BCCAT

This study explored what types of information and data are available for British Columbia (BC) prospective domestic post-secondary students to help their decisions to go into post-secondary education. The research also examined post-secondary professionals’ perceptions on how these students navigate the decision-making process through a financial filter. The report contains the results from a review of relevant literature, a scan of institutional websites in BC to extract published costs and financial aid information, interviews of a cross-section of practitioners and experts in student finance and assistance, and a survey of BC financial aid administrators. Exploring prospective students’ perceptions on affordability and financial aspects of post-secondary was outside the scope of this study.

This report concludes with some recommendations for post-secondary institutions and government. These recommendations include auditing and improving website information and tools (e.g., estimators of student financial need), reconsidering aspects of the conceptual assumptions about the provision of financial aid to post-secondary students, and conducting future research that explores first-hand perspectives from students.