Perna, Laura. 2004. <em>Impact of Student Aid Program Design, Operations, and Marketing on the Formation of Family-Going Plans and Resulting College-Going Behaviors of Potential Students.</em> The Education Resources Institute (TERI). Accessed July 27, 2007, from http://www.teri.org/pdf/research-studies/ReseachReport_Perna.pdf.<br />
 	<br />
Perna summarizes the current literature about the extent to which families are affected by their awareness of college prices and student aid programs, and whether student aid program operations and marketing activities play a role in influencing this awareness. She describes research in four areas: first, the effect of parents on the formation of students' college-going aspirations; second, the level of awareness of college prices and financial aid programs among parents and students; third, the effects of this knowledge on rates of actual postsecondary attendance; and fourth, the efficacy of the marketing of student aid programs. The author notes that low-income, African-American, and Latino students and parents are more likely to face economic, social, and psychological barriers that limit parental involvement in developing their child's college aspirations and plans. The same population is likely to have limited or incorrect information about college prices and financial aid, which results in a gap between higher educational aspirations and actual college enrollment rates. Finally, Perna suggests that more research is necessary in order to study the timing of awareness of college prices and financial aid so schools can market student aid programs more effectively. She concludes that the first step toward enhancing awareness is to tackle the language barriers among ethnic groups.