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Overview
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Report Findings
Total Aid
Federal Aid
Grants
Loans
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Trends in College Pricing 2011
Education Pays 2010
Report Findings
This report is organized into the following categories. Select a category to explore the data:
Total Aid.
Student financial aid includes grants, federal loans, work-study and tax benefits. Federal and state governments, colleges and universities, employers and other private entities provide financial aid to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Federal Aid.
The federal government provides grant aid, most of which is based on students' financial circumstances. It also provides education loans for students and parents and work-study funds that help to pay the wages of some student workers. Tax credits and deductions also subsidize students and families paying for college.
Grants.
From the student's perspective, grant aid is the most desirable form of financial aid. It is awarded before the tuition bill has to be paid and does not have to be repaid. The federal government and colleges and universities are the largest sources of grant aid, but states and employers and other private entities also provide significant amounts of grant aid.
Loans.
The federal government provides education loans to both students and parents. These loans are now funded directly by the government, but until July 2010 some were funded by private lenders and guaranteed by the federal government. Federal loans carry fixed interest rates and a variety of repayment protections, but this is not the case for the nonfederal loans on which some students rely. Student loans make college possible for many students, but rising education debt levels are a growing concern.
Other.
The federal government provides education tax credits and deductions that reduce the tax bills of parents and students paying for postsecondary education. It also exempts from taxation the earnings on specified savings vehicles earmarked for paying for college.
