A new report says it will take more than a financial aid check and “good luck” handshake for colleges to help low-income students succeed in class and earn a diploma.

Even if they are high achievers in high school, students from low-income families are eight times less likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than their well-off peers, according to the authors of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s “Making College Affordable” report.

Often this is because low-income students don’t understand financial aid or how it works, and feel they are unable to meet the full cost of higher education. They also are more likely than their peers to suffer from “sticker shock” on seeing the high cost of college, leading them to pursue higher ed closer to home or make choices allowing them to work while in school.

The report says some students might not be aware of grants or state and federal funding that can help cover school costs, as well as institutional aids, work/study programs or loan forgiveness policies.

The Jack Kent Cooke researchers offered 11 strategies colleges could use to help low-income students, fitting into three general categories: clarifying financial information, easing the financial burden and filling in financial aid gaps.

Make information available

For a start, schools can do something as simple as making information about graduation rates, diversity and tuition costs available to all perspective students, not just those who request it. Students from low-income families may not even be aware such information, which can help them make a better choice about school, exists, let alone that they should ask for it, the authors said.

Schools also should send clear, understandable information about financial aid, making sure letters clearly state the amount of grant aid the student is receiving and which are gifts or need to be paid back; the source of each grant; possible additional sources of funding; clarification that loan amounts are suggestions, not requirements; and a clear statement of how much the student and family will need to pay, as well as the net cost of attendance.

Students should receive a four-year estimate of expected costs, including potential increases in tuition to help them make informed choices and plan for the next four to six years. For low-income students, an unexpected jump in costs can derail their college career.

Administrators need to establish clear policies regarding financial aid eligibility requirements, and school staff should remind them periodically about requirements and deadlines.

Helping hands need to go beyond school costs.

Colleges should give students a better estimate of non-tuition and living costs, the authors said. The report says about a third of colleges underestimate living expenses, often relying on inaccurate student surveys, which can cripple low-income students who then do not ask for enough aid. Schools should use federal income and cost-of-living estimates and identify student spending on needs versus wants.

Low-income students also have been hurt as institutions move toward merit-based scholarships and away from need-based aid. Merit-based scholarships are likely to attract students who can afford college or those at the top of their class, the study says. Although that’s good for the college, it creates further gaps in education by limiting aid to students who may need it the most.

These programs should be widely advertised with little red tape, the study authors said.

Researchers said it makes sense to integrate financial aid and social services.

Public programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps); the Women, Infants and Children Program; and the Earned Income Tax Credit may provide an important source of financial support for students and keep them in school, but they may not be aware of such programs or ways to apply.

“Helping low-income students pay for college and increasing students’ financial literacy takes more than just a financial aid check,” the authors said. “It requires a commitment on the part of university administration and faculty members to consider both large and small financial obstacles standing in students’ path and to seek ways to remove those obstacles.”

These strategies can help ensure not only that low-income students enroll in a college that suits their needs and abilities, the report says, but also that they graduate without an overbearing load of permanent debt.

And once aid is given, schools should commit to maintaining grant levels for the duration of a student’s academic program. Research indicates private universities decrease grant aid by an average of $1,000 between freshman and senior year. This may hurt low income students, especially if they also face tuition or fee hikes.

Schools shouldn’t reduce aid when students receive private scholarships, and should look for low-cost textbook options.

Even with financial aid, the report recognizes some students struggle to meet basic needs. Unexpected life events can impact their ability to pay for school, and many colleges are setting up emergency aid or integrating financial aid with public benefits to help.

Low-income students should not have to choose between buying textbooks or eating and having a place to sleep. Yet one study found 40% of students attending University of California campuses did have access to nutritious food and one of four students said they had to choose between buying food or paying for education and housing.

Schools can help in a variety of ways, including campus vouchers to help students buy books and food at campus stores or dining halls; completion scholarships to cover outstanding balances so students can graduate; emergency loans; food pantries; or grants that may or may not be tied to criteria related to academic standing.