New data on post-secondary students

The National Center for Education Statistics has released the first round of results from the 2008 National Student Postsecondary Aid Study (NPSAS:08). This nationally representative study provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive look at postsecondary student characteristics and student financial aid for the 2007-08 academic year.

NPSAS:08 data are a rich source of information on student demographics, family background, education and work experiences, and student financial aid, including federal, state, institutional, and other sources. The NPSAS:08 study contains a sample of 128,000 students which represent 21 million undergraduates and 3 million graduate students enrolled in postsecondary education anytime between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.

Selected NPSAS:08 Findings.

* Nearly two-thirds (66 percent) of all undergraduates received some type of financial aid. For those receiving any aid, the total average amount was $9,100.

* About one-half (52 percent) of all undergraduates received grant aid, and more than one-third (38 percent) obtained student loans. The average grant amount was $4,900, and the average loan amount was $7,100.

* Nearly one-half (47 percent) of all undergraduates received some type of federal student aid. About one-fourth (28 percent) received an average of $2,800 in federal Pell grants, and about one-third (35 percent) obtained an average of $5,100 in federal student loans.

* Among undergraduates financially dependent on their parents, 28 percent came from families with incomes under $40,000 and another 28 percent from families with incomes of $100,000 or more.

* Three-fourths (74 percent) of all graduate students received some type of financial aid, with an average amount of $17,600. Forty-three percent took out an average of $18,500 in student loans, and about one-fifth (22 percent) received tuition aid from their employers.

To view, download and print the report as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009166

To Use the Data Analysis System (DAS) online, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/dasol/