Attachment A - Revisions

Attachment A: Revisions to the HSLS:09 Second Follow-up Field Test Interview

Required for proper operation of the survey
OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
General	Across questions	Reorder questions	Dependencies of the question required reorganization in some instances.
B10	Are you still attending institution? (yes/no)	Split 'yes' response option to 'yes, currently taking classes' and 'yes, but currently on a school-scheduled break'; Remove instructions in parentheses in the question wording.	Allows for question wording in the interview to be in the correct verb tense. This approach also allows for the removal of the lengthy instructions on screen.
After B19 (A – D)	Not applicable	Include: Are you currently enrolled in this [bachelor’s degree/associate’s degree/certificate] program at [postsecondary institution]? 1=Yes, currently taking classes 2=Yes, but currently on a school-scheduled break 0=No	Needed to customize verb tenses for following questions.
After B23 (A – C)	Not applicable	Include: For [institution name] you have already told us about your: [program list] Did you enroll in any[ other] program[ or take classes] at [institution name] before your [bachelor's degree program/associate's degree program/certificate/classes? [Changes in major or field of study at [institution name] for the [bachelor's degree/associate's degree/certificate] you just told us about do not count as additional enrollment.]	Required to determine if there is another program the respondent enrolled in at the institution. A 'yes' response initiates another iteration of the program loop.
After B23 (D)	Not applicable	Include: So far you have told us about your enrollment at: [institution list] Have you attended any other colleges since you [received your high school diploma/received your GED, HiSET, TASC or other equivalency/received your certificate of attendance or completion/last attended high school]?	Needed to determine if there is another institution the respondent has attended. A 'yes' response initiates another iteration of the school loop.
Before B70 (A)	Not applicable	Include: Besides [major or field of study most seriously considered/major for degree or certificate earned], did you have another major or field of study for your [bachelor's degree/associate's degree/certificate/degree or certificate][from [institution]]?	Needed to determine if there is another major for the completed degree or certificate.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B76	Parents expectations for degree completion	Add a "Parents or guardians are deceased" option	This is the first time some respondents will be asked about their parents. We will routed respondents whose parents are deceased out of later questions regarding their parents.
After C18	After C18	Include: So far you have told us about [this/these] jobs: [job list] Besides [this job/these jobs], have you had any other jobs for pay between [date last attended high school] and [current month]? (Include paid internships, apprenticeships, co-op and work-study jobs as well as self-employment. Count promotions within the same job as one job.)	Needed to determine if there is another institution the respondent has attended. A 'yes' response initiates another iteration of the job loop.
Required to improve clarity and to minimize nonresponse
OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
General	Across questions	Revise time period references in questions (e.g., Before April 2015, did you…); Re-anchor survey to current month	Concerned about respondents' ability to recall accurately, especially in the full scale when interviews will be conducted through December
General	Across questions	Align similar response scales (e.g., 4 point Agree -Disagree, 5 point Agree -Disagree) across questions for consistency	Improve telephone interview respondents' ability to remember response options across questions
General	Across questions	Replace references to "postsecondary institutions" with "colleges"	BPS:14 instrumentation team reported that "postsecondary institutions" is a confusing phrase to many respondents.
General	Across questions	Add past tense, present tense or future tense when needed and not accounted for in the question wording	Needed for questions to make sense
General	Across questions	Fill the institution name, job title, etc. in question wording	Specificity will help focus the respondent

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
A01	Whether has earned high school credential and type	Original: Have you earned any of the following types of high school credentials? a. High school diploma b. Certificate of attendance or completion c. GED, HiSET, TASC, or other high school equivalency (please specify) 1=Yes 0=No Revise to: Have you completed high school with a diploma, GED, HiSET, TASC, certificate of attendance or completion, or another high school equivalency? 1=Yes, a high school diploma 2=Yes, a GED, HiSET, TASC or other high school equivalency (please specify) 3=Yes, a certificate of attendance or completion 0=No	Replaced 'credential' with specific types of credentials for clarity.
A04	Month and year last attended high school	Original: In what month and year did you last attend high school? (Include traditional and alternative high schools for teenage students. Do not include any high school completion programs for adults.) Revise to: In what month and year did you last attend a traditional high school or an alternative high school for teenage students? (Do not include any high school completion programs for adults that you may have attended.)	Revisions based on cognitive interview results.
A10	High math course taken	Original: What was the highest math course you took in high school? Revise to: What [was/is] the highest math course you [took/have taken] in high school?	Provided wording for a scenario that was unaccounted for in the OMB package.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
A11	Ever stopped attending high school	Original: [Did/Have] you ever [stop/stopped] going to high school for a period of 4 weeks or more? Do not include school breaks, illness, injury, or vacation. Do include school expulsions or out-of-school suspensions. Revise to: [At any time since the fall of 2008, did you stop/At any time since the fall of 2008, have you stopped/Between the fall of 2008 and [Last high school month] [Last high school year], did you ever stop/Between the fall of 2008 and the date you last attended high school, did you ever stop] going to high school for a period of 4 weeks or more? Include school expulsions or out-of-school suspensions, but do not include school breaks, illness, injury, or vacation.	Added opening clause which specifies that we are referring to dropout episodes going back to the fall of 2008 Added variant wording for the condition that someone has dropped out and not yet completed high school
A15	Ever taken GED/HiSET/TASC exam	Original: Have you ever taken an exam for the GED or another high school equivalency credential such as HiSET or TASC? Revise to: Instead of getting a high school diploma, some people complete high school by getting a GED or a similar certificate such as HiSET or TASC. These certificates are awarded when someone passes a test that shows they have high school-level skills. Have you ever taken an exam for the GED or a similar exam such as HiSET or TASC?	Added definition for clarity
A16	Number of times taken GED exam or similar exam	Original: How many times have you taken one of these exams? Count all sections of an exam, that is, each subject test, together as one exam. Revise to: How many times have you taken a GED exam or a similar exam such as HiSET or TASC? Count all sections of one exam, that is, each subject test, together as one exam.	Replaced "one of these exams" with "a GED exam or a similar exam such as HiSET or TASC"

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
Before B01	Introduction to Postsecondary Section	Original: For the rest of the interview, the general term “college” refers to 2-year colleges or 4-year colleges. Specifically, the term “2-year college” will refer to community colleges or junior colleges. The term “4-year college” refers to colleges and universities. Questions in this interview also use the phrase "schools that provide occupational training" to refer to other types of schools after high school, sometimes called technical institutes or trade schools. These schools usually offer programs that take less than 2 years to complete. Examples include culinary institutes and cosmetology schools. The term “postsecondary institutions” includes all of these types of colleges, universities, and schools Revise to: In the next section we will ask about education after high school. We will use the term “college” to refer to all kinds of colleges, universities, and schools that provide occupational training including: 2-year colleges, junior colleges and community colleges 4-year colleges and universities Trade schools and technical institutes which usually offer programs that take less than 2 years to complete (Examples: culinary institutes and cosmetology schools)	Revisions based on cognitive interview results.
B02	Number of postsecondary institutions applied to / registered at	Original: How many colleges or schools did you apply to or register at while you were still in high school? Revise to: To how many colleges [did you apply or register while you were still in high school/have you applied or registered]?	Wording variant added for respondents still in high school
B06	Number of institutions applied to / registered at	Added '(Please include all colleges, even if you have not completed a course yet.)'	This is the same instruction as appears on B05 in the OMB package.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B11	Month and year last attended institution	Original: In what month and year did you last attend [postsecondary institution]? Revise to: In what month and year did you last attend [postsecondary institution][before your school-scheduled break]?	Wording variant added for those who are 'currently on a school-scheduled break'. Provided wording for a scenario that was unaccounted for in the OMB package.
B16 (A – E)	Programs enrolled in at institution	Original: In what types of programs were you enrolled at [postsecondary institution]? (Select all that apply) a. Bachelor’s degree program (usually a 4-year degree) b. Associate’s degree program (usually a 2-year degree) c. Certificate or diploma program from a school that provides occupational training (usually takes 2 years or less to complete, often leading to a license, such as cosmetology) d. No specific program, but taking courses 1 = Yes 0 = No Revise to: What type of degree or certificate program [are you currently enrolled in at [postsecondary institution], or are you just taking classes/were you enrolled in when you last attended [postsecondary institution]], or were you just taking classes]? 1=Bachelor’s degree program (usually a 4-year degree) 2=Associate’s degree program (usually a 2-year degree) 3=Certificate or diploma program from a school that provides occupational training (usually takes 2 years or less to complete, often leading to a license, such as cosmetology) 4=Not enrolled in a program, but taking classes	Original question wording does not reference the last response option (just taking classes) which would be problematic for telephone interviews; revise last response option for consistency with question wording. Question wording revised depending on the iteration of the school loop. B16A references the current or most recent program (as shown to the left). B16B – D refer to the program enrolled in (or classes) before the program reported in the previous iteration.
B19 (A – D)	Date expects to complete degree	Original response option: "Will not finish the [bachelor's degree/associate's degree/certificate]" Revise to: "You do not expect to earn your [bachelor's degree/associate's degree/certificate] from [institution name]"	Previously, this response option did not specify that they would not complete the degree/certificate at the institution in question (they may complete it somewhere else)

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B20 (A – D)	Plans to earn Associate's and/or transfer to Bachelor's degree program or just take courses	Original: For those in an associate's degree program: [When you were enrolled in an Associate’s degree program at [postsecondary institution] did/Do] you… 1=Plan to earn an Associate’s degree, and not transfer to a Bachelor’s degree program 2=Plan to earn an Associate’s degree and then transfer to a Bachelor’s degree program 3=Plan to transfer to a Bachelor’s degree program without earning an Associate’s degree first 4=Plan to just take courses or earn credits Revise to: [Do/Did] you plan to transfer into a Bachelor’s degree program from this Associate’s degree program[ when you first enrolled in it]?	Revisions based on cognitive interview results. Those who do not plan to complete the associate's degree can be identified from B19 (A – D); just taking classes can be ascertained from B16 (A – D). Consulted with BPS:14 instrumentation task leader on this revision.
B21 (A – D)	Taking postsecondary classes for degree, transfer or other reason?	Original: [Are/Were] you taking these classes at [postsecondary institution] primarily to fulfill a degree requirement or transfer course credit to a degree or certificate program? 1=Yes, to a Bachelor's degree program 2=Yes, to another degree program 3=No Revise to: [Are/Were] you taking these classes at [institution name]… 1=primarily to fulfill a degree requirement 2=transfer course credit to a degree or certificate program 3=for some other reason?	Original question sounded as though it was asking the respondent to choose between "primarily to fulfill a degree requirement" and "transfer course credit to a degree or certificate program" when in fact neither of those may apply. The type of program was removed from the response options for transferring because we capture this in B20 (A – D). Consulted with BPS:14 instrumentation task leader on this revision.
B23 (A – D)	Any classes in program online	Add wording fills for program type and institution name added	Specificity will improve clarity
B25	Confidence related to degree program	Fill the July 2015 - December 2015 degree program in the question wording	Specificity will improve clarity
B28	Reasons has not attended a postsecondary institution	Original: Which of the following are reasons why you have not enrolled in a postsecondary institution? Revise to: Which of the following reasons best describe why you have not attended in college?	Adding the word 'best' is intended to encourage respondents to choose one of the broad categories rather than giving a detailed very specific answer in the other specify textbox.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B29	Reasons took a break from school after high school	Original: According to your dates of enrollment, you took a break from school after high school. Which of the following are reasons why you decided not to continue your education right after high school? Revise to: According to your dates of attendance, you took a break from school after high school. Which of the following reasons best describe why you decided not to continue your education right after high school?	Adding the word 'best' is intended to encourage respondents to choose one of the broad categories rather than giving a detailed very specific answer in the other specify textbox.
B31	Reasons transferred from one postsecondary institution to another	Original: Which of the following are reasons you left [postsecondary institution] and enrolled at [postsecondary institution]? Revise to: Which of the following reasons best describe why you left one college to enroll at another?	Adding the word 'best' is intended to encourage respondents to choose one of the broad categories rather than giving a detailed very specific answer in the other specify textbox Correcting documentation. We are not collecting the information needed to fill these institution names
B32	Reasons left postsecondary education	Original: Earlier you indicated that you are no longer enrolled in any postsecondary institution and that you did not obtain a degree or a certificate. Which of the following are reasons you left school? Revise to: Earlier you indicated that you are no longer attending any college and that you did not obtain a degree or a certificate. Which of the following reasons best describe why you left school?	Adding the word 'best' is intended to encourage respondents to choose one of the broad categories rather than giving a detailed very specific answer in the other specify textbox.
B33 / B41 / B49 / B54	Has taken postsecondary [math/science/computer science or technology/engineering] courses	Original: Have you taken any postsecondary [math/science/computer science or technology/engineering] courses? Revise to: [Have you taken/Did you take] any [math/science/computer science or technology/engineering] courses at [[institution name]/any college you have attended/any college you attended] since you [received your high school diploma/received your GED, HiSET, TASC or other equivalency/received your certificate of attendance or completion/last attended high school]?	Added "college" to clarify that we are referring only to college courses; Added that we are only referring to courses since high school (not including dual enrollment courses)

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B40 / B48 / B53 / B58	How often does homework assignments with other students in [math/science/computer science or technology/engineering]	Original: How frequently do you study or do homework assignments with other students in your [math/science/computer science or technology/engineering] classes? Revise to: How frequently [do/did] you study or do homework assignments with other students in your college [math/science/computer science or technology/engineering] courses?	Added "college" to clarify that we are referring only to college courses; "classes" was replaced by "courses" to minimize the possibility that someone would interpret the question to mean that they do the homework during class time
B60	Course subjects for which sought help	Original: For which types of courses have you sought help? Revise to: In which college course subjects [have you sought/did you seek] help?	Replaced "types of courses" with more descriptive phrase for clarity.
B68 (B)	Intended major before starting postsecondary education	Original: [When you were last interviewed in 2012, you told us you were considering majoring in [2012 Update major]]. Is your major or field of study still [original major you were considering] [ from [institution]][ in [award year]? Revise to: [When we last contacted you in 2012 you were considering majoring in or studying [major or field of study most seriously considered as of 2012 Update].][Is [major or field of study most seriously considered]/Will [major or field of study most seriously considered] be/Was[major or field of study most seriously considered]] [your major or field of study/one of your majors or fields of study] for your [bachelor’s degree/associate’s degree/certificate from current/most recent college] [ from [postsecondary institution]]?	Question wording revised to account for 1) those who had decided and not yet declared and 2) for those who have double majors and 3) to specify the institution because someone could have worked on two different credentials of the same type.
B69 (B)	Major field of study	Add instruction from BPS:14: [(If you [intend/intended] to have two majors or fields of study, tell us only about the one that is most closely related to the job you hope to have at age 30.)]	Provide wording for a scenario that was unaccounted for in the OMB package. Add BPS:14 instruction for those who have decided upon a major but have not yet declared
B72	Why chose major	Original items: For the work lifestyle after graduation For the prestigious occupations associated with this major Revise to: To work in an occupation that will allow you to balance time spent working with free time To work in a prestigious occupation that people look up to	Revisions based on cognitive test results.
OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B73	Why changed major	Original items: For better work lifestyle after graduation For the prestigious occupations associated with your new major Revise to: To work in an occupation that will allow you to better balance time spent working with free time To work in a more prestigious occupation that people look up to	Revisions based on cognitive test results.
B75	Use of school services	Original: Which of the following school services [have/did] you [used/use] at [current/most recent institution]? Revise to: [During the current school year/During the school year when you were last enrolled], which of the following school services [have you used/did you use] at [current/most recent college]?	Revised for clarity.
B79	Friends / family who dropped out of college	Original: How many of your family members and friends whom you communicate with at least once a month have left postsecondary education and not returned? 0=None of them 1=Less than half 2=About half 3=More than half 4=All of them 5=Don’t know Revise to: How many of your close friends and family members who have gone to college, how many have left without a degree or certificate and have not returned? ___ close friends or family members Check here if 'None of your close friends or family members have gone to college' Help text suggested: For the purpose of this question, consider close friends and family members to be those with whom you communicate (e.g., see in person, talk on the phone, text, email) at least once a month.	Revisions based on cognitive tests and reviewers' comments

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B81	Hours spent on activities	Original item: "intramural and varsity sports outside of [institution]" Revise to: "sports outside of [current/most institution]"	Intramural and varsity sports are not applicable outside of an academic institution.
B83	Days per week traveling between home and institution	Add an option for "You [do/did] not travel to [institution] because all of your classes are online"	Provide wording for a scenario that was unaccounted for in the OMB package.
C01	Had a formal apprenticeship	Original: Since June 2012, have you ever had a job that is a formal apprenticeship in which you receive both instruction and on-the-job training and are paid a training salary? Revise to: At any time between [date last attended high school] and [current month], have you had a formal apprenticeship in which you were paid a training salary and received both instruction and on-the-job training? Removed "don't know" option which had been carried forward from the 2013 Update version of the question. Respondents now are more likely to be familiar with apprenticeships.	Swapped the order of the components of the definition in the question wording for clarity
C02	Had a co-op job	Place definition from help text on screen: A co-op usually refers to a multi-work term agreement with one employer; traditionally with at least three work terms alternated with school terms, resulting in a 5-year degree program. Co-ops are traditionally full-time, paid positions.	Recommended by BPS:14 instrumentation task leader. "Co-op job" is not understood by many respondents.
C06	Number of paid jobs	Add "paid" as a qualifier of jobs	Clarity
C08	Job title and employer	Original instruction: (If you [have more than one job/had more than one job at the same time], tell us about the one you [consider/considered] to be your main job. We will collect any other jobs you have had later.) Revise to: (If you [have more than one job/had more than one job at the same time], tell us about the one at which you [work/worked] the most hours. We will collect any other jobs you have had later.)	Clarify instructions for choosing a job to report when there is more than one.
C10	Month and year last worked at job	Include an explicit option for 'still employed in this job'	Provides an appropriate response choice for those currently employed in the job

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
C18	Type of job	Original response option: A way to explore a career option Revise to: A way to explore a career option you are considering	Revise based on cognitive interview results
C21	Type or organization	Original response option: "Other" Revise to: "Another type of organization or business?"	Clarity
C22	Job is apprenticeship	Original: Was this job a formal apprenticeship in which you received both instruction and on-the-job training and were paid a training salary? Revise to: [Is/Was] this job a formal apprenticeship in which you [are/were] paid a training salary and [receive/received] both instruction and on-the-job training? Remove "don't know" option which has been carried forward from the 2013 Update version of the question.	Swap the order of the components of the definition in the question wording for clarity Respondents now are more likely to be familiar with apprenticeships than they were in high school.
C33	Had a work-study job	Original: Were any of the jobs that you held when you were also in school work-study jobs? Revise to: Next, we have a question about work-study jobs. Federal, state, and institution work-study jobs are offered to students with financial need, allowing them to work part-time to earn money to help pay their education expenses. Have you ever had a work-study job while attending college? (Students must file a FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, in order to be considered for the Federal Work-Study program. Work-study jobs are often located on the campus of a student's school and may or may not be related to a student's course of study.)	Recommended by BPS:14 instrumentation task leader. "Work-study job" is not understood by many respondents.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
C35	Looking for work none, some or all months when not working	Original: According to the information you have provided, there were some months between June 2012 and April 2015 when you were not working. Were you looking for work… 1=None of those months 2=Some of those months 3=All of those months? Revise to: According to the information you have provided, there were some months between [date received high school diploma or certificate of attendance or date last attended high school] and [interview] when you were not working. When you were not working, were you looking for work… 1=None of those months 2=Some of those months 3=All of those months?	Clarity
C37	Reasons not looking for work	Original: What would you say is the main reason that you were not looking for work? Revise to: During the months when you were not working and not looking for work, what would you say is the main reason that you were not looking?	Add "During the months you were not work and not looking for work" for clarity
C42	Job related to expected job at age 30	Original: Was your [current/most recent] job related to a career as a [expected job at age 30]? Revise to: How closely related is your job as a [job title] for [employer] to [expected job title at age 30]?	Original question sounds as though it is asking for a yes or no answer.
C43	Expected earnings in future	Original: We have some questions about the range of salary you expect to make [once you begin working as a(n) [expected job at age 30 job title]/once you finish your education]. Revise to: We have some questions about the range of salary you expect to make [as a(n) [expected job at age 30]] at age 30.	If no job at age 30 is provided in C40, the question asks about earnings at age 30 as opposed to 'once you finish your education.' This wording is more consistent, and therefore more comparable, with the wording when a job title is provided.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
D02	Month and year you were married	Original: In what month and year did your marriage begin? (If you have been married more than once, please report the date your first marriage began.) Revise to: What is the month and year you were married? (If you have been married more than once, answer for your first marriage.)	Clarity
D06 / D07	Birth of first child	Remove the introductory language: "We are interested in when you became a parent. [We will ask about your [biological and/biological,][adopted/adopted and/adopted, and][step]] children separately.]"	Unnecessary.
D13	Whether pays mortgage or rent	Original: Do you… 1=Pay mortgage towards or own your home 2=Pay rent for your home 3=Have some other arrangement? Revise to: How do you[ and your spouse/ and your partner] pay for your housing? 1=Pay a mortgage towards your housing or own it 2=Pay rent for your housing 3=Someone else pays for or provides your housing at no cost to you	Revise based on comments from instrument reviewers. Home might be interpreted too narrowly and exclude apartments. The meaning of 'some other arrangement' was unclear. It is also unclear who is paying in the original question wording.
D14	Amount of housing payment per month	Original: How much (on average) is your monthly [rent/ mortgage] payment where you currently live? Revise to: How much (on average) is your monthly [rent/mortgage/housing] payment where you currently live?	Add "housing payment" as a wording fill when the respondent does not indicate in the previous question whether they are renting their home or paying a mortgage
D16	5 - Digit Zip Code for current address	Original: What is the 5-digit ZIP code for your current residence? Revise to: [What is/When you last attended [current/most recent college], what was] your 5-digit ZIP code [for your current address?/for your permanent address? Your permanent address is usually your legal residence, such as where you maintain your driver’s license or are registered to vote.]	A reviewer noted that students living away from home may still consider their parents' home to be their current residence as opposed to the dorm room on campus for example. Therefore, it was suggested that we ask college students about their permanent residence first and then follow-up to see if that is where they are actually living.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
D17	Residence when attending college same as permanent residence	Original: Is your current address also your permanent address? Your permanent address is usually your legal residence, such as where you maintain your driver’s license or are registered to vote. Revise to: [Are you currently/When you were last attended [postsecondary institution], were you] living at your permanent address? (Your permanent address is usually your legal residence, such as where you maintain your driver’s license or are registered to vote.)	See D16
D18	5-digit zip code for current/most recent college address	Original: What [is/was] the 5-digit ZIP code of your [current address/ address when you last attended [postsecondary institution]? Revise to: What [is/was] the 5-digit ZIP code [where you are currently living/where you were living when you last attended [T_INST01]?	See D16 and D17
D24	Respondent's income	Add: An important part of this study is understanding how finances affect young people's ability to continue their education. We would like to remind you that the answers you provide will be kept completely confidential.	Sensitivity to concerns about confidentiality.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
D33	Expenses parent paid	Original: In the last 12 months, have your parents or guardians provided, contributed, or paid for any of the following for you? Choose all that apply. a. Expenses for your child/children or regular childcare b. Food c. Car insurance d. Health insurance e. Cell or land line phone bill f. Utilities such as electricity or heat g. Rent or mortgage payment h. Down payment on a house i. Education tuition or fees j. Credit card bill payments k. Cash, allowance, or spending money Revisions: In the last 12 months, have your parents or guardians contributed to or paid for any of the following for you? a. Expenses for your [child/children] or provided regular childcare b. Travel or transportation expenses such as car payments, car insurance, car repairs, gasoline, or airfare c. Health care expenses such as insurance payments, medical, vision, or dental expenses, or prescription costs d. Utilities and other monthly household expenses such as electricity, heat, telephone, or internet e. Housing expenses such as rent or mortgage, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, down payment on house f. Education expenses such as tuition, fees, or books g. Credit card bill payments h. Cash, allowance, or spending money i. None of these	Consolidate response options and add examples. Revisions based on cognitive interview results.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
D36 (A – B)	Worrying and investigations related to finances	Original: From April 2014 to April 2015, , about how often have you done each of the following? a. Worried about having enough money for regular expenses b. Worried about paying for college c. Carried a balance on a credit card d. Chose not to participate in an activity due to lack of money e. Chose not to purchase required academic materials (books, course packs, supplies) due to their cost f. Investigated transferring to a less expensive college g. Investigated withdrawing from college due to costs h. Investigated working more hours to pay for college costs i. Investigated working more hours to pay for living expenses j. Investigated increasing your borrowing to pay for college costs k. Investigated increasing your borrowing to pay for living expenses Never, Sometimes, Often, Very Often Revise to: Over the last 12 months, about how often have you done each of the following? a. Worried about having enough money for regular expenses b. Worried about paying for college c. Carried a balance on a credit card d. Chose not to participate in an activity due to lack of money e. Chose not to purchase required academic materials (books, course packs, supplies) due to their cost 1=Never 2=Sometimes 3=Often 4=Very Often Over the last 12 months, have you either investigated or done any of the following? a. Transferring to a less expensive college b. Withdrawing from college due to costs c. Worked more hours to pay for college costs d. Worked more hours to pay for living expenses e. Started to borrow or increased your borrowing to pay for college costs f. Started to borrow or increased your borrowing to pay for living expenses 1=Yes 0=No	Based on a reviewer's comment, divide into two questions and change the response options for the "investigated" items to "yes / no." Revise "investigated" question's wording to account for those who actually followed through on the investigation.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
D38	Ever taken out student loans	Original: "student loans for your education" Revise to: "student loans for your college education" to exclude loans for private high school tuition	Clarity
D39	Ever taken out private loan	Original: "private loans from a private lender for your education" Revise to: "private loans from a private lender for your college education" to exclude loans for private high school tuition	Clarity
D40	Total amount of private loans	Original: "private loans for your education" Revise to: "private loans for your college education" to exclude loans for private high school tuition	Clarity
D45	Total amount will have borrowed for undergraduate education	Original: When you have completed your [highest undergraduate credential expected], what is your best estimate of the total amount you will have borrowed to pay for it and any other postsecondary education you will have had at that point? Revise to: For this next question, include all kinds of loans, private and federal loans, when considering your answer. [When you have completed your [highest undergraduate credential expected]/When you completed your [highest credential earned], what is your best estimate of the total amount you [will have borrowed/had borrowed] to pay for it and any other college education you [will have had/had] at that point?	Add "For this next question, include all kinds of loans, private and federal loans, when considering your answer." for clarity. For the series of questions prior to this respondents are instructed to include private loans only. Add alternative wording for those who have already completed their highest level of expected education.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
D68	Traumatic experiences	Original: Since June 2012, have any of the following happened to you? 1=No, has not happened since June 2012 2=Yes, has happened once since June 2012 3=Yes, has happened more than once since June 2012 Revise to: Since [date left high school], how often have the following happened to you? 1=Never 2=Once 3=More than once	Question wording suggests that a yes or no answer is expected. Response options are unnecessarily wordy.
D70	Gender identity	Original: What is your gender? Your gender is how you feel inside and can be the same or different than your biological or birth sex. When a person’s sex and gender do not match, they might think of themselves as transgender. (Choose all that apply) a. Female b. Male c. Transgender, male-to-female d. Transgender, female-to-male e. Transgender, do not identify as exclusively female or male f. You are not sure g. You do not know what this question is asking Revised to: What is your gender? Your gender is how you feel inside and can be the same or different than your biological or birth sex. When a person’s sex and gender do not match, they might think of themselves as transgender. (Choose all that apply) a. Male b. Female c. Transgender, male-to-female d. Transgender, female-to-male e. Something else (please specify) f. You are not sure	Revise response choices based on cognitive testing. The term “transgender” was viewed by a number of respondents as too limiting and it was suggested that a more general catch all category may be better. Add a “please specify” to identify other gender identities. Swap order of female and male response options for consistency with the “sex” question.
E25B	Social Security Number – last 4 digits	We understand the sensitivity of this information. Would you be willing to provide the last 4 digits of your Social Security number? (This information will be kept in secure and protected data files, and will be separate from the responses you've already provided in this survey. Data collected are used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed or used, in identifiable form, for any other purpose except as required by law (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C., § 9573). However, giving us this information is completely voluntary and there is no penalty for not disclosing it.)	Include this back up question to collect 4-digits if the respondent chooses not to provide full number. Would be useful for quality control purposes when attempting to match respondents to external data (e.g., financial aid, standardized test scores)
Required to improve the user's experience
OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
General	Across questions	Reorder questions	Reorder questions for more coherence. Dependencies of the question require reorganization in some instances.
General	Not applicable	Add introductory screens for each section of the instrument	Orients the respondent to the topic of the next section of the survey.
A01	Whether has earned high school credential and type	Allow for only one type of high school credential	Eliminates the need to collect dates for multiple credentials.
B03	Postsecondary institutions applied to/registered at	We are not planning to code these as the interview is in progress. They will be coded to IPEDS during data delivery activities	The note in the OMB package was misapplied to this question. It should have been placed on B07 (A – B).
B04	Whether attended institution named in 2013 Update (yes/no)	For each institution that the respondent reports on (in an iterative loop of questions), first ask if it is the 2013 Update institution (until they answer 'yes'; then no longer asked again).	Improve user's experience. A 'yes' answer allows the respondent to bypass the postsecondary institution coding application
B07 (A)	Postsecondary institution attended	Reorder institution loop so current/most recent institution is collected first	Current status is more salient so easier way to enter the series of questions.
B12 / B13 / B14	Whether continuously enrolled in institution Enrolled during any school-scheduled breaks Months not attending institution	Eliminate	Upon the evaluation noted at the end of B08, we recommend eliminating these questions
B27	Ever had professional certification/state or industry license	Include a transition statement: Next, we would like to ask about any professional certifications or industry licenses.	Flow of the survey
B66	Whether has declared major	Remove 'not in a degree program' response option	"Not in a degree program" option not needed because these individual are routed around the question

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B74 (A - B)	Plans to attend any institution for any degree/certificate between July 2015 - Dec 2015 (yes/no)	Original: Now, we are interested in your plans for attendance at ANY college, university or trade school between the months of May 2015 and December 2015. At any time between May 2015 and December 2015, have you attended or will you attend school for any degree or certificate? Revise to: [If has not attended or has attended just one postsecondary institution] Now, we are interested in your plans for attendance at any college between the months of [If interviewed before July: July / Else: next month] and December 2015. At any time between [If interviewed before July: July / Else: next month] and December 2015, will you attend any college for any degree or certificate? 1=Yes [, [current/most recent college]] 2=Yes [, another school] 0=No [Else] Now, we are interested in your plans for attendance at any college between the months of [If interviewed before July: July / Else: next month] and December 2015. At any time between [If interviewed before July: July / Else: next month] and December 2015, will you attend any college for any degree or certificate? [current/most recent college] [second college named] [third college named] etc. A college, university or trade school that is not listed Not planning to enroll between [If interviewed before July: July / Else: next month] and December 2015 1=Yes 0=No	List institutions named in the institution loop as response options. Provide an option to indicate a college not listed; repeated B07 (B) when the "other" option is chosen If plans to attend, repeat B16 (E) referring to the July 2015 - December 2015 enrollment period Move these questions about the July 2015 - December 2015 enrollment period out of the school and program loops. Ask just once instead of for every program and every institution.
OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
B74 (A - B) Cont.	Plans to attend any institution for any degree/certificate between July 2015 - Dec 2015 (yes/no)	What degree or certificate program(s) will you be enrolled in between [If interviewed before July: July / Else: next month] and December 2015, or will you just be taking classes? bachelor’s degree program (usually a 4-year degree) associate’s degree program (usually a 2-year degree) Certificate or diploma program from a school that provides occupational training (usually takes 2 years or less to complete, often leading to a license, such as cosmetology) No specific program, but taking courses 1=Yes 0=No What degree or certificate program(s) will you be enrolled in between [If interviewed before July: July / Else: next month] and December 2015, or will you just be taking classes? a. Bachelor’s degree program (usually a 4-year degree) b. Associate’s degree program (usually a 2-year degree) d. Certificate or diploma program from a school that provides e. occupational training (usually takes 2 years or less to complete, often leading to a license, such as cosmetology) f. No specific program, but taking courses 1=Yes 0=No	List institutions named in the institution loop as response options. Provide an option to indicate a college not listed; repeated B07 (B) when the "other" option is chosen If plans to attend, repeat B16 (E) referring to the July 2015 - December 2015 enrollment period Move these questions about the July 2015 - December 2015 enrollment period out of the school and program loops. Ask just once instead of for every program and every institution.
B82	Where living while enrolled	Eliminate 'With parent(s), relative(s), or guardian(s)' option	Duplicative with first and second to last items in D12

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
C03 / C04	Had a paid/unpaid internship	Original: Since June 2012, have you had a paid internship? 1 = Yes 0 = No Since June 2012, have you had an unpaid internship? 1 = Yes 0 = No Revise to: At any time between [date last attended high school] and [current month], have you had either a paid or unpaid internship? 1=No, neither a paid nor unpaid internship 2=Yes, a paid and an unpaid internship 3=Yes, a paid internship only 4=Yes, an unpaid internship only	Combine the questions for paid internships and unpaid internships
C12	Months not working in the job	Eliminate	Redundant with C13 (A – E)
C14	Worked regularly during weeks also attending school	Remove: You just told us about the months in which you worked in this job for [[employer name]/this employer/yourself].	Unnecessary wordiness.
C27	Job earnings	Original: How much money… a. Did you make working in this job in April 2015? / did you make when you [were last self-employed/left [employer]/this employer]? Include any bonuses, tips, or commissions in your total earnings amount. b. did you make when you were last enrolled and [self-employed/working for [[employer]/working for this employer]/did you make the last time you were not in school and [self-employed/working for [employer]/working for this employer]? Include any bonuses, tips, or commissions in your total earnings amount. Revise to: How much [do you currently/did you] make [as a [reference job title] for [reference employer]][when you left the job]? Include any bonuses, tips, or commissions in your total earnings amount.	Ask for earnings just once. No need to differentiate between earnings at the same job while enrolled and while not enrolled. No reason to expect a difference between the rate of earnings (e.g., $ per hour) between periods of enrollment and nonenrollment.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
D34	Parents' help pay for expenses	Eliminate	Redundant with D34.
D53 (A – B)	Ever served in Armed Forces (yes, currently serving; yes, but not currently serving; no, have never served)	Original: Are you currently serving or have you ever served in the Armed Forces? 1=Yes, currently serving 2=Yes, but not currently serving 3=No, have never served Revised to: Have you ever served in the Armed Forces? 1=Yes 0=No Are you currently serving in the military? 1=Yes 0=No	Split into two questions for flow of the survey
Required for consistency within the survey instrument and across related studies
OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
General	Across questions	Help text made consistent with question, item and response option wording	Consistency
C32	Primarily a student or an employee	Original response option: a student working to meet expenses Revise to: "a student who worked"	Consistency with NPSAS:16

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
D28	Parents' marital status	Original response options: Unmarried and both parents living together Never married Revised to: Single	Revise for consistency with BPS:14 on which the entire series of questions about financial aid are based
D37 (A)	Agreement with statements about interference	Original: Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements where 1 = Not at all and 6=Very much Revise to: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?	Consistency with other scales in the instrument
Miscellaneous minor corrections
General	Abbreviated instrument	Abbreviated interview items are noted with ** in the attached facsimile	Correcting documentation. Abbreviated instrument in the OMB was actually the reinterview.
General	Across questions	Updated 'year' ranges where needed	Correcting documentation. In some cases unreasonable years were listed (e.g., 2008 as the first year of military service)
A03	State where GED was earned	States provided in a dropdown	Not listed in OMB package to reduce length and improve readability of the document
A07	High school from which high school credential earned	Coding to the CCD / PSS not IPEDS	Correcting documentation
B08 (A – E)	Months attended postsecondary institution	Split into multiple screens by academic year; base which screens are shown on start and end dates of attendance	There are too many months to present on a single screen. Representation in OMB package was a simplification.
B16 – B24 (A – D)	Series of questions about particular program at institution		Sequence of questions represented just once in the original OMB package to reduce length and improve readability of the document. Instrument allows respondents to report up to four types of programs at a particular institution.
B31	Reasons transferred from one postsecondary institution to another	Original: Which of the following are reasons you left [postsecondary institution] and enrolled at [postsecondary institution]? Revise to: Which of the following reasons best describe why you left one college to enroll at another?	Correcting documentation. We are not collecting the information needed to fill these institution names
B39 / B47 / B52 / B57	Got excited by first [math/science/computer science or technology/engineering] course	Add: Now using a 5 point scale where 1=Strongly Agree, 5=Strongly Disagree, and 3=Neither Agree nor Disagree, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statement?	Correcting documentation. There was no question. These were simply statements in the OMB package.
B37 / B45 / B50 / B55	[Math/science/computer science or technology/engineering] instructors treat male and female students fairly	Add: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement?	Correcting documentation. There was no question. These were simply statements in the OMB package.
B38 / B46 / B51 / B56	Students in [math/science/computer science or technology/engineering] classes treat respondent fairly	Add: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement?	Correcting documentation. There was no question. These were simply statements in the OMB package.
B63	Sees self as someone who likes computers	Add: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement?	Correcting documentation. There was no question. This was simply statements in the OMB package.
B64	Sees someone who likes figuring out mechanical…	Add: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement?	Correcting documentation. There was no question. This was simply statements in the OMB package.
B68 (A – B)	Intended major before starting postsecondary education is major for degree earned / current or most recent program	Original: [When you were last interviewed in 2012, you told us you were considering majoring in [2012 Update major]]. Is your major or field of study still [original major you were considering] [ from [institution]][ in [award year]? Revise to: [When we last contacted you in 2012 you were considering majoring in or studying [major or field of study most seriously considered as of 2012 Update].] Was [major or field of study most seriously considered] the major or field of study in which you earned your [bachelor's degree/associate's degree/certificate/degree or certificate][ from [institution]][ in [award year]? AND: [When we last contacted you in 2012 you were considering majoring in or studying [major or field of study most seriously considered as of 2012 Update].] [Is [major or field of study most seriously considered]/Will [major or field of study most seriously considered] be/Was[major or field of study most seriously considered]] [your major or field of study/one of your majors or fields of study] for your [bachelor’s degree/associate’s degree/certificate from current/most recent college] [ from [postsecondary institution]]?	Not explicitly listed in OMB package multiple times to reduce length and improve readability of the document. Intent is to ask this for degrees earned and current/most recent program but the question is only represented once in the OMB package. Since a minority of our respondents will have completed a degree or certificate, most respondents will be asked this question just once but it could be asked more than once.
B69 (A – B)	Major for degree earned / current or most recent program	Original: What [is/was] your [first] major or field of study for your [Bachelor’s degree/Associate’s degree/certificate or diploma] at [postsecondary institution]? Since you [are/were] a double-major, please indicate only one major here. You will have an opportunity next to provide your other major. What is your [first] major or field of study? Revise to: What was your major or field of study for your [bachelor's degree/associate's degree/certificate/degree or certificate][from [institution]]? (If you had two majors or fields of study, please indicate only one here. You will have an opportunity to provide your other one next.) AND What [is/will be/was] your major or field of study for your [current or most recent degree or certificate program]? [Since you [have/had] two majors or fields of study, please indicate only one major here. You will have an opportunity to provide your other one next.] [(If you [intend/intended] to have two majors or fields of study, tell us only about the one that is most closely related to the job you hope to have at age 30.)]	Not explicitly listed in OMB package multiple times to reduce length and improve readability of the document. Intent is to ask this for degrees earned and current/most recent program but the question is only represented once in the OMB package. Since a minority of our respondents will have completed a degree or certificate, most respondents will be asked this question just once (or not at all - see above) but it could be asked more than once.
B70 (A – B)	Major field of study / double major	Original: What is your second major or field of study? (Please do not include a minor.) Revised: What was your other major or field of study for your [bachelor's degree/associate's degree/certificate/degree or certificate][from [institution]]? AND What [is/was] your second major or field of study for your [bachelor’s degree/associate’s degree/certificate from current/most recent college]? (Please do not include a minor.) This question is asked for degrees earned and current/most recent degree (if not complete).	Not explicitly listed in OMB package multiple times to reduce length and improve readability of the document. Intent is to ask this for degrees earned and current/most recent program but the question is only represented once in the OMB package. Since a minority of our respondents will have completed a degree or certificate, most respondents will be asked this question just once (or not at all - see above) but it could be asked more than once.
C13 (A – E)	Months working in the job	Split into multiple screens by academic year; which screens are shown is based on start and end dates of employment	There are too many months to present on a single screen. Representation in OMB package was a simplification.
C25	Reasons why worked fewer than 20 hours	Moved from C26: Earlier you told us that you usually [work/worked] about [number of hours works at reference job] hours per week in this job[ when you are not attending college/ when you were not attending college].	Correcting documentation. Misplaced in OMB package.

OMB Question #	Question	Required Revision	Rationale
C36 (A – E)	Months looking for work	Split into multiple screens by academic year; which screens are shown is based on start and end dates of employment	There are too many months to present on a single screen. Representation in OMB package was a simplification.
D29 / D30	Parents' income	The conditional wording is extremely complex so to simplify it for OMB's review we just represented one version in package	Not listed in OMB package to reduce length and improve readability of the document. There are many variants to wording in programmed instrument based on parents' marital status; follows BPS:14 wording
D31	Number of people parents' financially support	The conditional wording is extremely complex so to simplify it for OMB's review we just represented one version in package	Not listed in OMB package to reduce length and improve readability of the document. There are many variants to wording in programmed instrument based on parents' marital status and respondent's enrollment status; follows BPS:14 wording
D35	Receipt of untaxed benefits	The conditional wording is extremely complex so to simplify it for OMB's review we just represented one version in package	Not listed in OMB package to reduce length and improve readability of the document. There are many variants to wording in programmed instrument based on respondents' dependency status and parents' marital status; follows BPS:14 wording
D57	Month and year military service ended	Question erroneously truncated in OMB package.	Correcting documentation
D67	Values	Response options were not shown in OMB package. They are: Not important, somewhat important, very important	Correcting documentation
E25A	Social Security Number	Original: What is your Social Security number? (This information will be kept in secure and protected data files, and will be separate from the responses you've already provided in this survey. 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, except as required by law (20 U.S.C. § 9573). However, giving us your Social Security number is completely voluntary and there is no penalty for not disclosing it.) Revise to: What is your Social Security number? (This information will be kept in secure and protected data files, and will be separate from the responses you've already provided in this survey. Data collected are used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed or used, in identifiable form, for any other purpose except as required by law (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C., § 9573). However, giving us your Social Security number is completely voluntary and there is no penalty for not disclosing it.)	Corrected reference to ESRA 2002, 20. U.S.C., § 9573. Revised the sentence containing that reference to match the statement that appears on the login page to the instrument and the cover sheet of the facsimile.

A-1