Your parents should get statements showing how much the account is worth- if they don’t, they can ask their HR rep at work how to look it up. And yes- current value means how much money is in there.
While many don’t, some colleges do expect you to tap into qualified retirement accounts to help fund your college education. You probably should ask the college FA office how they’d treat retirement accounts, particularly pensions. Unlike retirement savings plans (such as IRA, 401k), pensions are typically not fully funded. They’re just employers’ liabilities, or a form of IOUs. You usually can’t go to your employer and ask for their redemptions, even if you’re willing to take the tax consequences (unlike the savings plans).
The easiest way to get the right numbers would be to access your parents’ plans online. Even if they never use this option, it is available for all plans I am aware of. It may require registering, security verification, etc. but it would still be easier than asking HR.