______________________________to
participate in the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08)
Signature of parent or guardian: __________________________________(Date)
PLEASE PRINT:
Name of Parent or Guardian: _____________________________________________
(___________)____________________
Area code
Telephone number
Student name: _____________________________________________
School Name: _______________________________________

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:
Student ID: ________________________________________________

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NPSAS:08
Endorsed by
American Association of
Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers
American Association of Community
Colleges
American Association of State
Colleges and Universities
American Council on Education
Association for Institutional Research
Association of American Colleges and
Universities
Association of Catholic Colleges and
Universities
Association of Schools of Allied
Health Professions
Career College Association
The Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching
The College Board
Council of Graduate Schools
The Council of Independent Colleges
Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities
Midwestern Higher Education
Compact
National Accrediting Commission of
Cosmetology Arts and Sciences
National Association of College and
University Business Officers
National Association for Equal
Opportunity in Higher Education
National Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities
National Association of State
Universities and
Land-Grant Colleges
National Association of Student
Financial Aid Administrators
New England Board of Higher
Education
Southern Regional Education Board
State Higher Education Executive
Officers
The United Negro College Fund
Western Interstate Commission for
Higher Education

Student Letter

Dear :
I am writing to ask you to participate in an important study that will help determine how
students and their families meet the cost of education beyond high school. For your
participation, I would like for you to complete a questionnaire over the Internet. On
average, the questionnaire takes about 25 minutes to complete.
When you access the questionnaire on the Internet, you will be asked questions about how
you paid for your school expenses during the 2006–2007 school year, including whether
you received financial aid. If you received financial aid, you will be asked whether the
amount of aid was enough to meet your educational expenses. If you did not receive
financial aid, you will be asked about how you met your school expenses.
Students from all types of institutions and all financial situations have been randomly
selected to participate in the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. Your
responses along with those of other selected students will represent responses of all
students enrolled in postsecondary education. Therefore, your participation in this study is
critical.
To complete the questionnaire over the Internet:
Go to: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas,
Type the study ID and password (provided below) on the Home/Login page, and
Press “Enter” or click “Login” to begin the questionnaire.
RTI International (RTI) of North Carolina is conducting the study for the U.S.
Department of Education. To express our appreciation, a check will
be mailed to you, if you complete the questionnaire by If you
are unable to complete the survey by that date, an RTI interviewer will call you to
complete the questionnaire by telephone.
Participation in this study is voluntary and will not affect any aid or any benefits you
receive. The enclosed pamphlet answers many common questions about the study and
contains additional information on laws and procedures that protect the confidentiality of
your responses.
If you have questions about the study, you can visit our website at
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas, you can call us toll-free at 1-877-NPSASNOW (1-877677- 2766), or you can e-mail us at [email protected]. Persons who are hearing or speechimpaired can call us at 1-877-212-7230 (TDD).
We sincerely appreciate your participation and thank you in advance for helping us
conduct this very important study.
Sincerely,

Go to:
Mark Schneider
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics
Enclosures

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https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas
Your study ID:
Your password:

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Institution Brochure

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Student Brochure

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2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
Revised text for Student Brochure
U.S. Department of Education
Institute of Education Sciences

Who is conducting the study?
The 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences. The study is
conducted under contract by RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research organization located in North Carolina.

Who is included in the study?
NPSAS:08 consists of a sample of 120,000 students randomly selected from enrollment lists at about 1,600
institutions in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. You are one of only 3,000 students from 300
schools selected as part of an initial 2007 field test sample. As such, your participation and feedback are particularly
important.

When will the study be conducted?
Institutions were initially contacted beginning in spring 2006 to take part in NPSAS:08. Beginning in spring 2007,
sampled students will be contacted to complete the web-based interview. Students may access the interview on the
web at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas/ or by calling the NPSAS Help Desk at 1-877-NPSAS-NOW (1-877-6772766).

Why should I participate?
Participation in this study is voluntary. Your participation, however, is essential to making this study a success. By
participating, you have the opportunity to help policymakers, researchers, counselors, and others better understand
and meet the financial needs of postsecondary students in the United States and Puerto Rico.

How can I participate?
You may complete the study in one of two ways:
1. Log in to the website at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas/.
Once at the site, from the Home/Login page, enter your study ID and password, which are printed at the
bottom of your NPSAS cover letter. If you need assistance with accessing the questionnaire on the website,
please call the NPSAS Help Desk at 1-877-NPSAS-NOW (1-877-677-2766) or contact us via e-mail at
[email protected].
2. Complete the interview over the phone.
We encourage web completion but, if you prefer, you may complete the questionnaire by telephone with a
professionally trained interviewer from RTI. You may choose to complete the interview when our staff call
or set an appointment for a later date. We will attempt to identify a convenient time to call. Students may email questions to RTI staff at [email protected] or call the NPSAS Help Desk at 1-877-NPSAS-NOW (1-877677-2766) with best times to do the interview.

How long will this take?
On average, you should complete either the self-administered web-based questionnaire or the intervieweradministered telephone interview in about 25 minutes. Web interview time may vary depending on your Internet
connection speed. If you do not have access to a computer with a fast connection, you may prefer to call the Help
Desk to complete the interview by telephone.

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Will my answers be kept confidential?
Interview responses, combined with student record information (e.g. enrollment characteristics and financial aid
data), may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in personally identifiable form for
any other purpose, unless otherwise compelled by law.
The following procedures have been implemented to ensure the confidentiality of your responses:
•

Your answers are secured behind firewalls and are encrypted during Internet transmission using Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. All data entry modules are password protected and require the user to log in
before accessing confidential data.

•

Project staff may be severely fined or imprisoned for disclosure of individual responses.

•

Confidentiality procedures are reviewed and approved by RTI’s Institutional Review Board (Committee for
Protection of Human Subjects).

How can I get a copy of the Results?
Publications from previous studies are currently available from the NCES website at
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/npsas/.
Reports can be downloaded or ordered at no charge.
Current titles of interest include the following:
Student Financing of Undergraduate Education 2003–2004 (NCES 2006-186)
Student Financing of Graduate and First-Professional Education 2003–2004 (NCES 2006-185)

What have we learned from prior NPSAS studies?
The following are estimates based on information from 80,000 undergraduates, 11,000 graduates, and 1,000 firstprofessional students enrolled at approximately 1,400 postsecondary institutions during the 2003–2004 academic
year.
•

Fifty-five percent of undergraduates (about 9.2 million) received some type of financial aid, averaging
$6,265.

•

About two out of five undergraduates (39 percent) received some type of federal aid, averaging $5,230.

•

Average amounts of selected types of aid for undergraduates:

•

Sixty-three percent of all undergraduates enrolled in the 2003–04 academic year received some type of
financial aid (grants, loans, work-study, or other). Those who received aid were awarded an average
amount of $7,300.

•

About one-half (51 percent) of undergraduates received grants and about one-third (35 percent) took out
student loans in 2003–04. Eight percent of all undergraduates received aid through work-study jobs and 7
percent received other types of aid (federal PLUS loans to parents, veterans’ benefits, and job training
funds).

•

The average amount of grant aid received by undergraduates who were awarded grants was $4,000 in
2003–04. Among those who took out student loans, the average amount borrowed for the 2003–04
academic year was $5,800. The average work-study award was $2,000.

•

Three out of four (76 percent) undergraduates who were enrolled full time for the full academic year in
2003–04 received some type of financial aid. The average amount of financial aid received by aided fulltime, full-year undergraduates was $9,900.

•

About one-half of full-time, full-year undergraduates took out student loans and 62 percent received grants
in 2003–04. The average amount borrowed by full-time, full-year undergraduates for the 2003–04
academic year was $6,200. The amount of grant aid received by full-time, full-year undergraduates in
2003–04 was $5,600.

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Why is the study being conducted?
The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) is a large national survey of undergraduate and graduate
students, with a special focus on how they finance their education at different types of institutions. Information is
collected from institutions and students to get a national picture of the background of students, their educational
costs, amount of family support, types of financial aid, student loan debt, and earnings from jobs. The NPSAS
survey results are widely used by researchers to study whether the current financial aid programs are adequate to
meet student needs. These results may also be used by Congress to make changes to the federal student loan and
grant programs.
Students who earn a baccalaureate degree prior to {DATE} will be part of a special follow-up study in subsequent
years. Their experiences after graduation, including further education and early work experience will help us to learn
more about the students who complete their postsecondary education and the factors that influence their success.
If you have additional questions or concerns about the study, please contact the NPSAS Project Director at RTI or
the NCES Project Officer listed on the back of this pamphlet.

Are there any risks or benefits to my participation?
The risk of participation in this study relates to data security and is minimal, given the strict confidentiality and
security procedures in place.
There are also no known benefits to your participation in NPSAS. However, your participation will help ensure the
success of the study and help policy makers better understand and meet the financial needs of postsecondary
students.

Where can I get more information about NPSAS?
If you have questions about your rights as a study participant, please call RTI’s Institutional Review Board at 1-866214-2043 (a toll-free number) or send an e-mail message to [email protected] regarding IRB number 11644.
If you have questions or concerns about the study, contact the following:
Dr. John Riccobono
RTI NPSAS Project Director
1-877-NPSAS-NOW
1-877-677-2766
[email protected]

James Griffith
NCES Project Officer
1-202-502-7387
[email protected]

You may complete your interview or simply learn more about NPSAS by visiting our website at:
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas/.
For more information about NPSAS publications and other educational research, visit the NCES website at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/.
[logo here]
National Center for Education Statistics
U.S. Department of Education
Institute of Education Sciences
November 2006
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 2005. 2003–04 National
Postsecondary Student Aid Study: (NPSAS:04) Student Financial Aid Estimates for 2003-04 (NCES 2005-158).
Washington, DC: 2005.

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HOW TO COMPLETE THE NPSAS:08 QUESTIONNAIRE
To complete the self-directed web questionnaire:
1. Go to: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas
2. At the login and password prompts, enter your study ID and
password.
3. Press “Enter” or click “Login” to begin the questionnaire.
If you need assistance in completing the self-directed web questionnaire or if
you would like to complete the questionnaire over the phone, please call our
Help Desk at 1–877–NPSASNOW (1–877–677–2766) for assistance.
You may complete the NPSAS web questionnaire at any time during the data
collection period. We will also begin making calls asking study participants to
complete the questionnaire over the phone starting on March 4, 2007.

For more information about this study visit the website at
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas

NOTE: The study has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The valid OMB control
number for this information collection is 1850-0666. The expiration date is ?/??/??. Public reporting burden for this
information request in its entirety is estimated at 25 minutes per response. You may send comments regarding this
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden,
to the U.S. Department of Education, Information Management and Compliance Division, Washington, DC 20202–
4651; and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project 1850–0608, Washington, DC
20503.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT REQUEST FOR OMB REVIEW (SF83I)

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