The simple act of assisting students to fill out financial aid forms could help increase enrolment rates, according to the findings of a new US-Canada study. It found college enrolment rates increased by 29% when individuals received assistance in completing the forms.

The study, published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, suggested that assistance with completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form and providing information about financial aid could effectively increase college enrolments by low-income youth when compared to simply informing students about their aid eligibility.

"The results are mind boggling," said study collaborator Philip Oreopoulos of the University of Toronto in Canada's University Affairs Magazine. "The fact that they can be achieved by such a simple, low-cost solution makes it all the more exciting."

The study, conducted by researchers at Toronto, Harvard and Stanford universities, and the US National Bureau of Economic Research, in partnership with H&R Block, involved more than 26,000 low-income individuals (earning less than US $45,000 per year) in Ohio and North Carolina.

H&R Block tax professionals helped a first group of randomly selected families complete the FAFSA during the 2008 tax season and offered to submit the forms for them. The families were then given personalised aid estimates, along with net tuition cost information for four nearby public colleges.

A second group received personalised aid eligibility estimates based on their tax returns as well as information on tuition costs for four nearby colleges but they did not receive any help in completing the FAFSA. A third group only received a brochure on the importance of higher education along with general information on college costs and financial aid.

The 2008 FAFSA application is a daunting form containing more than 100 questions and leaving many students feeling overwhelmed when completing it. Many simply give up.

The study suggests that simplification and assistance together are effective ways to increase submission of financial aid applications. It says the complexity of the FAFSA, as well as the time required to fill out the application and the little information about true costs of college all add up to major barriers that stop students from applying for financial aid.

Overcoming that barrier led to students taking the next step of enrolling in college. And in this study, many did.

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