This report presents trend data on nonfederal grant and scholarship aid awarded to undergraduate students in selected years between 2003-04 and 2015-16. Nonfederal grant and scholarship aid is typically awarded by states, institutions, employers, and private sources. Unlike loans, grant and scholarship aid does not need to be repaid. Grants and…

At more than one hundred questions, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has often been the source of sharp criticism. Indeed, the length, complexity, and timing of the FAFSA have left many students, parents, and institutions frustrated, prompting policy makers to demand reform. The urgency to reform is especially salient when…

Public higher education has long been unaffordable for many students, especially for Black and Latino students who have substantially less wealth, on average, than their White peers. Unfortunately, the economic devastation caused by COVID-19 has only exacerbated these financial inequities for Black and Latino households, who have been hit hardest…

This article explores the determinants of persistence in the Chilean higher education system, considering academic and socio-demographic factors as well as the role of financial aid. The financial aid policy for students in Chile has undergone major changes over the last decade, which has allowed individuals from usually underrepresented income…

This study analyzed 586 students from nine vocational high schools in three provinces in China. It found a substantial gap between the demand for and the supply of government financial aid. Moreover, correct student aid information and aid application was not equally distributed among various student groups. A financial aid application made a…

The FAFSA application can be completed by aspiring students to access federal financial aid for college enrollment. FAFSA completion rates for AISD seniors were the same in 2011 and 2012, and gaps in FAFSA completion remained among student groups.

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first and most important step for students to receive their portion of the billions of grant aid dollars disbursed in federal student financial aid; however, every year many low income and community college students fail to complete the FAFSA. Over the past twenty years,…

This hearing is the third in a series examining critical issues in postsecondary education as the committee looks to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. The topic discussed is of paramount importance and is arguably the bedrock of Federal higher education policy, that is, the Federal financial aid programs and their effectiveness in providing…

The Race to the Top (RTTT) program, announced by the Obama Administration in 2009, represented the largest competitive grant in the history of U.S. education. Despite the amount of money available and the dire condition of most state budgets in that year, however, some states chose not to apply for funding and the remainder submitted applications…

Changes in the distribution of student financial aid have taken place at the state and federal level. In addition, several authors have reported on shifts in the awarding of financial aid to students at the institutional level. The analysis described in this study examines shifts in institutional responsiveness to both student need and student…

College officials worry that too many of their peers use merit aid to "buy" students whose test scores will burnish their institutions' rankings in "U.S. News & World Report." In fact, the debate about financial aid on today's campuses has led to the near vilification of merit aid. The lament is that money is often diverted…

National statistics indicate that approximately 50 percent of all graduate students fail to complete their degree; thus, understanding the factors that influence their persistence is an important research objective. Using data from a nationally representative sample of bachelor's degree recipients, the study aimed to answer three questions: What…

This document provides information on financial aid programs and needs of Alabama institutions of higher education. Emphasis is placed on the correlation method--the case for the existence of financial barriers are in Alabama; sources and amounts of financial aid available to meet financial need in Alabama; recipients of financial aid at Alabama…

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) is a comprehensive study of how students and their families pay for postsecondary education. It includes nationally representative samples of undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional students who attend less-than-2-year institutions, 2-year institutions, 4-year colleges, and major…

When is a student emancipated from his parents in considering financial aid applications? Indeed, independence from parental support will surely be the subject of litigation and legal settlement in the near future as students and parents test the ramifications of the 18-year-old vote and the age of majority. The author prefers to request financial…