This Data Point looks first at whether students who planned to go to college also met with a high school counselor about financial aid. The second question considers a different population of students, addressing whether students who enrolled in college also received aid. This analysis does not indicate a causal relationship between meeting with a counselor and receiving financial aid for college; further research is needed into the underlying mechanisms. It uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). HSLS:09 is a national study of more than 23,000 students in ninth grade in 2009. Students answered surveys between 2009 and 2016. College transcripts and financial aid records for HSLS:09 students were collected in 2017-18 in the Postsecondary Education Transcript Study and Student Financial Aid Records Collection (PETS-SR).