Fast Facts: Financial Aid

The cost of a college education is more than most students can afford out of pocket. To help with those costs, the majority of students utilize financial aid.

In this report, we break down who can benefit from student aid, how financial aid offerings have fluctuated over time, and what types of aid are available to undergraduate and graduate students.

Students from all backgrounds and situations can access financial aid to help them pay for school. Below are the main types of aid available.

Need-based and merit-based scholarships are financial aid options awarded by the government, public organizations, private organizations, and individual academic institutions.

Scholarships do not need to be repaid and can be used to cover students’ tuition and fees, books, and other costs associated with attending school.^[7]

Federal grants are a form of financial aid provided by the federal government that typically do not need to be repaid. These grants can be used to pay for four-year colleges and universities, two-year institutions otherwise known as community colleges, or accredited career programs.^[8]

According to the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), during the 2021-2022 academic year:^{Note Reference [2]}

Examples of federal grants include Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants.

As of 2022-2023, undergraduate students who received Pell Grants accounted for 53% of students who were awarded grant aid during the year.1 The average Pell Grant aid awarded during that period was $5,240.^{Note Reference [1]}

Grants are also awarded by state governments, local governments, and individual institutions. Just like federal grants, these grants typically do not need to be repaid.^{Note Reference [8]}

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a government program that allows college students to work part time, on or off campus, while enrolled in school. Through FWS, undergraduate or graduate students earn wages that they may use at their discretion. However, their wages will be capped at the amount of their FWS award.^[9]

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education (ED):^{Note Reference [5]}5

Unlike other forms of financial aid, federal student loans consist of borrowed money and must be repaid within a certain period, often with interest.^[10]

During the 2022-2023 academic year:

Like federal student loans, private student loans must also be repaid with interest. They differ from federal student loans in that they often require a co-signer or established credit record and do not offer loan forgiveness plans.^[11]

As of the 2022-2023 academic year, 85% of full-time, first-year undergraduate students were awarded some type of financial aid.^{Note Reference [1]} Among the students who were offered aid:

During the same academic year, the average amount of grant and scholarship aid awarded to first-time, full-time students at four-year institutions was $15,750.^{Note Reference [4]} However, financial aid awards differ across school types and demographics.

The average amount of financial aid students receive largely depends on their financial need compared to the cost of education.

The most recently available financial aid data from NCES reveals that during the 2019-2020 academic year:^{Note Reference [6]}

During the 2019-2020 academic year, 74% of female undergraduate students received some type of financial aid, according to NCES. By comparison, 67% of male students and 66% of nonbinary students received financial aid during the same academic year.6

In 2019-2020, undergraduate students between the ages of 15 and 23 were most likely to receive some type of financial aid.^{Note Reference [6]}

While some college students receive financial assistance from family or other support systems, others arrive at school independently. During the 2019-2020 academic year, 9.6 million undergraduate students were dependent, while 7.3 million were independent, per NCES.^{Note Reference [6]}

Total student aid has increased exponentially over the past 50 years. Between 1970 and 2023, total financial aid, including non-federal student loans, rose by more than 900%, according to College Board.^{Note Reference [3]}

The average amount of aid awarded to students has also increased over time. Between 2003 and 2023, the total average aid for undergraduate students rose by 25%, per College Board. For graduate students, average aid increased by about 20%.^{Note Reference [3]}

Average grant aid for undergraduate and graduate students has increased the most over the last 20 years.^{Note Reference [3]}