Answer: Teachers and counselors 

Here's the top 3 sources:

1. Teachers and counselors: 65%
2. College websites/brochures: 57%
3. Speaking with family members, other than parents: 46%

Questions:

• What sources have you turned to/will you use in order to learn more about college costs? 
• Which source has been most helpful to you? Least helpful?
• Have you received conflicting advice about college? How do you deal with that situation where you are getting differing advice from these sources? 

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Junior Achievement Survey):

Beyond those teens who actively engaged with their parents regarding paying for college, teens have used multiple resources to research the subject. These include speaking with high school teachers and counselors (64% high school juniors; 65% high school seniors; 52% college freshmen), reviewing college websites and brochures (48% high school juniors; 57% high school seniors; 56% college freshmen), and speaking with family members other than parents (39% high school juniors; 46% high school seniors; 48% college freshmen). To lesser degrees, teens have spoken to friends, attended college fairs and conducted research via social media. Still, despite these efforts, a large majority of teens feel that they haven’t done enough research about paying for college (75% high school juniors; 62% high school seniors; 64% college freshmen).

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About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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