This monograph presents a history of developments in major student financial aid programs over the past 20 years. An opening section offers highlights of the topic. The article goes on to look at types of student aid, categorized as grants, loans, and work study. An examination of the effects of inflation shows that even taking into account…

The estimated percentage of full-time undergraduates who received aid in fall 1984 is reported, along with the total amount they received, the distribution of aided students by families' income level, and the composition of aid packages. Information is also provided on student debt, the use of special tuition plans, and how student employment…