Student Financial Aid (SFA)
The Student Financial Aid survey collects the count of students awarded different types of financial aid or military education benefits and the total amounts of aid awarded. The average dollar amount of aid awarded is then calculated. As required by the Higher Education Act (1965), as amended, IPEDS also collects data to calculate average net price at each institution for two groups of undergraduates: those awarded grant aid and those awarded Title IV federal aid.
Data collected include:
- Counts of undergraduate students awarded aid and amounts of aid,
- Counts of full-time, first-time undergraduate students awarded aid and amounts of aid, and
- Counts of undergraduate and graduate students receiving military education benefits.
Contact: Stacey Peterson, Survey Director
Data Presentation
Graphics
Note: Groups 3 and 4 include only students paying the in-state/in-district tuition rate at public institutions and only students enrolled in the largest program at institutions reporting costs by program. Students awarded Title IV grants belong to both groups 3 and 4.
Source: IPEDS 2020-21 Winter surveys, Data Release Web tables, Student Financial Aid component (provisional data),
Table 5
Source: IPEDS Trend generator using Student Financial Aid 2019-20 survey component,
view table
Other Resources
- Net Price Calculator Information Center
- Average Institutional Net Price FAQs
- College Affordability and Transparency Center lists
- Reporting Study Abroad Students
- The History and Origins of Survey Items (2022–23 Update)
- Data use tip sheet: Using Student Financial Aid (SFA) and Fall (EF) or 12 Month (E12) Enrollment data to calculate how many undergraduates receive financial aid
- Timing of IPEDS Data Collection
- Student Cohorts and Subgroups in IPEDS
Survey Materials
Survey Forms
Glossary
