How Do Parents Influence College Decision-Making?
Parents/guardians primarily shape participants’ knowledge about college and university options.
Parents Need More Information to Help Their Students
For those whose parents have limited or no higher education experience, relying on parents often increases misinformation. Even those whose parents have higher education experience are subject to inaccurate assumptions based on past/inaccurate truths.
Relying on Assumptions
Potential students and parents rely on assumptions about higher education. For them to make more informed decisions, we must focus on communicating how a 2-year or a 4-year institution will get them what they want. We must avoid trying to convince them their assumptions are wrong (or worse, persuading them not to consider the institution of their choice).
Living at Home or Close to Home
Most parents of potential students prefer that their children live at home or a short drive from home while in college.
Community College Perceived as the Automatic Next Step
Many parents of potential students are not familiar with some of the benefits of a four-year institution, making community college the assumed next step for most.
Need for Education Beyond High School
Many parents of prospective students are aware that the Inland Empire has a limited number of well-paying jobs, which reduces the demand for education beyond high school. However, only about half of the participants in our study believe that the education needed beyond high school is a four-year degree.
What Parents Need to Know
Educating prospective students and parents on crucial financial aid information, including important deadlines and the annual renewal process, can contribute to a sense of financial security. This increased confidence may serve as a motivating factor for students to pursue their studies further, potentially leading to a rise in future enrollment.
This information would allow for more informed decision-making and decrease indefinite postponements.
Financial Aid and Parents
Inland Empire parents’ perceptions of higher education are tied to their financial needs.
Communicating with K–12 and parent groups so they understand if/how education debt is less of a concern for California students today than in the past is key. We recommend:
- FAFSA/CADAA classes/workshops geared toward parents.
- Email, text, and/or phone call to parents.
- Flyers given to students to take home to parents.
According to our study, parents would trust:
- Government
- CA.GOV
- Department of Education
- College Board
- NASFAA
- School district websites and Facebook pages
- Social media (Facebook and Instagram) that redirect to government websites.
- Google search
Cost and financial aid matter most when it comes to selecting a college/university.
Potential students and parents of potential students base their college decisions on their family’s financial status rather than their (or their child’s) goals. Added to the lack of awareness of the wide variety of majors/programs at most public universities, their response means many potential students are not considering the possibility of a four-year university.
Two-Year or Four-Year Institutions?
Many parents of potential students are not familiar with the potential benefits of a four-year institution.
The higher the participants’ education, the more likely they were to say the benefits of a four-year institution are continuity, networking, and finding/following a major/career.
The benefits of attending a university are you understand the program path of units that you will complete since you will spend all your time there. You will have time to know where departments and student resources are. Processing of paperwork will not be as frequent. Building relationships withdepartment teachers, career internships, may be easier since you are there longer.Parent, Hispanic/Latinx
The lower a participant’s education, the more likely they were to say four-year institutions are better than colleges though they only have a vague sense of how.
Take-away
To increase enrollment, four-year institutions need to better communicate the benefits of attending a four-year university and how doing so will benefit potential students both in their present-day family finances and also in the long term.
Secondary Sources of College Options
Secondary sources shaping participant knowledge include high school counselors/teachers, friends/classmates, and siblings/cousins/other family.
The lower their education, the more likely parents are to rely primarily on online searches, whereas those with higher education are more likely to name additional sources of information.
Mixed sources of information include online research, counselors at high school and potential college/university, mentors, and current/former students.
Some parents have no trusted sources of information and make decisions based on limited information/assumptions.
Take-away
Colleges and universities need search-engine-optimized (SEO) websites to attract potential first-generation students to their schools. Having robust SEO will also attract non-first-generation students as many families will include an online search as part of their mixed sources of information.
Value of College According to Parents
Most parents of potential students were split in their perceptions of the value of a college degree today. Nearly as many said it is somewhat valuable as those who said it is very valuable.
Though more than half did not believe a degree is very valuable, most believe education beyond high school is necessary.
As a whole, Inland Empire’s parents of potential students are split on their perception of the value of a college degree today compared to a decade ago.
Perceptions of the value of a college/university degree today compared to the future shows as a whole Inland Empire’s parents of potential student are split with nearly as many believing it will be more/less/about the same in the future.
Take-Away
Parents are the primary sources for higher education advice and decision-making, so educating parents about the benefits of attending a two-year or a four-year institution, depending on the student’s goal, and the availability of financial aid in each case, should be a priority when targeting traditional-aged students.