Appendix C BPS 2020-25 Full Scale Student Contacting Materials v21_tracked

Appendix C BPS 2020-25 Full Scale Student Contacting Materials v21_tracked.pdf

2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS:20/25) Full-Scale Study

Appendix C BPS 2020-25 Full Scale Student Contacting Materials v21_tracked

OMB: 1850-0631

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2020/25 BEGINNING POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS
LONGITUDINAL STUDY (BPS:20/25) FIELD TEST

Appendix C
Student Contacting Materials

OMB # 1850-0631 v.2021

Submitted by
National Center for Education Statistics
U.S. Department of Education

September 2023
October 2024

This appendix includes all contacting materials that may be sent to sample members to request their participation
during data collection for the field test 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study
(BPS:20/25). These materials are listed in tentative schedule for sample member contacts. BPS:20/25 contact
materials include a brochure, website text, letters, e-mails, postcards, text messages, interesting facts and trend
data, merge fields, and “as needed” materials that may be used during data collection. The appendix also includes
reinterview contact materials for the field test.
We will send these materials to students at varying times throughout data collection. ‘As Needed Contacts’ may
be sent in addition to scheduled contacts, in place of scheduled contacts, or may not be sent at all. We will review
response rates throughout data collection and determine the most effective communication to impact response.
We may also reuse some contacts during different phases of data collection. Once a sample member’s case has
been finalized (either as a final refusal, other final status, or a completed survey), we will stop all contacting
attempts.
We have inserted fills and merge fields into each contact to indicate where language may differ, for example, if
used in a different data collection phase (early completion or production). Merge fields within the contact
materials include the incentive payment options, the length of the survey, and other details specific to the case.
The merge fields also account for the Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) cases that must either be paid
via check or, for some cases, cannot be paid at all. ControlID, addressID, and emailID are fills that we will use to
track undeliverable contacts. For example, a unique e-mail ID is assigned to each e-mail address that we have for
a particular case. The e-mail ID is included at the bottom of each e-mail as a way of tracking any undeliverable or
bounced e-mails, ControlID is used for QC purposes, and AddressIDs are used to track undeliverable physical
mail.
Materials may include items from the ‘Interesting Facts’ section. Not all the data contained in that section will be
used at one time, but rather, selected facts will be pulled from this section to be included in contact materials.
Once language is approved by OMB, we will adjust the formatting and graphics of all contacting materials as
needed, including letterheads, logos, QR codes, borders, and graphics in infographics mailings. We will assign
each sample member a unique QR code to be included in the letters and postcards for direct access to the
survey..
Contact materials that are being translated into Spanish are denoted by a * in the tentative schedule and on the
individual contact materials. Page references to merge fields will be updated once language is approved by OMB
and tracked changes are removed.
Summary of updates from BPS:20/25 Field Test:
•

Added Interesting Facts using updated data including BPS:20/22 First Look and derived variables data
that is near-final, but has not undergone full NCES review

•

Removed mention of “field test” where applicable

•

Removed address confirmation experiment language

•

Added language to accommodate the abbreviated survey

•

Updated academic years for full scale

•

Updated sample size for full scale

•

Removed reinterview contact materials

•

Updated minor typos and spacing issues

•

Updated language to be clearer/concise

•

Added minor updates/improvements

C-1

Tentative Schedule for Sample Member Contacts (dates are approximate and subject to change)
Greeting Card—Initial Contact
Data Collection Announcement Letter
Data Collection Announcement E-mail
Reminder E-mail 2
Data Collection Announcement Text
Reminder E-mail 13
Reminder Mailing 2
Text Message Reminder 2
Reminder E-mail 24
Reminder E-mail 5
Reminder Postcard 1Mailing 3
Text Message Reminder 13
Reminder E-mail 36
Text Message Reminder 24
Reminder E-mail 47
Reminder Letter 1Mailing 4
Text Message Reminder 5
Reminder E-mail 58
Reminder E-mail 9
Text Message Reminder 36
Reminder Postcard 2Mailing 5
Reminder E-mail 610
Text Message Reminder 47
Reminder E-mail 11
Reminder Mailing 6
Text Message Reminder 58
Reminder E-mail 712
Text Message Reminder 9
Reminder E-mail 813
Reminder Mailing 7
Text Message Reminder 610
Reminder E-mail 9141
As Needed Reminder E-mail 1
Reminder Postcard 3Mailing 8
As Needed Text Message Reminder 1
As Needed Reminder E-mail 102
As Needed Text Message Reminder 72
As Needed Reminder E-mail 3
Reminder Letter 2Mailing 9
As Needed Text Message Reminder 3
As Needed Reminder E-mail 114
As Needed Reminder E-mail 5
As Needed Text Message Reminder 84
Reminder Mailing 10
As Needed Reminder E-mail 126
As Needed Text Message Reminder 95
As Needed Reminder E-mail 137
As Needed Text Message Reminder 6
Thank You Letter – sent with check

Mailing
or E-mail
Mailing
E-mail
E-mail
Text
E-mail
Mailing
Text
E-mail
E-mail
Mailing
Text
E-mail
Text
E-mail
Mailing
Text
E-mail
E-mail
Text
Mailing
E-mail
Text
E-mail
Mailing
Text
E-mail
Text
E-mail
Mailing
Text
E-mail
E-mail
Mailing
Text
E-mail
Text
E-mail
Mailing
Text
E-mail
E-mail
Text
Mailing
E-mail
Text
E-mail
Text
Mailing

Early
Early
Early
Early
Early
Early
Early
Early
ProductionEarly
Production
ProductionEarly
ProductionEarly
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
Production
All phases

C-2

Upon OMB approval
3/1/20243/2025
3/4/20245/2025
3/11/2025
3/9/202417/2025
3/12/202421/2025
3/24/2025
4/1/2025
3/20/20244/2/2025
4/11/2025
3/22/20244/14/2025
3/24/20244/15/2025
3/30/20244/24/2025
4/8/202430/2025
5/4/9/20242025
4/12/20245/7/2025
5/15/2025
4/20/20245/16/2025
5/26/2025
45/27/20242025
4/28/20245/30/2025
4/30/20246/6/2025
5/4/20246/10/2025
6/18/2025
6/22/2025
5/10/20246/25/2025
5/11/20247/1/2025
7/10/2025
5/17/20247/13/2025
7/16/2025
5/23/20247/26/2025
5/25/20247/27/2025
8/10/2025
5/25/20248/13/2025
8/15/2025
6/5/20248/21/2025
6/7/20248/29/2025
9/4/2025
6/15/20249/10/2025
9/15/2025
6/17/20249/18/2025
10/2/2025
6/21/202410/5/2025
10/8/2025
6/24/202410/16/2025
6/27/202410/25/2025
6/28/202410/30/2025
10/30/2025
Rolling

Thank You E-mail
As Needed Contacts
As Needed Reminder E-mail 1
As Needed Reminder E-mail 2
As Needed Reminder E-mail 3
As Needed Reminder E-mail 4
As Needed Reminder E-mail 5
As Needed Reminder E-mail 6
As Needed Reminder E-mail 7
As Needed Reminder E-mail 8
As Needed Reminder E-mail 9
As Needed Reminder E-mail 10
As Needed Reminder E-mail 11
As Needed Reminder E-mail 12
As Needed Reminder E-mail 13
As Needed Reminder E-mail 14
As Needed Reminder E-mail 15
As Needed Reminder E-mail 16
As Needed Reminder E-mail 17
As Needed Reminder E-mail 18
Initial Contact E-mail (if time allows)

E-mail

All phases

Rolling

E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Incentive Change E-mail (Boost)

E-mail

Abbreviated Announcement E-mail
Security Unlock E-mail
Security 1302/1303 E-mail
Re-Interview, Initial E-mail
Re-Interview, Reminder E-mail 1
Re-Interview, Reminder E-mail 2
Contacting Reminder E-mail
Partial Complete E-mail
Paired Contact E-mail
Interruption in Data CollectionNotice/Warning E-mail
Interruption in Data Collection-Resume
E-mail
Hard Refusal E-mail
Canceled PayPal E-mail
Missing Incentive Data E-mail
No Contact E-mail
Outstanding Check E-mail
Expired Check E-mail
Preferred to Complete Online E-mail
Data Collection Extension E-mail
Data Collection Staff Prompt E-mail
Missing PayPal E-mail
Needs Incentive Selection E-mail (Didn’t
Select Incentive)
Failed PayPal Payment E-mail
Returned PayPal E-mail
Unclaimed PayPal E-mail

E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail

Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Early
Nonresponse
conversion
Nonresponse
conversion
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
All phases
All phases

E-mail

Any phase

TBD

E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail

Any phase
All phases
All phases
All phases
All phases
All phases
All phases
All phases
All phases
All phases
All phases

TBD
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling

E-mail
E-mail
E-mail
E-mail

All phases
All phases
All phases
All phases

Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling

C-3

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Rolling
Rolling

Bad Address E-mail for Check Incentives
Undeliverable Check E-mail
As Needed Letter 1
As Needed Letter 2
As Needed Letter 3

E-mail
E-mail
Mailing
Mailing
Mailing

Rolling
Rolling
TBD
TBD
TBD

Mailing
Mailing
Mailing
Mailing
Mailing
Mailing
Mailing
Mailing
Mailing

All phases
All phases
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Nonresponse
conversion
Any
phaseNonresponse
conversion
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase

Incentive Change Letter (Boost)

Mailing

Mailing
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text

Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Any phase
Production
All phases
All phases
All phases

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling

Text

All phases

Rolling

Text

All phases

Rolling

TBD

Re-InterviewAbbreviated Survey
Invitation Letter
As Needed Postcard 1 (Incentive Eligible)
As Needed Postcard 2
As Needed Postcard 3
As Needed Postcard 4
As Needed Postcard 5
As Needed Postcard 6
As Needed Postcard 7
As Needed Postcard 8 (Incentive Eligible)
Incentive Changes Announcement
Postcard
As Needed Text Message Reminder 1
As Needed Text Message Reminder 2
As Needed Text Message Reminder 3
As Needed Text Message Reminder 4
As Needed Text Message Reminder 5
As Needed Text Message Reminder 6
As Needed Text Message Reminder 7
As Needed Text Message Reminder 8
As Needed Text Message Reminder 9
As Needed Text Message Reminder 10
As Needed Text Message Reminder 11
As Needed Text Message Reminder 12
As Needed Text Message Reminder 13
As Needed Text Message Reminder 14
Text Message Reminder (Instead of calls)
Re-Interview, Initial Text
Re-Interview, Reminder 1
Re-Interview, Reminder 2
Data Collection Extension Text Reminder
Interruption in Data Collection – Notice
Interruption in Data Collection – Resume
Hard Refusal (Not a Stop Text Refusal)
No Good Address for Payment
(completed using text password)
Canceled PayPal Text (completed using
text password and selected PayPal
Incentive)
Missing Incentive Data Text (completed
using text password)
Opted into Receiving Texts During Data
Collection Via CATI or E-mail

Text

All phases

Rolling

Text

Rolling

Boost Text Reminder

Text

All phases
Nonresponse
conversionProduction

C-4

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

TBD

Abbreviated Text Reminder
Auto-Reply Text
BPS:20/25 FS Panel Maintenance
Postcard
BPS:20/25 FS Panel Maintenance E-mail
BPS:20/25 FS Panel Maintenance Initial
Contact Text

Text
Text

Nonresponse
conversion
All phases

TBD
Rolling

Mailing
E-mail

BPS Full Scale
BPS Full Scale

TBD
TBD

Text

BPS Full Scale

TBD

C-5

Contents
Brochure Text.......................................................................................................................................... C-6
Website Text ............................................................................................................................................ C-8
BPS:20/25 Consent Text .....................................................................................................................C-13
Letters .....................................................................................................................................................C-15
As Needed Letters ................................................................................................................................C-22
E-mails ....................................................................................................................................................C-31
As Needed E-mails ...............................................................................................................................C-47
Postcards ................................................................................................................................................C-94
As Needed Postcards............................................................................................................................C-96
Text Message Reminders .................................................................................................................. C-102
As Needed Texts ................................................................................................................................ C-103
Interesting Facts—Trend Data ........................................................................................................ C-108
Letter Merge Fields ............................................................................................................................ C-111
E-mail Merge Fields........................................................................................................................... C-115
Postcard Merge Fields ....................................................................................................................... C-121
Brochure Text* ........................................................................................................................................ C-8
Website Text* ........................................................................................................................................C-10
BPS:20/25 Consent Text* ...................................................................................................................C-16
Letters .....................................................................................................................................................C-18
As Needed Letters ................................................................................................................................C-25
E-mails ....................................................................................................................................................C-37
As Needed E-mails ...............................................................................................................................C-53
Postcards ............................................................................................................................................. C-103
As Needed Postcards......................................................................................................................... C-105
Text Message Reminders .................................................................................................................. C-112
As Needed Texts ................................................................................................................................ C-114
Interesting Facts—Trend Data ........................................................................................................ C-119
Letter Merge Fields ............................................................................................................................ C-126
E-mail Merge Fields........................................................................................................................... C-130
Postcard Merge Fields ....................................................................................................................... C-136
Communication Materials Translated into Spanish* .................................................................... C-142
Spanish Website Text* ...................................................................................................................... C-144
BPS:20/25 Spanish Consent Text* ................................................................................................. C-150
Spanish Letters ................................................................................................................................... C-152
As Needed Spanish Letters............................................................................................................... C-159
C-6

Spanish E-mails .................................................................................................................................. C-165
As Needed Spanish E-mails ............................................................................................................. C-181
Spanish Postcards .............................................................................................................................. C-202
As Needed Spanish Postcards .......................................................................................................... C-203
Spanish Text Message Reminders ................................................................................................... C-206
As Needed Spanish Texts ................................................................................................................. C-208
Spanish E-mail Merge Fields ............................................................................................................ C-210
Spanish Postcard Merge Fields ........................................................................................................ C-211

C-7

Brochure Text*
FRONT COVER
2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:20/25) Field Test*)*
*Includes both current and former students.
PANEL 1, FLAP
Who is conducting BPS?
The 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:20/25) Field Test is conducted by the
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education
Sciences, with data collection being carried out under contract by RTI International, a U.S.-based nonprofit
research organization.
NCES is authorized to conduct BPS by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA, 20 U.S.C. §9543)
and to collect students’ education records from educational agencies or institutions for the purposes of
evaluating federally supported education programs under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
(FERPA, 34 CFR §§ 99.31(a)(3)(iii) and 99.35).
How will my information be protected?
NCES is required to follow strict procedures to protect personal information in the collection, reporting, and
publication of data. All of the information provided by individuals or institutions 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 and 6 U.S.C §151).
BPS data security procedures are reviewed and approved by NCES data security staff. Your answers are secured
behind firewalls and are encrypted during internet transmission using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. All
surveys are password protected and require the user to log in before accessing the data. NCES employees and
contractors are subject to large fines or imprisonment if individual responses are disclosed.
INSIDE PANELS
What is BPS?
The 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study Field Test (BPS:20/25) follows students
who started postsecondary education in the 2018-2019-2020 academic year. BPS will survey about 2,60029,000
current and former students in 20242025 to collect information about their educational progress and plans,
experience in the workforce, earnings and expenses, family status, and personal and professional goals.
Postsecondary education is any education beyond high school, including career and technical school, college, and
graduate school.
Why am I being asked to participate?
You are being asked to participate in BPS because you were enrolled in postsecondary education for the first
time during the 2018–192019–20 academic year. Your participation is critical to help policymakers and others
better understand the experiences of students who began postsecondary education for the first time in 2018192019-20. Your personal circumstances are unique, and you cannot be replaced in this study. You may recall
being asked to complete a survey in 20212022, as part of the BPS:20/22 study.
What happens to the results?
Results from the current study will be posted on the NCES website (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/bps/) as soon
as they are available. Your responses will be combined with those of other students and will be presented in
summary form only. No individually identifiable information will be published.
Researchers will use BPS data to explore a wide variety of topics, such as how financial aid influences persistence
in and completion of postsecondary education.
C-8

How do I participate?
Participation is easy! You can complete the BPS survey online or over the phone.
Online
Log on to the study website at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/bps/using the Study ID and password provided to
you in your study materials.
The survey is mobile-optimized, so it can be easily completed on a mobile device.
Phone
Call our Help Desk at 800-247-6056 to speak to one of our professional interviewers who are happy to assist
you.
During data collection you may receive reminder communications in any of the following ways:
• Mail from the National Center for Education Statistics
• E-mails from <>//<>
• Text messages and phone calls from area code 202 or the U.S. Department of Education
BACK COVER
Contact Usus to Participateparticipate
For assistance, please contact the study Help Desk or visit the website:.
800-247-6056
<>//<>
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/bps/
If you have questions or concerns about BPS:20/25 Field Test, contact:
RTI International
Michael Bryan
BPS Project Director at RTI
[email protected]
800-844-8959
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
David Richards, Ph.D.
BPS Study Director at NCES
[email protected]
202-245-6202
Conducted by: U.S. Department of Education; Institute of Education Sciences; National Center for Education
Statistics https://nces.ed.gov
OMB Control Number: 1850-0631 Learn more about our confidentiality procedures at:
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/bps/confidentiality
NCES 20242025-YYY

C-9

Website Text*
Home Page
Welcome to the 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:20/25) Field
Test*)*
*Includes both current and former students
Please enter your Study ID and password:
Study ID:
Password:
□ Show me what I’ve typed
Need your Study ID number or password? (hyperlink to Login Help page)
Have you lost your Study ID or password? Fill out this request form and we will e-mail your Study ID and
password to you. Providing as much information as possible will help us respond to your request more quickly.
Study ID number (if known):
First Name (required):
Last Name (required):
Date of Birth (MM/YYYY):
Postsecondary Institution Name (2018–192019–20 academic year):
Cell Phone (XXX-XXX-XXXX):
Other Phone (XXX-XXX-XXXX):
Update Contact Info
Click on the fields below to enter the information:
Study ID
First Name
Middle Name
Last Name
Suffix (drop-down)
Former Name
Cell Phone (XXX-XXX-XXXX)
Work Phone (XXX-XXX-XXXX)
E-mail Address
Other E-mail address
Address
Address Line 2
City
Select State (drop-down)

Home Phone (XXX-XXX-XXXX)

Zip Code

<>[ONCE CONTACT INFO PAGE SUBMITTED, REDIRECT TO HOME PAGE]

C-10

Contact Us
If you need assistance, have questions regarding the 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal
Study (BPS:20/25), or prefer to complete the survey by phone, please contact us using the information below.
Help Desk E-mail
E-mail <>//<>
E-mail [email protected] (or [email protected])Help Desk Telephone
Telephone

800-247-6056

Help Desk Hours
Help Desk staff are available at the following times to assist you:
Monday-Thursday
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Friday
9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday
1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
All times are Eastern Time (ET).
Whom should I contact if I have additional questions or concerns?
If you have additional questions or concerns, BPS project staff are available to respond to your questions
Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET.
BPS Staff
RTI Project Director

NCES Study Director

Michael Bryan
[email protected]
800-844-8959
David Richards, Ph.D.
[email protected]
202-245-6202

What to Expect
Why am I being asked to participate?
You are being asked to participate in the 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study
(BPS:20/25) Field Test because you were enrolled in postsecondary education (any education beyond high
school) for the first time during the 2018–192019–20 academic year. Your participation is critical to help
policymakers and others understand the experiences of current and former students who began postsecondary
education for the first time in 2018-192019-20. Your personal circumstances are unique, and you cannot be
replaced in this study. You may recall being asked to complete a survey in 20212022, as part of the
BPS:20/22 study.
How can I complete the BPS survey?
You may complete the BPS survey on the Web – simply log in  by entering
your Study ID number and password, which are provided in the BPS letter or e-mail you received. You can even
complete it on your mobile device. If you need assistance accessing the survey on the website, or if you want to
complete the survey by telephone, contact the BPS Help Desk by calling 800-247-6056 or sending an e-mail to
<>//<>.
Will I receive reminders to take the survey?
During data collection, you could receive reminder communications in any of the following ways:
C-11

•
•
•

Mailings from the National Center for Education Statistics
E-mails from <>//<>
Text messages and phone calls fromon behalf of the U.S. Department of Education or from a 202
area code

How long will the survey take?
For most people, we expect the survey will take about <
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File Created2024-10-24

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