NCESD Video Project Increases Financial Aid Awareness Among Students
Positive results are being reported regarding a project to increase awareness about financial aid and postsecondary education opportunities in Washington.
The effort involved a series of short, animated videos that were created through a partnership between the North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) and the Washington Student Achievement Council.
"We're really excited!" says NCESD Director of STEM Initiatives and Strategic Partnerships, Dr. Sue Kane. "The study showed that most young people did find out things that they didn't know before watching the videos. The videos also clarified some misconceptions and in general, everyone who watched the videos felt good about them and good about sharing them as well."
The videos were shared with students during regular classroom hours and students also completed surveys to share their feedback about the videos after viewing them.
Kane says if the videos continue to be utilized and prove effective, they could help in making substantial progress in a critically-overlooked area of the state's educational process.
"Washingtonians leave hundreds of thousands of dollars of student financial aid on the table every year. The state has done comprehensive analysis and put reports before the legislature every year detailing that it is literally the application phase where most folks get tripped up and don't apply who are eligible and for whom these funds are designed to go towards."
Washington has some of the strongest financial aid programs in the country. However, the state consistently ranks near the bottom in national rates for completed financial aid applications.
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