Book Description

Between 1995-96 and 2011-12, the number of undergraduates attending postsecondary institutions in the United States increased from nearly 17 million to 23 million. The web tables presented in this report provide a comprehensive look over a 16-year period at the trends in how undergraduates enrolled in U.S. postsecondary institutions finance their education, presenting data from five administrations of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) conducted in the 1995-96, 1999-2000, 2003-04, 2007-08, and 2011-12 academic years. Results are presented for all undergraduates and then separately for those who attended four types of institutions: public 2-year, public 4-year, private nonprofit 4-year, and all for-profit institutions. Figures and tables are grouped into three major sections: (1) total price and total tuition; (2) financial aid receipt and amounts; and (3) net price, expected family contribution (EFC), and remaining need after taking into account all financial aid. Section 1 presents trends in the average total price of attendance and the average tuition and fees for undergraduates, by selected institutional and student characteristics. Each table presents data for all students and for students attending postsecondary institutions full time for the full year. Section 2 focuses on trends in undergraduate financial aid, showing the percentages of undergraduates receiving each major type of financial aid and the average amounts in current dollars received, by selected institutional and student characteristics. Section 3 focuses on trends in net price after accounting for financial aid. Both net price (after grant aid) and out-of-pocket net price (after total aid) are presented. The section also shows trends in expected family contribution (EFC), financial need, and remaining financial need after accounting for financial aid.