| By Gale Staff |
In a recent study released by the ACT, nearly four out of ten 11th and 12th grade students said they have trouble finding the information they need to learn about colleges. According to the data, access to information is notably worse for students from lower-income families and students of color.1
As high school students consider their postsecondary paths, evaluating and comparing available college options is key. Most often, students find information on a college or university’s website, but these sources make it challenging to understand the full range of choices and compare multiple institutions.
So how can you make the search for college information more equitable for every student? Connect prospective graduates to accessible college planning resources.
With Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep, students and their parents can easily explore their college options, understand financial aid eligibility, and make a plan for after graduation, all in one place.
Help Students Discover Their Dream School with School Search
Students consider a lot of criteria to find their perfect school, from where the campus is located to which degree programs are offered. With so many colleges and universities to compare across the country, finding the right one can be challenging.
In Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep, students can search across nearly 4,200 accredited schools to discover institutions that fit their priorities. Search criteria include location, area of study, admission requirements, school size, tuition, and more.
Students can click to view school profiles that include an overview, tuition information, and images. As students find schools that fit their preferences, they can create a customized list to organize their top college choices.
Offer Convenient Access to Explore Scholarships and Grants
In addition to finding the perfect school, students and their parents also have to explore their options for affording college. According to the Education Data Initiative, over 85% of first-time college students benefit from financial aid, but many public financial aid programs are underutilized—$4.0 billion went unclaimed in federal grants for the 2023–2024 academic year.2
College planning resources like Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep make scholarships and other financial aid opportunities more accessible to all students. With the Scholarship Search, users can easily find awards and grants to potentially help cut their college costs. The Scholarship Search includes an award description, monetary value, application requirements, deadlines, and contact information to give students an in-depth look at potential financial aid opportunities.
Break Down Barriers to Understanding Financial Aid Options
Just like prospective college students have trouble finding information about schools, they also have challenges finding and understanding financial aid information.3 In 2024, over half of high school graduates did not complete the FAFSA®, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, to determine if they were eligible for a mix of grants, scholarships, loans, and more.4
By giving students access to straightforward, easy-to-navigate financial aid information, we can help them understand their college funding options and confidently apply for financial assistance. Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep connects students to tools like a financial aid quiz, which tests their knowledge about key financial aid descriptions, options, and requirements to prepare them for financial aid applications.
A lot goes into preparing for college, from taking standardized entrance exams to researching schools and scholarships. With Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep, prospective college students have access to a full suite of test prep and college planning resources to guide them on their journeys.
Help students take advantage of this powerful resource in your library by sharing flyers, social posts, and more promotional materials from the Gale support site.
Not a subscriber of Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep? Request a trial of this accessible education and career planning solution, named “Overall Career Prep Solution of the Year” in the 2024 EdTech Breakthrough Awards.
Notes:
1 “Nearly 4 in 10 Students Say They Have Trouble Finding the Information They Need for Learning About Colleges,” act.org, September 12, 2024.
2 Melanie Hanson, “Financial Aid Statistics,” Education Data Initiative, February 3, 2025.
3 Annie Nova, “Many high school students don’t understand how the college financial aid process works,” CNBC.com, July 5, 2019.
4 Jason Gonzales, “Flawed FAFSA rollout leads to 11.6% drop in students filling out the college financial aid form,” chalkbeat.org, July 8, 2024.