SECTION 3: REASONS WHY STUDENTS DID/DID NOT APPLY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
37. What was the most important reason why you DID NOT apply for financial aid?
(Rank the top three)
MOST IMPORTANT REASON
Among those who did not apply for aid, an equal share believed they were not be eligible for aid and there was not enough information about what financial aid is and how to get it. The third most common reason was that students felt they could afford their campus' tuition and fees followed by those who found the FAFSA too difficult to complete.
| Reason | % of Respondents |
|---|---|
| I would not be eligible for financial aid |  20.6% |
| There was not enough information about what financial aid is and how to get it | 20.6% |
| I felt I could afford the campus tuition and fees | 13.6% |
| The FAFSA was too difficult to complete | 9.5% |
| Other | 8.0% |
| The deadlines to apply were too early | 6.0% |
| The timing of the notification was too late | 5.5% |
| There was not enough information about the types of financial aid available | 5.0% |
| I didn't have enough support from parents/counselor/teachers/others to try to apply | 5.0% |
| Eligibility of financial aid would require a high GPA or standardized test scores | 2.5% |
| Applying for aid was not worth the time or effort | 2.0% |
| Receipt of financial aid would require accepting too many loans | 1.0% |
| I work enough to pay for educational costs that I don't need the financial assistance | 0.5% |
SECOND MOST IMPORTANT REASON
The most common answer was respondents did not believe they were eligible for financial aid. Nearly the same share felt they could afford their campus' tuition and fees. A slightly smaller number felt the FAFSA was too difficult to complete.
| Reason | % of Respondents |
|---|---|
| I would not be eligible for financial aid | 15.0% |
| I felt I could afford the campus tuition and fees | 14.4% |
| The FAFSA was too difficult to complete | 10.0% |
| There was not enough information about the types of financial aid available | 8.9% |
| The deadlines to apply were too early | 7.8% |
| Applying for aid was not worth the time or effort | 7.8% |
| I didn't have enough support from parents/counselor/teachers/others to try to apply | 7.8% |
| Eligibility of financial aid would require a high GPA or standardized test scores | 6.7% |
| There was not enough information about what financial aid is and how to get it | 6.1% |
| The timing of the notification was too late | 5.6% |
| Receipt of financial aid would require accepting too many loans | 3.9% |
| Other | 3.3% |
| I was too embarrassed to be a financial aid recipient | 1.7% |
| I work enough to pay for educational costs that I don't need the financial assistance | 1.1% |
THIRD MOST IMPORTANT REASON
The most popular response was that the deadlines to apply for aid were too early. An equal share indicated tuition and fees were affordable and the timing of the notification was too late.
| Reason | % of Respondents |
|---|---|
| The deadlines to apply were too early | 13.0% |
| I felt I could afford the campus tuition and fees | 11.7% |
| The timing of the notification was too late | 11.7% |
| The FAFSA was too difficult to complete | 9.7% |
| There was not enough information about the types of financial aid available | 9.1% |
| Receipt of financial aid would require accepting too many loans | 7.8% |
| I didn't have enough support from parents/counselor/teachers/others to try to apply | 7.8% |
| Eligibility of financial aid would require a high GPA or standardized test scores | 6.5% |
| Applying for aid was not worth the time or effort | 5.2% |
| There was not enough information about what financial aid is and how to get it | 5.2% |
| I would not be eligible for financial aid | 4.5% |
| I work enough to pay for educational costs that I don't need the financial assistance | 3.2% |
| Other | 3.2% |
| I was too embarrassed to be a financial aid recipient | 1.3% |
38. What was the most important reason why you DID apply for financial aid?
(Rank the top three)
MOST IMPORTANT REASON
The most prevalent reason why students applied for aid was that they would not have been able to attend UH without it. The second most common reason was the belief that they would be eligible for aid, followed by the effects of the recent economic downturn on students and their families' financial situation.
| Reason | % of Respondents |
|---|---|
| I would not have been able to attend without aid | 32.5% |
| I believed I would be eligible for financial aid | 20.3% |
| The recent economic downturn affected my/my family's financial situation | 16.4% |
| The FAFSA was worthwhile to complete | 8.9% |
| The campus tuition and fees were substantial enough for me to apply for financial aid | 7.0% |
| There was adequate information about what financial aid is and how to get it | 5.5% |
| I had enough support from parents/counselor/teachers/others in the application process to apply | 3.6% |
| Other | 2.0% |
| I believed eligibility of financial aid would require a high GPA or standardized test score | 1.7% |
| There was adequate information about the types of financial aid available | 0.9% |
| I didn't believe there was any stigma or embarrassment to be a financial aid recipient | 0.7% |
| The deadlines to apply were adequate and not too late | 0.5% |
SECOND MOST IMPORTANT REASON
The most common answer was respondents believed they were eligible for financial aid. The recent economic downturn and its effects on students and their families was the next most common response followed by those who felt the FAFSA was worthwhile to complete.
| Reason | % of Respondents |
|---|---|
| I believed I would be eligible for financial aid | 20.9% |
| The recent economic downturn affected my/my family's financial situation | 15.5% |
| The FAFSA was worthwhile to complete | 12.2% |
| I would not have been able to attend without aid | 10.6% |
| The campus tuition and fees were substantial enough for me to apply for financial aid | 10.2% |
| I had enough support from parents/counselor/teachers/others in the application process to apply | 9.0% |
| I didn't believe there was any stigma or embarrassment to be a financial aid recipient | 7.1% |
| There was adequate information about what financial aid is and how to get it | 5.1% |
| There was adequate information about the types of financial aid available | 4.0% |
I believed eligibility of financial aid would require a high GPA or standardized test score | 2.5% |
| The deadlines to apply were adequate and not too late | 1.3% |
| Other | 1.1% |
| The timing of the notification was adequate | 0.7% |
THIRD MOST IMPORTANT REASON
The most common response why students applied for financial aid was because they felt they were eligible. Secondly, students felt the FAFSA was worthwhile to complete. Thirdly, they didn't believe there was any stigma or embarrassment to be a financial aid recipient.
| Reason | % of Respondents |
|---|---|
| I believed I would be eligible for financial aid | 16.7% |
| The FAFSA was worthwhile to complete | 15.0% |
| I didn't believe there was any stigma or embarrassment to be a financial aid recipient | 12.7% |
The recent economic downturn affected my/my family's financial situation | 10.4% |
| The campus tuition and fees were substantial enough for me to apply for financial aid | 10.3% |
| I had enough support from parents/counselor/teachers/others in the application process to apply | 9.2% |
| I would not have been able to attend without aid | 6.9% |
| There was adequate information about what financial aid is and how to get it | 6.6% |
| Other | 3.4% |
| There was adequate information about the types of financial aid available | 3.3% |
| The deadlines to apply were adequate and not too late | 2.5% |
| I believed eligibility of financial aid would require a high GPA or standardized test score | 1.5% |
| The timing of the notification was adequate | 1.4% |