– By Catherine Mueller
School counselors are essential to helping students access financial aid for college, according to a February 6 article on the Brookings Institution website. The commentary said counselors are on the front lines of supporting students and their families with this year’s FAFSA.
According to the recent research findings, published by the author of the article, Katharine Meyer, and co-author of the paper Elizabeth Bell, hiring more counselors significantly increases students’ financial aid receipt. In the study, the researchers looked at an Oklahoma state law that mandates high schools hire one counselor for every 450 students. The law left school counselors with about 40 to 80 fewer students to serve.
“How did counselors use that additional time? Our analysis suggests they were able to help more students access state and federal financial aid,” Meyer in the Brookings article. “Schools with more counselors had more students receiving the Pell Grant and the state Oklahoma Promise scholarship.”
Recognizing that students and families often turn to counselors first for help with the FAFSA, Mapping Your Future offers its support to counselors. Visit MappingYourFuture.org or contact the Mapping Your Future staff at 1-800-374-4072 or feedback@mappingyourfuture.org for more information.
