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This commentary represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Center for Education Statistics. | |||
How do low-income families pay for postsecondary education? This is a critical question to answer as we look to the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). Through the HEA, the U.S. Department of Education will deliver or cause to be delivered more than $60 billion in financial aid—primarily to low-income students—during the 2003–04 academic year. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report How Families of Low- and Middle-Income Undergraduates Pay for College: Full-Time Dependent Students in 1999–2000 highlights the significant role that federal student financial aid programs play as the primary mode of support to low-income students enrolled in a public 2-year, public 4-year, or private not-for-profit 4-year college or university. It also highlights the fact that middle-income students' reliance on financial aid is greatest when they are attending 4-year institutions. The report documents the fact that low-income students attending public 2-year colleges in 1999–2000 were able to meet their education expenses by combining federal grants with their earnings from work. Typically, they were also aided by their families by living at home while enrolled, and they borrowed little. Low-income students attending public 4-year colleges and universities, particularly those attending doctoral degree-granting universities, were likely to receive more grant support, including institutional grants, and to spend no more out-of-pocket than their peers at public 2-year colleges. They were, however, more likely to take out subsidized Stafford loans. Three significant changes have occurred since 1999–2000:
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