Appendix D - Letters and Contacting Materials

2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12)

Appendix D

LETTERS AND CONTACTING MATERIALS

Submitted by

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

May 12, 2010

Appendix D
Letters and Contacting Materials

Chief Administrative Officer Letter – Field Test D-4

Chief Administrative Officer Letter – Full-scale D-6

NPSAS:12 Brochure Text – Field Test D-8

NPSAS:12 Brochure Text – Full-scale D-16

NPSAS:12 Institution Timeline – Field Test D-24

NPSAS:12 Institution Timeline – Full-scale D-25

Designate a Coordinator Form D-26

First Institutional Coordinator Letter – Field Test D-27

First Institutional Coordinator Letter – Full-scale D-29

Institutional Registration Page (IRP) – Field Test D-31

Institutional Registration Page (IRP) – Full-scale D-33

Second Institutional Coordinator Letter – Field Test D-35

Second Institutional Coordinator Letter – Full-scale D-37

Three mailings are planned for this stage of data collection. The data collection materials contained in this appendix will be distributed into the three mailings as described below.

Chief administrative officer mailing

1. Chief administrative officer letter

2. NPSAS brochure

3. NPSAS:12 institution timeline

4. Designate a Coordinator Form¹

First institutional coordinator mailing

1. First institutional coordinator letter

2. NPSAS brochure

3. NPSAS:12 institution timeline

4. Institutional Registration Page²

Second institutional coordinator mailing

1. Second institutional coordinator letter

2. NPSAS brochure

3. NPSAS:12 institution timeline

4. Institutional Registration Page

Chief Administrative Officer Letter – Field Test

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

September 20, 2010 (Salutation) (FirstName) (LastName) Your IPEDS UNITID: (UnitID) (Title) Your password: (Password) (Institution) (Address) (City), (State) (Zip) Dear (Salutation) (LastName): (Institution) has been selected to participate in the field test of the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12). The 2008 Higher Education Opportunities Act (20 U.S.C. § 1015) mandates that the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) periodically gather information from postsecondary institutions on how students and their families finance postsecondary education. In response to this requirement, NPSAS has collected information from postsecondary students and institutions since 1987. The purpose of the NPSAS field test will be to evaluate survey instruments and procedures so that the full-scale study is as effective as possible. NPSAS:12 is being conducted for NCES by RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization. I am writing to request that you appoint a NPSAS coordinator who will be asked to send a data file of students enrolled at your institution in 2010-2011. RTI will select a small sample of students from your institution, and then it will ask the NPSAS coordinator to provide additional information on the enrollment status, demographic characteristics, and financial assistance provided for each sampled student. At the same time, the sampled students will be asked to complete a web-based questionnaire. 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. The enclosed brochure describes our data collection procedures and provides a summary description of the laws and procedures safeguarding the confidentiality of questionnaire responses, contact information, and other data collected. 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573). 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 2011. Once designated, an RTI representative will contact your coordinator to discuss the study timeline and the information needed from your institution.

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 Tracy Hunt-White, Ph.D. at 1–202–502–7438 (e-mail address: [email protected]).

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,

Stuart Kerachsky, Ph.D.

Deputy Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

Chief Administrative Officer Letter – Full-scale

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

September 14, 2011 (Salutation) (FirstName) (LastName) Your IPEDS UNITID: (UnitID) (Title) Your password: (Password) (Institution) (Address) (City), (State) (Zip) Dear (Salutation) (LastName): (Institution) has been selected to participate in the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12). The 2008 Higher Education Opportunities Act (20 U.S.C. § 1015) mandates that the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) periodically gather information from postsecondary institutions on how students and their families finance postsecondary education. In response to this requirement, NPSAS has collected information from postsecondary students and institutions since 1987. I am writing to request that you appoint a NPSAS coordinator who will be asked to send a data file of students enrolled at your institution in 2011-2012. RTI will select a sample of students from your institution, and then it will ask the NPSAS coordinator to provide additional information on the enrollment status, demographic characteristics, and financial assistance provided for each sampled student. At the same time, the sampled students will be asked to complete a web-based questionnaire. 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. The enclosed brochure describes our data collection procedures and provides a summary description of the laws and procedures safeguarding the confidentiality of questionnaire responses, contact information, and other data collected. 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573). 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 2012. Once designated, an RTI representative will contact your coordinator to discuss the study timeline and the information needed from your institution.

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 Tracy Hunt-White, Ph.D. at 1–202–502–7438 (e-mail address: [email protected]).

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,

Stuart Kerachsky, Ph.D.

Deputy Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

NPSAS:12 Brochure Text – Field Test

COVER:

2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

Field Test

NPSAS

2011-12

The affordability of education after high school is a vital concern for students and their families. That is why the information gathered by the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12) is so important. This year’s study explores how families with varying resources are able to pay for postsecondary education and provides comprehensive data on the enrollment status, education goals, employment, and demographic characteristics of students continuing their education after high school.

Information Collected and Research Topics Covered

National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)

NPSAS data provide information on the cost of postsecondary education, the distribution of financial aid, and the characteristics of both aided and non-aided students and their families. Some of the basic research topics that are explored using the data include

• demographic characteristics (age, race-ethnicity, family income) of students attending different types of institutions by full-time and part-time enrollment status;

• percentage of students who receive different types of financial aid (grants, loans, work-study) and the average amounts received, by type of institution attended and student characteristics;

• sources (federal, state, institutional, private) of the grants and loans received by different types of students at different types of institutions;

• distribution of need-based and merit-based grants and scholarships by family income;

• ratio of grant to loan amounts in student financial aid packages; and

• average amounts of grants and loans received in relation to the average tuition and fees charged, and the average cost of attendance (student budgets).

Additionally, the NPSAS student interviews collect information that is generally not available from any other source at the national level, including data on:

• private (alternative) loan amounts;

• cumulative student loan debt amounts at each class level;

• student views of borrowing and debt;

• employer tuition reimbursement amounts;

• average earnings and hours per week that students work while they are enrolled;

• use of credit cards to pay for education expenses;

• types of parental financial support received, including help with credit card and student loan debt;

• parental education levels;

• family income of students who do not apply for financial aid;

• primary language spoken in the home and family immigration status;

• student degree goals and purpose for enrolling; and

• student persistence in and completion of postsecondary education

How Will the Study Be Conducted?

The NPSAS:12 field test will sample about 300 institutions that will be asked to provide lists of enrolled students. Over 4,500 postsecondary students will be randomly selected from these lists.

The study will consist of the following stages:

FALL 2010

• Beginning in September 2010, the chief administrative officer (CAO) at each institution will be asked to designate a NPSAS institutional coordinator to work with RTI.

• Beginning in October 2010, RTI will contact the institutional coordinator to clarify the tasks, timeline, and responsibilities. The coordinator will be asked to complete a brief registration page at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool/ that identifies the 2010–2011 terms and types of awards granted by the institution.

WINTER 2011

• Beginning in January 2011, the institutional coordinator for each of the approximately 300 institutions participating in the NPSAS:12 field test will supply RTI with a list of students enrolled at the institution. The list will include contact and basic demographic information for students enrolled at the institution during any term that includes July 1, 2010, through April 30, 2011.

• Beginning in mid-February 2011, RTI will select samples of students on a flow basis from each enrollment list received.

SPRING 2011

• Beginning in March 2011 and continuing through the spring term, the institutional coordinator or other designated staff will provide student record information (for example, enrollment status, major, aid package received) for only those students sampled at the institution through a web-based computer-assisted data entry (webCADE) instrument, or by uploading an electronic data file to the secure NPSAS website. RTI field staff will be available to assist with the student record abstraction phase.

• Beginning in March 2011 and continuing through the spring term, sampled students will complete a web-based or telephone interview.

Web-based data entry and file upload applications have been developed to facilitate participation and to minimize the burden on institutional staff in providing the data. The software is user friendly and efficient.

Confidentiality of Data

The 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study is conducted under the authority of the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) of 2008 (20 U.S.C. § 1015) and the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA) of 2002 (20 U.S.C. § 9512) which authorizes NCES to collect and disseminate information about education in the United States. Collection is most often done through surveys.

NCES is required to follow strict procedures to protect the confidentiality of persons in the collection, reporting, and publication of data. All individually identifiable information supplied by individuals or institutions to a federal agency 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573).

Authority to Collect Data Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232g) allows for the release of institutional record information to the Secretary of Education or his agent without prior consent of survey members [20 U.S.C. 1232g(b)(3)]. RTI International, as the contractor for NCES, has been given the authority to collect information from institutional records under the provisions of HEOA.

Protection of electronic files
All electronic files from institution records and student interviews will be carefully protected. Computer accounts used to access data will be password protected with multilevel access controls to ensure that only those individuals with a need to access confidential information are allowed access to it. For the web-based data collection, proven methods of protection for online sessions and data security over the Internet will be used. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol will be used to encrypt the data over the Internet. All of the data entry modules on this site will be password protected, which will require the user to log in to the site before accessing confidential data. The system will automatically log the user out after 30 minutes of inactivity on the session, which will prevent unauthorized user access to the site.

Protection of paper records
All paper records will be maintained in locked storage cabinets. A unique study identification variable (not the Social Security Number or school ID) will be created and maintained for each survey participant to protect against disclosure of confidential data.

Preparation of data for public release
All data released to the general public (for example, statistical tables) will be designed so that it will not be possible to identify specific individuals.

Penalties for Disclosure of confidential Data
All personnel with access to individual data will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement and an affidavit of nondisclosure. Anyone who violates the confidentiality provisions of the act when using the data shall be found guilty of a Class E felony and can be imprisoned up to 5 years, and/or fined up to $250,000.

Endorsements

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

About the Study

The 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12)

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, is authorized by federal law to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of education in America and other nations. As part of its mandate, NCES periodically conducts the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)—a comprehensive study to find out how students pay for their education beyond high school. Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students—including those who receive aid and those who do not—participate in NPSAS.

NPSAS is the only comprehensive, nationally representative survey of student financial aid. No other single national database contains student-level records for students receiving aid from the numerous and disparate programs funded by the federal government, the states, postsecondary institutions, employers, and private organizations. The purpose of NPSAS is to compile a comprehensive research dataset containing information about all of these programs, together with demographic and enrollment data. In addition, NPSAS provides vital information about the affordability of postsecondary education and the effectiveness of existing financial aid programs that will inform public policy at all levels. NPSAS not only includes students enrolled at public and private not-for-profit, 2- and 4-year postsecondary institutions, it also includes those postsecondary institutions that are less-than-2-year and are private for-profit.

The NPSAS survey is the primary source of data used by the agencies of the federal government and the higher education associations to analyze the effectiveness of current federal student financial aid programs and to estimate the cost and impact of proposed changes in federal legislation.

Because NPSAS provides the only national student-level database, it is one of the most important sources used by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the U.S. Department of Education, the American Council on Education (ACE), The College Board, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and many others to prepare the reports that influence the direction of federal student aid policies.

The purpose of the NPSAS:12 field test is to evaluate survey instruments and procedures so that the full-scale study will be as effective as possible. Your institution’s participation is crucial to the success of the field test.

NPSAS is the primary source of data that has been used to identify problems and propose changes in the Federal Pell Grant Program, the Federal Stafford Student Loan Programs, the Federal Education Tax Credits, and the Federal Need Analysis

Association for Institutional Research

2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

( The 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study Field Test

NPSAS:12

For more information about NPSAS:12, please contact members of the project team at this number:

1-888-NPSAS411 (1-888-677-2741)

RTI International*

Brian Kuhr

Project Coordinator

[email protected]

Dr. John Riccobono

Project Director NPSAS

[email protected]

1-888-NPSAS411 (1-888-677-2741)

National Center for Education Statistics

Dr. Tracy Hunt-White

NCES Project Officer, NPSAS

[email protected]

(202) 502-7438

Sponsored by

(nces logo)

U.S. Department of Education

National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC

http://nces.ed.gov

September 2010

* RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute

NPSAS:12 Brochure Text – Full-scale

COVER:

2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

NPSAS

2011-12

The affordability of education after high school is a vital concern for students and their families. That is why the information gathered by the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12) is so important. This year’s study explores how families with varying resources are able to pay for postsecondary education and provides comprehensive data on the enrollment status, education goals, employment, and demographic characteristics of students continuing their education after high school.

Information Collected and Research Topics Covered

National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)

NPSAS data provide information on the cost of postsecondary education, the distribution of financial aid, and the characteristics of both aided and non-aided students and their families. Some of the basic research topics that are explored using the data include

• demographic characteristics (age, race-ethnicity, family income) of students attending different types of institutions by full-time and part-time enrollment status;

• percentage of students who receive different types of financial aid (grants, loans, work-study) and the average amounts received, by type of institution attended and student characteristics;

• sources (federal, state, institutional, private) of the grants and loans received by different types of students at different types of institutions;

• distribution of need-based and merit-based grants and scholarships by family income;

• ratio of grant to loan amounts in student financial aid packages; and

• average amounts of grants and loans received in relation to the average tuition and fees charged, and the average cost of attendance (student budgets).

Additionally, the NPSAS student interviews collect information that is generally not available from any other source at the national level, including data on:

• private (alternative) loan amounts;

• cumulative student loan debt amounts at each class level;

• student views of borrowing and debt;

• employer tuition reimbursement amounts;

• average earnings and hours per week that students work while they are enrolled;

• use of credit cards to pay for education expenses;

• types of parental financial support received, including help with credit card and student loan debt;

• parental education levels;

• family income of students who do not apply for financial aid;

• primary language spoken in the home and family immigration status;

• student degree goals and purpose for enrolling; and

• student persistence in and completion of postsecondary education

How Will the Study Be Conducted?

NPSAS:12 will sample about 1,700 institutions that will be asked to provide lists of enrolled students. About 120,000 postsecondary students will be randomly selected from these lists.

The study will consist of the following stages:

FALL 2011

• Beginning in September 2011, the chief administrative officer (CAO) at each institution will be asked to designate a NPSAS:12 institutional coordinator to work with RTI.

• Beginning in October 2011, RTI will contact the institutional coordinator to clarify the tasks, timeline, and responsibilities. The coordinator will be asked to complete a brief registration page at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool/ that identifies the 2011–2012 terms and types of awards granted by the institution.

WINTER 2012

• Beginning in January 2012, the institutional coordinator for each of the approximately 1,700 institutions participating in NPSAS:12 will supply RTI with a list of students enrolled at the institution. The list will include contact and basic demographic information for students enrolled at the institution during any term that includes July 1, 2011, through April 30, 2012.

• Beginning in mid-February 2012, RTI will select samples of students on a flow basis from each enrollment list received.

SPRING 2012

• Beginning in February 2012 and continuing through the spring term, the institutional coordinator or other designated staff will provide student record information (for example, enrollment status, major, aid package received) for only those students sampled at the institution through a web-based computer-assisted data entry (webCADE) instrument, or by uploading an electronic data file to the secure NPSAS website. RTI field staff will be available to assist with the student record abstraction phase.

• Beginning in February 2012 and continuing through the spring term, sampled students will complete a web-based or telephone interview.

Web-based data entry and file upload applications have been developed to facilitate participation and to minimize the burden on institutional staff in providing the data. The software is user friendly and efficient.

Confidentiality of Data

The 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study is conducted under the authority of the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) of 2008 (20 U.S.C. § 1015) and the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA) of 2002 (20 U.S.C. § 9512) which authorizes NCES to collect and disseminate information about education in the United States. Collection is most often done through surveys.

NCES is required to follow strict procedures to protect the confidentiality of persons in the collection, reporting, and publication of data. All individually identifiable information supplied by individuals or institutions to a federal agency 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573).

Authority to Collect Data Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232g) allows for the release of institutional record information to the Secretary of Education or his agent without prior consent of survey members [20 U.S.C. 1232g(b)(3)]. RTI International, as the contractor for NCES, has been given the authority to collect information from institutional records under the provisions of HEOA.

Protection of electronic files
All electronic files from institution records and student interviews will be carefully protected. Computer accounts used to access data will be password protected with multilevel access controls to ensure that only those individuals with a need to access confidential information are allowed access to it. For the web-based data collection, proven methods of protection for online sessions and data security over the Internet will be used. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol will be used to encrypt the data over the Internet. All of the data entry modules on this site will be password protected, which will require the user to log in to the site before accessing confidential data. The system will automatically log the user out after 30 minutes of inactivity on the session, which will prevent unauthorized user access to the site.

Protection of paper records
All paper records will be maintained in locked storage cabinets. A unique study identification variable (not the Social Security Number or school ID) will be created and maintained for each survey participant to protect against disclosure of confidential data.

Preparation of data for public release
All data released to the general public (for example, statistical tables) will be designed so that it will not be possible to identify specific individuals.

Penalties for Disclosure of confidential Data
All personnel with access to individual data will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement and an affidavit of nondisclosure. Anyone who violates the confidentiality provisions of the act when using the data shall be found guilty of a Class E felony and can be imprisoned up to 5 years, and/or fined up to $250,000.

Endorsements

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

About the Study

The 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12)

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, is authorized by federal law to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of education in America and other nations. As part of its mandate, NCES periodically conducts the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)—a comprehensive study to find out how students pay for their education beyond high school. Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students—including those who receive aid and those who do not—participate in NPSAS.

NPSAS is the only comprehensive, nationally representative survey of student financial aid. No other single national database contains student-level records for students receiving aid from the numerous and disparate programs funded by the federal government, the states, postsecondary institutions, employers, and private organizations. The purpose of NPSAS is to compile a comprehensive research dataset containing information about all of these programs, together with demographic and enrollment data. In addition, NPSAS provides vital information about the affordability of postsecondary education and the effectiveness of existing financial aid programs that will inform public policy at all levels. NPSAS not only includes students enrolled at public and private not-for-profit, 2- and 4-year postsecondary institutions, it also includes those postsecondary institutions that are less-than-2-year and are private for-profit.

The NPSAS survey is the primary source of data used by the agencies of the federal government and the higher education associations to analyze the effectiveness of current federal student financial aid programs and to estimate the cost and impact of proposed changes in federal legislation.

Because NPSAS provides the only national student-level database, it is one of the most important sources used by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the U.S. Department of Education, the American Council on Education (ACE), The College Board, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and many others to prepare the reports that influence the direction of federal student aid policies.

NPSAS is the primary source of data that has been used to identify problems and propose changes in the Federal Pell Grant Program, the Federal Stafford Student Loan Programs, the Federal Education Tax Credits, and the Federal Need Analysis.

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

College Fund

2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

( The 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

NPSAS:12

For more information about NPSAS:12, please contact members of the project team at this number:

1-888-NPSAS411 (1-888-677-2741)

RTI International*

Brian Kuhr

Project Coordinator

[email protected]

Dr. John Riccobono

Project Director NPSAS

[email protected]

1-888-NPSAS411 (1-888-677-2741)

National Center for Education Statistics

Dr. Tracy Hunt-White

NCES Project Officer, NPSAS

[email protected]

(202) 502-7438

Sponsored by

(nces logo)

U.S. Department of Education

National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC

http://nces.ed.gov

September 2011

* RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute

NPSAS:12 Institution Timeline – Field Test

NPSAS:12 Institution Timeline – Full-scale

Designate a Coordinator Form

First Institutional Coordinator Letter – Field Test

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

November 15, 2010 (Salutation) (FirstName) (LastName) Your IPEDS UNITID: (UnitID) (Title) Your password: (Password) (Institution) (Address) (City), (State) (Zip) Dear (Salutation) (LastName): (Institution) has been selected to participate in the field test of the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12). The 2008 Higher Education Opportunities Act (20 U.S.C. § 1015) mandates that the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) periodically gather information from postsecondary institutions on how students and their families finance education beyond high school. In response to the continuing need for these data, NPSAS has collected information from both postsecondary students and institutions since 1987. NPSAS:12 is being conducted for NCES by RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization. The chief administrative officer of your institution has selected you as your institution’s coordinator for NPSAS:12. As such, you will have three primary responsibilities: 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 a list of students enrolled at your institution. The list will be used to draw a small sample of students from your institution for participation in the NPSAS:12 field test. Sampled students will be asked to complete a questionnaire on the Internet. Complete a separate web-based program (or prepare a data file) providing institution record information on such things as enrollment status, demographic characteristics, and financial assistance provided for the sampled students. At your earliest convenience, please complete the Institution Registration Page online at the NPSAS web site, using the IPEDS UNITID and password printed on the first page of this letter. Complete instructions for your institution’s participation will be sent directly to you in advance of your institution’s due date. That date will be tailored to your institution’s term structure. (Your student enrollment list is due two weeks after the start of the last term at your institution that includes April 30, 2011.)

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:12. 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).

The enclosed brochure and project timeline 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. 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573).

Additional information, including reports based on data from previous NPSAS studies, is available on the NPSAS website: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool.

If you have questions about the study or procedures, please contact the RTI NPSAS Project Coordinator, Brian Kuhr, at 1–888–677-2741 or via e-mail at [email protected]. You may also direct questions to NCES by contacting Tracy Hunt-White, Ph.D. at 1–202–502–7438 ([email protected]).

We look forward to your participation in this important study.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Stuart Kerachsky, Ph.D.

Deputy Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

First Institutional Coordinator Letter – Full-scale

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

November 15, 2011 (Salutation) (FirstName) (LastName) Your IPEDS UNITID: (UnitID) (Title) Your password: (Password) (Institution) (Address) (City), (State) (Zip) Dear (Salutation) (LastName): (Institution) has been selected to participate in the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12). The 2008 Higher Education Opportunities Act (20 U.S.C. § 1015) mandates that the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) periodically gather information from postsecondary institutions on how students and their families finance education beyond high school. In response to the continuing need for these data, NPSAS has collected information from both postsecondary students and institutions since 1987. NPSAS:12 is being conducted for NCES by RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization. The chief administrative officer of your institution has selected you as your institution’s coordinator for NPSAS:12. As such, you will have three primary responsibilities: 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 a list of students enrolled at your institution. The list will be used to draw a sample of students from your institution for participation in NPSAS:12. Sampled students will be asked to complete a questionnaire on the Internet. Complete a separate web-based program (or prepare a data file) providing institution record information on such things as enrollment status, demographic characteristics, and financial assistance provided for the sampled students. At your earliest convenience, please complete the Institution Registration Page online at the NPSAS web site, using the IPEDS UNITID and password printed on the first page of this letter. Complete instructions for your institution’s participation will be sent directly to you in advance of your institution’s due date. That date will be tailored to your institution’s term structure. (Your student enrollment list is due two weeks after the start of the last term at your institution that includes April 30, 2012.)

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:12. 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).

The enclosed brochure and project timeline 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. 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573).

Additional information, including reports based on data from previous NPSAS studies, is available on the NPSAS website: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool.

If you have questions about the study or procedures, please contact the RTI NPSAS Project Coordinator, Brian Kuhr, at 1–888–677-2741 or via e-mail at [email protected]. You may also direct questions to NCES by contacting Tracy Hunt-White, Ph.D. at 1–202–502–7438 ([email protected]).

We look forward to your participation in this important study.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Stuart Kerachsky, Ph.D.

Deputy Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

Institutional Registration Page (IRP) – Field Test

The 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

(NPSAS:12)

Institution Registration Page

NCES is required to follow strict procedures to protect the confidentiality of persons in the collection, reporting, and publication of data. All individually identifiable information supplied by individuals or institutions to a federal agency 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573).

1. Please enter the start and end dates for the term/enrollment period (sometimes referred to as payment period) that includes April 30, 2011. If your institution has multiple terms (including summer sessions and short sessions of over a month) that include April 30, 2011, please enter the one that begins the latest.

Start date:

Month	Day	Year

End date:

Check here if your institution has continuous/open enrollment.

Continue

Back

2. You will be asked to provide a list of all students enrolled at your institution. The table below depicts the data elements to be included on the list for each student. For more information on Student Data elements, please refer to the Student List File Specifications in the Student List Preparation Instructions (PDF).

When will you be able to provide the list of all students enrolled?

1. Within two weeks after the beginning of the last term which includes the date April 30, 2011.

2. After this date. (A project staff member will call to establish a specific date.)

Student Data Element
First name	Is the student a first-time beginner? (i.e., entering postsecondary education for the first time) (yes/no)	Local Telephone Number
Middle name	Students major for degree program	Campus e-mail
Last name	Student’s classification of Instructional Program (CIP) for degree program.	Permanent Address 1
Name Suffix (e.g., Jr., Sr., III, etc.)	Veteran status	Permanent Address 2
Student ID	Have you received an ISIR for the student from CPS? (yes/no)	Permanent City
Social Security Number	Local Address 1	Permanent State
Date of birth	Local Address 2	Permanent country (if not U.S.)
Education level	Local City	Permanent ZIP Code
Class level of Undergraduates	Local State	Permanent Telephone Number
High School Graduation Date (month, year)	Local ZIP Code	Permanent e-mail

Continue

Back

3. When RTI receives your list of enrolled students, a random sample will be selected. During the final stage of the study, you will be asked to provide specific data from sampled students’ records pertaining to enrollment and financial aid status. An Internet application has been developed to assist in your completing this student record abstraction. It will be available on the study web site once the sample has been selected.

Submit

Back

Institutional Registration Page (IRP) – Full-scale

The 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

(NPSAS:12)

NCES is required to follow strict procedures to protect the confidentiality of persons in the collection, reporting, and publication of data. All individually identifiable information supplied by individuals or institutions to a federal agency 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573).

1. Please enter the start and end dates for the term/enrollment period (sometimes referred to as payment period) that includes April 30, 2012. If your institution has multiple terms (including summer sessions and short sessions of over a month) that include April 30, 2012, please enter the one that begins the latest.

Start date:

Month	Day	Year

End date:

Check here if your institution has continuous/open enrollment.

Continue

Back

2. You will be asked to provide a list of all students enrolled at your institution. The table below depicts the data elements to be included on the list for each student. For more information on Student Data elements, please refer to the Student List File Specifications in the Student List Preparation Instructions (PDF).

When will you be able to provide the list of all students enrolled?

1. Within two weeks after the beginning of the last term which includes the date April 30, 2012.

2. After this date. (A project staff member will call to establish a specific date.)

Student Data Element
First name	Is the student a first-time beginner? (i.e., entering postsecondary education for the first time) (yes/no)	Local Telephone Number
Middle name	Students major for degree program	Campus e-mail
Last name	Student’s classification of Instructional Program (CIP) for degree program.	Permanent Address 1
Name Suffix (e.g., Jr., Sr., III, etc.)	Veteran status	Permanent Address 2
Student ID	Have you received an ISIR for the student from CPS? (yes/no)	Permanent City
Social Security Number	Local Address 1	Permanent State
Date of birth	Local Address 2	Permanent country (if not U.S.)
Education level	Local City	Permanent ZIP Code
Class level of Undergraduates	Local State	Permanent Telephone Number
High School Graduation Date (month, year)	Local ZIP Code	Permanent e-mail

Continue

Back

3. When RTI receives your list of enrolled students, a random sample will be selected. During the final stage of the study, you will be asked to provide specific data from sampled students’ records pertaining to enrollment and financial aid status. An Internet application has been developed to assist in your completing this student record abstraction. It will be available on the study web site once the sample has been selected.

Submit

Back

Second Institutional Coordinator Letter – Field Test

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

December 5, 2010 (Salutation) (FirstName) (LastName) Your IPEDS UNITID: (UnitID) (Title) Your password: (Password) (Institution) (Address) (City), (State) (Zip) Student Enrollment List Due: (Date) Dear (Salutation) (LastName), We are pleased that (Institution) has agreed to participate in the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12) field test, which is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education. As described in our earlier letter to you, NCES is mandated by Congress to conduct this important study on how students and their families finance education after high school. This study is being conducted for NCES by RTI International. As you know, you have been designated as your institution’s coordinator for NPSAS:12. We look forward to working with you on this important research effort, and are available to answer any questions you may have. As the Institution Coordinator, you are asked to oversee completion of the following tasks: Complete the Institution Registration Page online at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool, using the UNITID and password printed at the top of this letter. If you have not completed the Institution Registration Page, please do so as soon as possible. Where possible, term information and grant/scholarship information entered previously for the 2007/2008 cycle of the study and/or available from publicly available sources has been pre-loaded for your convenience. This information simply needs to be updated, amended, or corrected to reflect the current 2010/2011 academic year. Oversee the preparation of a list of students enrolled at your institution. This list will be used to draw a small sample of students from your institution for participation in the NPSAS:12 field test. Beginning in the spring of 2011, sampled students will be asked to complete a questionnaire via the Internet. Complete a separate web-based program (or prepare a data file) providing institution record information on such things as enrollment status, demographic characteristics, and financial assistance provided for the sampled students. The initial due date for providing your student enrollment list is (Date). (Your deadline date is tailored to your institution’s term structure.) Complete specifications for compiling this list and uploading it to the secure website are provided online, at the NPSAS school website.

If you are unable to meet your institution’s deadline, or have any questions about the information requested for the student list, please contact the NPSAS Help Desk at 1-888-677-2741. The NPSAS website at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool provides complete instructions for participation, including a summary 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 also available on the NPSAS website. Be assured that 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573).

If you have questions about the study or procedures, you may also contact Brian Kuhr, the RTI Project Coordinator at 1–888–677-2741 or via e-mail at [email protected]. You may also direct questions to NCES by contacting Tracy Hunt-White, Ph.D. at 1–202–502–7438([email protected])

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

John Riccobono, Ph.D.

Project Director, NPSAS

RTI International

Second Institutional Coordinator Letter – Full-scale

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

December 6, 2011 (Salutation) (FirstName) (LastName) Your IPEDS UNITID: (UnitID) (Title) Your password: (Password) (Institution) (Address) (City), (State) (Zip) Student Enrollment List Due: (Date) Dear (Salutation) (LastName), We are pleased that (Institution) has agreed to participate in the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12), which is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education. As described in our earlier letter to you, NCES is mandated by Congress to conduct this important study on how students and their families finance education after high school. This study is being conducted for NCES by RTI International. As you know, you have been designated as your institution’s coordinator for NPSAS:12. We look forward to working with you on this important research effort, and are available to answer any questions you may have. As the Institution Coordinator, you are asked to oversee completion of the following tasks: Complete the Institution Registration Page online at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool, using the UNITID and password printed at the top of this letter. If you have not completed the Institution Registration Page, please do so as soon as possible. Where possible, term information and grant/scholarship information entered previously for the 2007/2008 cycle of the study and/or available from publicly available sources has been pre-loaded for your convenience. This information simply needs to be updated, amended, or corrected to reflect the current 2011/2012 academic year. Oversee the preparation of a list of students enrolled at your institution. This list will be used to draw a sample of students from your institution for participation in NPSAS:12. Beginning in the spring of 2012, sampled students will be asked to complete a questionnaire via the Internet. Complete a separate web-based program (or prepare a data file) providing institution record information on such things as enrollment status, demographic characteristics, and financial assistance provided for the sampled students. The initial due date for providing your student enrollment list is (Date). (Your deadline date is tailored to your institution’s term structure.) Complete specifications for compiling this list and uploading it to the secure website are provided online, at the NPSAS school website.

If you are unable to meet your institution’s deadline, or have any questions about the information requested for the student list, please contact the NPSAS Help Desk at 1-888-677-2741. The NPSAS website at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool provides complete instructions for participation, including a summary 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 also available on the NPSAS website. Be assured that 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 (20 U.S.C. § 9573).

If you have questions about the study or procedures, you may also contact Brian Kuhr, the RTI Project Coordinator at 1–888–677-2741 or via e-mail at [email protected]. You may also direct questions to NCES by contacting Tracy Hunt-White, Ph.D. at 1–202–502–7438([email protected])

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

John Riccobono, Ph.D.

Project Director, NPSAS

RTI International

1 The Designate a Coordinator Form will not be sent to chief administrators in their initial mailing, but they will be asked in this mailing to go online to complete this web form.

2 The Institutional Registration Page (IRP) will not be sent to institutional contactors in their first or second mailing, but they will be asked in their mailings to go online to complete this short online questionnaire.