Appendix D Letters and Contacting Materials

1. Appendix D
   Letters and Contacting Materials

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

CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR LETTER <DATE> <CHIEF ADMIN NAME> <ADDR 1> <ADDR 2> <CITY STATE ZIP> Your IPEDS UNITID: Your PASSWORD: Dear <NAME>: <INSTITUTION NAME> has been selected to participate in the field test of the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08). The Higher Education Act (Sec. 131 (d) as amended in 1998) mandates that the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) periodically gather information from students and institutions on how students and their families finance education beyond high school. In response to the continuing need for these data, NPSAS collected information from students and institutions in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2004. NPSAS:08 is being conducted for NCES by RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization. Additional information about our plans for NPSAS:08 is provided in the enclosed NPSAS brochure. The purpose of the field test is to evaluate survey instruments and procedures so that the full-scale study is as effective as possible. Your institution’s participation is crucial to the success of the field test. Institutions selected for the field test will not be selected for the full-scale study. I am writing to request that you appoint a NPSAS coordinator, who will be asked to send a data file of the students enrolled at your institution. Once a small sample of students has been selected from your institution, the NPSAS coordinator will be asked to provide additional information on the enrollment status, the demographic characteristics, and the financial assistance provided for each sampled student. The sampled students will also be asked to complete a questionnaire on the Internet. All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose, unless otherwise compelled by law. The enclosed brochure details our data collection procedures and provides a full description of the laws and procedures safeguarding the confidentiality of questionnaire responses, contact information, and other data collected. Additional information, including reports based on data from previous NPSAS studies, is available on the NPSAS website: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool. We are aware that you and the staff at your institution are confronted with many competing demands for your time. Therefore, we are providing you—and the coordinator you designate—with this advance notice of the study to allow you adequate time to plan for this data collection effort and, if needed, to contact us for more information prior to the start of student list collection in winter 2007. Once designated, an RTI representative will contact your coordinator to discuss the study timeline and the information needed from your institution.

If you have any questions about the study or procedures involved, please contact the RTI Project Coordinator, Brian Kuhr, at 1–888-NPSAS411 (1-888-677-2741) or via e-mail at NPSASschool@rti.org. You may also direct questions to NCES by contacting James Griffith at 1–202–502–7387 (e-mail address: James.Griffith@ed.gov) .

At your earliest convenience, please complete the NPSAS Designate a Coordinator form online at the NPSAS website, using the IPEDS UNITID and password printed on the first page of this letter.

We look forward to your participation in this important study. Thank you for your cooperation and prompt completion of the NPSAS Designate a Coordinator form.

Sincerely,

Mark Schneider

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

The NPSAS Designate a Coordinator form may be completed online at

https://surveys.nces.ed.gov//NPSASschool

To access the online form, enter the user name (which is your IPEDS UNITID) and password printed on the first page of this letter.

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

Institution Coordinator Early Contacting Letter <DATE> <COORD NAME> <ADDR 1> <ADDR 2> <CITY STATE ZIP> Your IPEDS UNITID: Your PASSWORD: Dear <NAME> <INSTITUTION NAME> has been selected to participate in the field test of the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08). The Higher Education Act (Sec. 131 (d) as amended in 1998) mandates that the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) periodically gather information from students and institutions on how students and their families finance education beyond high school. In response to the continuing need for these data, NPSAS collected information from students and institutions in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2004. The purpose of the field test is to evaluate survey forms and procedures so that the full-scale study is as effective as possible. Your institution’s participation is crucial to the success of the field test. Institutions selected for the field test will not be asked to participate in the full-scale study. Additional information about our plans for NPSAS:08 is provided in the enclosed brochure and project timeline. The chief administrative officer of your institution has selected you as your institution’s coordinator for NPSAS:08. You will have three primary responsibilities for NPSAS:08: Complete the Institution Registration Page online at the NPSAS website, within the next few weeks, using the UNITID and password printed at the top of this letter. We will schedule data collection for your institution based on the information you provide. (This can also be done by telephone, if you prefer.) Oversee the preparation of an enrollment list of students at your institution. These data files will be used to draw a small sample of students from your institution for participation in NPSAS:08. Sampled students will be asked to complete a questionnaire on the Internet. Complete a separate web-based program requiring institution record information on such things as enrollment status, demographic characteristics, and financial assistance provided for the sampled students. Complete instructions for your institution’s participation will be sent directly to you in advance of your institution’s due date. This date is tailored to your institution’s term structure. (Your student enrollment list is due 2 weeks after the start of the last term at your institution that includes April 30, 2007.) In the meantime, please review the enclosed materials at your earliest convenience.

We are aware that you and other staff at your institution are confronted with many competing demands for your time. We hope that giving you this advance notice of the study will provide you with ample time to plan for your school’s participation in NPSAS:08. A project representative will call you in the next few days to ensure that you have received this notification and to answer any questions that you may have. You may also call the NPSAS Help Desk directly at 1–888–NPSAS411(1–888–677–2741).

All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose, unless otherwise compelled by law. The enclosed materials detail our data collection procedures and provide a detailed description of the laws and procedures safeguarding the confidentiality of questionnaire responses, contact information, and demographic data collected. Additional information, including reports based on data from previous NPSAS studies, is available on the NPSAS website: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool.

RTI International, the contractor for the study, is a not-for-profit research organization based in North Carolina. If you have questions about the study or procedures, please contact the RTI NPSAS Project Coordinator, Brian Kuhr, at 1–888–677-2741or via e-mail at NPSASschool@rti.org. You may also direct questions to NCES by contacting James Griffith at 1–202–502–7387 (e-mail address: James.Griffith@ed.gov).

At your earliest convenience, please complete the Institution Registration Page online at the NPSAS website, using the IPEDS UNITID and password printed on the first page of this letter.

We look forward to your participation in this important study.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Mark Schneider

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

The NPSAS Coordinator Response Form may be completed online at

https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/NPSASschool

To access the online form, enter the IPEDS UNITID and password printed on the first page of this letter.

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

Initial Letter <DATE> <SM NAME> <ADDRESS 1> <ADDRESS 2> <CITY, STATE ZIP> Dear <SM NAME>: I am writing to ask you to participate in an important study that will help determine how students and their families meet the cost of education beyond high school. For your participation, I would like for you to complete a questionnaire over the Internet. On average, the questionnaire takes about 25 minutes to complete. When you access the questionnaire on the Internet, you will be asked questions about how you paid for your school expenses during the 2006–2007 school year, including whether you received financial aid. If you received financial aid, you will be asked whether the amount of aid was enough to meet your educational expenses. If you did not receive financial aid, you will be asked about how you met your school expenses. Students from all types of institutions and all financial situations have been randomly selected to participate in the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. Your responses along with those of other selected students will represent responses of all students enrolled in postsecondary education. Therefore, your participation in this study is critical. To complete the questionnaire over the Internet: Go to: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas, Type the study ID and password (provided below) on the Home/Login page, and Press “Enter” or click “Login” to begin the questionnaire. RTI International (RTI) of North Carolina is conducting the study for the U.S. Department of Education. To express our appreciation, a <FILL INC AMT> check will be mailed to you, if you complete the questionnaire by <FILL DATE, 2007.> If you are unable to complete the survey by that date, an RTI interviewer will call you to complete the questionnaire by telephone. Participation in this study is voluntary and will not affect any aid or any benefits you receive. The enclosed pamphlet answers many common questions about the study and contains additional information on laws and procedures that protect the confidentiality of your responses. If you have questions about the study, you can visit our website at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas, you can call us toll-free at 1-877-NPSASNOW (1-877-677- 2766), or you can e-mail us at npsas@rti.org. Persons who are hearing or speech-impaired can call us at 1-877-212-7230 (TDD). We sincerely appreciate your participation and thank you in advance for helping us conduct this very important study. S Go to: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas Your study ID: <ID FILL> Your password: <PASSWORD FILL> incerely, Mark Schneider Commissioner National Center for Education Statistics Enclosures

How to Complete the

NPSAS:08 Questionnaire

To complete the self-directed web questionnaire:

1. Go to: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas

2. At the login and password prompts, enter your study ID and password.

3. Press “Enter” or click “Login” to begin the questionnaire.

If you need assistance in completing the self-directed web questionnaire or if you would like to complete the questionnaire over the phone, please call our Help Desk at 1–877–NPSASNOW (1–877–677–2766) for assistance.

You may complete the NPSAS web questionnaire at any time during the data collection period. We will also begin making calls asking study participants to complete the questionnaire over the phone starting on March 4, 2007.

For more information about this study visit the website at

https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/npsas

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

Supporting Statement Request for OMB Review (SF83i) D-1