Goldrick-Rab, Sara. 2006. <em>Promoting Academic Momentum at Community Colleges: Challenges and Opportunities.</em> CCRC Working Paper No. 5. Accessed July 26, 2007, from http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/DefaultFiles/SendFileToPublic.asp?ft=pdf&FilePath=c:\Websites\ccrc_tc_columbia_edu_documents\332_492.pdf&fid=332_492&aid=47&RID=492&pf=Publication.asp?UID=492.<br />
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	Goldrick-Rab's literature review focuses on how the actions of higher education institutions and characteristics of the community college student population result in a high percentage of enrolled students dropping out before earning a degree. The second part of the literature review identifies opportunities for improving students&#8218; lack of progress and degree persistence. The author identifies college affordability as a significant reason why low-income and minority students do not attend college or drop out once enrolled. Disadvantaged students and their parents are more likely to overestimate the cost of college, which discourages them from applying to and attending college. The author also cites evidence that once students enroll, those who receive financial aid are more likely to make consistent progress in college. Lastly, Goldrick-Rab highlights the Opening Doors Program as a model in which scholarships offered to low-income students improve academic success and persistence, suggesting that similar financial aid strategies can increase persistence among community college students.<br />
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Zarate, Maria Estela and Harry P. Pachon. 2006. <em>Perceptions of College Financial Aid Among California Latino Youth.</em> Los Angeles, CA: Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI).<br />
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	Using a survey administered to 400 Latino youth between the ages of 18 and 24 in California, Zarate and Pachon examine how the respondents perceive college costs, financial aid access, and benefits and opportunity costs of college attendance, as well as what they know about Cal grants, Pell Grants, and loan instruments. The study finds that nearly all of the respondents believe that it is important to have a college education but that almost 38 percent of the respondents do not believe that the benefits of college outweigh the costs of attending. Regarding access to aid, an overwhelming number of respondents say that financial aid is an important factor in their college plans. However, many of them (including foreign-born permanent residents) are not familiar with sources of financial aid or believe erroneously that students have to be U.S. citizens to apply for financial aid. Few students can correctly estimate the cost of attending a University of California or California State University. Many respondents are unfamiliar with grants and loans as sources of financial aid, and most are unwilling to incur debt for college. Additionally, students cite the complexity of the FAFSA and misconceptions about aid programs as barriers. The authors offer several recommendations, such as encouraging discourse on the benefits of college, correcting perceptions of college costs through media exposure, recognizing that access to Spanish translations is not equivalent to knowledge of financial aid concepts, and understanding that Latino youth are often responsible for taking the initiative in securing financial aid information as well as contributing to the economic well-being of their households.