ELECTRONIC E. D. TAB:

National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 1995-96: Student Financial Aid Estimates for Federal Aid Recipients, 1995-96

October 1996

(NCES 97-937)

This report is based on administrative records data on more than 21,500 students--including undergraduate and graduate students-- who received federal financial aid at approximately 700 of the 800 institutions participating in the 1996 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. NCES is releasing the report now so that Department of Education staff and others can use these preliminary estimates in planning for the next reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Estimates focus primarily on percentages of students receiving Title IV financial aid, and average amounts of specific types of aid received. NCES will also be releasing a data analysis system based on this data.

Highlights

AMONG THE 6.3 MILLION FEDERALLY AIDED UNDERGRADUATES (INCLUDING FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STUDENTS) ENROLLED DURING 1995-96:

  • Undergraduates received average of $4,535, including federal grants, loans, and work-study during 1995-96.
  • About 57 percent (about 3.6 million) received a Pell grant; averaging about $1,500. About one of every seven Pell grant recipients, also received $5,000 or more in Title IV loans.
  • About 3 of every 4 federally aided undergraduates took out a federal loan, averaging $4,010. Percentages of federally aided undergraduates receiving Title IV loans varied, depending on the type of institution--from about 39 percent of federally aided undergraduates at public 2-year institutions to 90 percent of the federally aided students at private, not-for-profit, doctorate-granting institutions.
  • Average amounts also varied considerably, depending on the type of institution. Among federally aided undergraduates enrolled at public 2-year institutions, the average amount of Title IV loan aid received was about $3,210. At public doctorate-granting institutions, the average Title IV loan amount was about $4,330. At other public 4-year institutions, the average Title IV loan amount was about $3,720.
  • Among the federally aided students enrolled at private not-for-profit, doctorate-granting institutions, the average Title IV loan amount was about $4,790. At other private not-for-profit, 4-year institutions, the average amount was about $4,250.
  • Federally aided students enrolled at private for-profit institutions, took out an average Title IV loan of about $3,980.
  • Nearly one of every four federally aided undergraduates received an institution grant, averaging about $3,730.

    • AMONG THE 630 THOUSAND GRADUATE AND FIRST-PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS FEDERALLY AIDED (INCLUDING FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STUDENTS) ENROLLED DURING 1995-96:

  • Graduate students who took out a federal Stafford loan, borrowed an average of about $9,120. Students enrolled in professional programs such as medical, dentistry, veterinary programs and law school borrowed an average of about $13,780.
  • About one of every 3 graduate/first-professional students received some institutional aid averaging $5,400.
  • About seven out of ten federally aided students in doctoral or first-professional programs received an unsubsidized loan, averaging about $7,630.

    • Download/view the full report in a PDF file.

    The data file for NPSAS:96 is scheduled for release in Spring 1997. For more information about NPSAS or this report, contact Aurora D’Amico at 202-502-7334 or at Aurora.D'Amico@ed.gov.