II.G: College.gov

Create a comprehensive online resource with the help and tools students need to get started.

Other Information:

College.gov conveys the Department’s strong belief that postsecondary education is an achievable goal for anyone, regardless of income, ethnicity, age or gender. This unique Web site motivates students with inspirational stories and information about planning, preparing and paying for college. With students’ input and participation, College.gov was created for high school students and their families as a comprehensive online resource with the help and tools students need to get started. College.gov seeks to build an online community that fosters hope, highlights the opportunity of education beyond high school and empowers users with clearly defined resources to reach their college dreams. The College.gov team has worked to bring transparency, participation and collaboration to this online experience. Before beginning work on the project, a “listening tour” was held to gauge the needs of citizens. Students and families from across the country revealed that they needed answers to the most basic questions on attaining education beyond high school. Students said that wanted to hear from and be inspired by others like them. Through focus groups and usability testing, the target audience’s voice is continuously heard on matters of site design, content and features. User feedback is extremely valued. Every user-submitted suggestion is logged, discussed by the team, and then considered during the change management process. A short survey on the site allows the team to monitor satisfaction levels, and these responses always trend favorable. All survey data and site metrics are documented and analyzed each month to identify areas for improvement.

Stakeholder(s):

• Federal Student Aid (FSA)


• High School Students


• Families of High School Students

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

Content