N-0

Department of Education

STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Federal Student Aid Programs..................................................................................................N-1

Student Aid Reform Proposals..................................................................................................N-3

Student Aid Programs Output Measures .................................................................................. N-8

Program Performance Information.......................................................................................... N-10
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-1

Federal Student Aid Programs

(Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2020 Authorization: Indefinite

Budget Authority:

Period of fund availability: 

2019 Footnote2020 Footnote Change Footnote

Grants and Work Study:

Pell Grants

Pell Grant Discretionary funding $22,475,352 $22,475,352 0

Pell Grant Mandatory funding 7,127,0001 7,292,0001 165,000

Subtotal, Pell Grants 29,602,352 29,767,352 165,000

Federal Supplemental Educational 

Opportunity Grants 840,000 0 -840,000

Federal Work Study 1,130,000 500,000 -630,000

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants 317 0 -317

TEACH Grants2 33,0393 29,9013 -3,138

Total, Grants and Work-Study 31,605,708 30,297,253 -1,308,455

NOTE: Table reflects discretionary and mandatory funding.

1 Amounts appropriated for Pell Grants for 2019 and 2020 include mandatory funding provided in the 

Higher Education Act, as amended, to fund both the base maximum award and add-on award.

2 TEACH Grants is operated as a credit program. Amounts reflect the new loan subsidy, or the net 

present value of estimated future costs.

3 The FY 2019 amount includes a net upward reestimate of $4.0 million due primarily to updated discount 

rates. The amount for FY 2020 reflects new loan subsidy.
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-2

Period of fund availability: 

2019 Footnote2020 Footnote Change Footnote

Net Loan Subsidy, Loans1

Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) 1,562,6032 -500,9623 -2,063,565

Federal Direct Student Loans -27,327,1494 -483,522 -27,810,671

NOTE: Table reflects discretionary and mandatory funding.

1 Total net subsidy in any fiscal year reflects the estimated net cost of the loan program for that fiscal 

year. It includes both positive and negative subsidies and upward and downward impacts of reestimates 

and modifications of existing loans. A negative subsidy occurs when the present value of cash inflows to 

the Government is estimated to exceed the present value of cash outflows. Negative subsidy is reported 

(as negative outlays) to a negative subsidy receipt account.

2 Budget authority for FFEL does not include the FFEL Liquidating account. Amount for 2019 reflects a 

net upward reestimate of $1.6 billion primarily due to revised assumptions related to prepayments and 

updated interest rate assumptions. This amount also includes reestimates related to the Ensuring 

Continued Access to Student Loans (ECASLA) Act. 3 The 2020 amount includes a net downward modification to reflect the policy proposal to eliminate 

Account Maintenance Fees.

4 Amount for 2019 includes a net upward reestimate of $26.3 billion, primarily due to updated default and 

collection assumptions and increased borrower participation in higher-cost Income-Driven Repayment 

(IDR) plans. The 2019 amount also includes a modification of $350 million to reflect a temporary 

expansion of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) as passed by Congress in the Department’s 

2019 Appropriations Act.

FY 2020 BUDGET PROPOSAL

The Federal student aid programs provide grant, loan, and work-study assistance to help 

students afford a postsecondary education, find employment in today’s workforce, and realize 

the lifelong benefits of a higher education. The Administration’s fiscal year 2020 budget for the 

Federal student aid programs focuses on simplifying funding for college and addressing the 

needs of today’s students. The request supports expanding Pell Grant eligibility for short-term 

programs and reforming the Federal Work Study (FWS) program to support workforce and 

career-oriented training opportunities for low-income undergraduate students. The request also 

includes proposals that address student debt by simplifying student loan repayment and 

redirecting inefficient loan subsidies to expedite debt relief for undergraduate borrowers

struggling to repay. These proposals would support congressional efforts to reform the Higher 

Education Act (HEA) to address student debt, lower higher education costs, increase 

institutional accountability, encourage program completion, and reduce the complexity of 

student financial aid. The 2020 request makes available $131 billion in new Federal student aid 

in fiscal year 2020, including over $30 billion in Pell Grants and $100 billion in student loans

(excluding consolidation loans). Nearly 12 million students will use these resources in their 

efforts to complete postsecondary education.

This overview discusses the Administration’s proposed package of initiatives and reforms that 

will not only better target aid to students, but will also improve student success. Current student 

aid programs are described in detail under the Student Financial Assistance account, the 

TEACH Grants account, and the Student Loans Overview. The administrative costs 

associated with the student aid programs are presented in the Student Aid Administration

account.
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-3

STUDENT AID REFORM PROPOSALS

Protect Pell Grants and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

Pell Grants are the foundation of low- and middle-income students’ financial aid package to 

which other forms of aid are added. The Administration’s 2020 budget would fully fund the Pell 

Grant program in 2020 and provide for a $6,195 maximum award in 2020-2021, while ensuring

the program remains on stable financial footing. The budget would also move the Iraq and 

Afghanistan Service Grants program to the Pell Grant program. This change will help to ensure 

the children of our fallen service members receive a full aid award, exempt from cuts due to 

sequestration, and without any other changes to the program’s benefits or eligibility.

Expand Pell Grant Eligibility to Short-Term Programs

Americans are often unable to access education and training programs that would provide them 

with the skills needed to secure well-paying jobs in high-demand fields. Postsecondary 

programs that could help address this problem are often ineligible for federal student aid due to 

time and program length requirements. Federal law should facilitate, not impede, students 

getting the skills they need to secure well-paying jobs. To that end, the Administration’s fiscal 

year 2020 budget proposes to expand Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in high quality 

short-term programs that lead to a credential, certification, or license in a high-demand field.

Reduce the Risk of Improper Payments in Pell Grants

One of the primary causes of improper payments in the Pell Grant program is failure to verify 

financial data accurately. To improve the accuracy of Free Application for Federal Student Aid 

(FAFSA) data, the budget proposes to except the Department from restrictions of Section 6103 

of the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to disclose tax 

return information directly to the Department for the purpose of administering certain federal aid 

programs. This exception would simplify and improve the accuracy of FAFSA filing by 

prepopulating certain fields. It would also allow borrowers to more easily recertify their income 

to stay enrolled in Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans. The budget also proposes to bar 

someone from receiving another Pell Grant if they have been awarded three consecutive Pell 

Grants without earning any credits. This will prevent the fraudulent practice of people going from 

school to school, enrolling long enough to receive a reimbursement but not pursuing any credits

Reform Campus-Based Aid Programs

Most of the roughly 6,000 institutions of higher education that participate in the Federal Pell 

Grant and/or Federal Student Loan programs also participate in one or more of the Federal 

Campus-Based Aid programs. While all institutions are eligible to participate in the campusbased programs, antiquated statutory formulas with stringent hold-harmless provisions have 

resulted in institutional allocations that are not well-targeted to the students who need the aid 

the most.

Consistent with the President’s call to bolster effective workforce development programs, the 

Budget proposes to reform FWS from a model that mostly provides subsidized employment for 

campus-based jobs through federal aid for higher income undergraduate and graduate 
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-4

students. Instead, the Administration proposes to move FWS towards a program that supports 

workforce and career-oriented training opportunities for low-income undergraduate students.

The fiscal year 2020 request also proposes to reform the institutional allocation formula in order 

to focus scarce funds to institutions based, in part, on the enrollment of Pell Grant recipients.

Institutions could fund individual students through subsidized employment, paid internships, or 

other placements without limitation on the type of organization where the placement occurs, 

provided those placements are career or academically relevant. Schools could also serve 

groups of students through programs and initiatives that expose students to, or build 

preparedness for, careers.

The President’s 2020 Budget also proposes to eliminate the Supplemental Educational 

Opportunity Grant (SEOG) program, which is largely duplicative with the Pell Grant program and 

does not effectively deliver need-based aid to the neediest students.

Student Loan Policies

The Administration’s fiscal year 2020 budget request addresses student debt by simplifying 

student loan repayment and redirecting inefficiencies subsidies in the student loan to prioritize

debt relief for undergraduate borrowers.

All policies referenced for student loans would apply to loans originated on or after July 1, 2020, 

with an exception for students who borrowed their first loans prior to July 1, 2020 and are

borrowing to complete their current course of study. These policies together would save 

approximately $207 billion over ten years.

Simplify Student Loan Repayment and Student Loan Programs

In recent years, IDR plans, which offer borrowers the option of making affordable monthly 

payments based on factors such as income and family size, have grown in popularity. 

However, choosing and enrolling in the right repayment plan is overly complicated by the 

numerous statutory and regulatory repayment plans required to be offered to borrowers.

The Administration proposes to greatly simplify student loan repayment by consolidating five 

IDR plans into a single plan. The Single IDR plan would set a borrower’s monthly payment at 

12.5 percent of discretionary income, while eliminating the standard repayment cap to ensure 

that high-income, high-balance borrowers make payments commensurate with their income. 

Married borrowers who file separately would have their payments determined based on both 

their and their spouse’s income. For borrowers with undergraduate student debt only, any 

balance remaining after 180 months of repayment would be forgiven. For borrowers with any 

graduate debt, any balance remaining after 30 years of repayment would be forgiven. To further 

improve and simplify loan repayment, the fiscal year 2020 budget request proposes autoenrolling severely delinquent borrowers in an IDR plan and instituting a process for borrowers to 

consent to share income data for multiple years. To facilitate these program improvements, and 

to reduce improper payments, the Administration proposes to streamline the Department of 

Education’s ability to acquire and verify applicants’ income data held by the IRS.

While retaining teacher loan forgiveness programs in order to incentivize more high-quality 

teachers to teach in high-need schools and subjects, the fiscal year 2020 budget proposes 
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-5

eliminating inefficient subsidies to help put the Nation on a more sustainable fiscal path and 

prioritize expedited debt relief for undergraduate borrowers struggling to repay. These 

proposals include eliminating Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Subsidized Stafford loans, and 

the payment of Account Maintenance Fees to guaranty agencies.

Reforming the HEA

The Trump Administration is committed to reforming higher education through legislation and 

regulatory reform to provide more Americans access to quality postsecondary education, to hold 

institutions accountable, and to help students and families make informed decisions regarding 

their educational options. The Administration looks forward to working with the Congress to 

encourage colleges, universities, and other educational institutions to offer every student an 

accessible, affordable, and innovative education tailored to their needs that prepares them for 

lifelong learning and success. The Administration’s principles for reforming the HEA include:

• Reorienting the Accreditation Process to Focus on Student Outcomes –

Accrediting agencies act as gatekeepers of Federal student aid. These agencies, 

together with their member institutions, develop the standards and criteria used to 

determine what constitutes “quality” in higher education and to ensure that students 

have the opportunity to achieve their educational goals. The Federal government and 

the public rely on accreditation as a signal that an accredited institution meets at least a 

minimum standard of quality and that Federal funds are flowing only to credible, 

legitimate, and quality institutions that pass the muster of accreditor peer review. 

Unfortunately, accreditors have shifted from their historical purpose—assuring the 

quality of educational delivery—to a more compliance-focused role that stifles innovation 

and mandates a “one-size-fits-all” approach focused on process rather than student 

outcomes. Accreditors must return to their primary purpose of ensuring educational 

quality without the Department of Education interfering in academic matters.

• Increasing Innovation in the Education Marketplace – Across every sector of the 

economy, American businesses develop new and innovative methods to provide goods 

and services in a more cost-effective manner. This spirit of innovation drives the strength 

of the American economy and labor market. Yet, the higher education system has been 

slow to adapt to the changing nature of work. Millions of jobs remain unfilled in part due 

to a lack of Americans with appropriate skills. To address these challenges and prepare 

Americans for the jobs of the future, the Administration supports policies that challenge 

higher education to embrace innovation and competition and that also protect students, 

parents and taxpayers.

• Better Aligning Education to the Needs of Today’s Workforce – The labor market 

demands of the 21st century drive more Americans than ever before to enroll in 

postsecondary education. Federal program requirements should encourage, rather than 

limit, partnerships between higher education providers and employers. Employers are 

most aware of the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Moreover, there is no 

better place to learn these skills than on the job through apprenticeships, work-based 

learning, or career pathways. The Administration supports policies that enable Federal 
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-6

aid to support students pursuing postsecondary programs and experiences they need to 

secure well-paying jobs.

• Increasing Institutional Accountability – Investing in higher education generally 

provides strong value for students and taxpayers. However, some institutions 

consistently fail to deliver a quality education that enables students to successfully repay 

Federal student loans—leaving borrowers and taxpayers holding the bill. A better system 

would require postsecondary institutions accepting taxpayer funds to share a portion of 

the financial responsibility associated with student loans. 

• Accelerating Program Completion – One of the most effective ways to reduce student 

debt is to help students complete their education more quickly. The Federal Student Aid 

programs should not discourage accelerated learning pathways, nor allow institutions to 

charge students to repeat courses previously taken at another institution or to “learn” in a 

classroom what they already know based on prior work, military, or educational 

experience.

• Encouraging Responsible Borrowing – Research shows a correlation between the 

availability of Federal student aid and increases in tuition.1 The current system provides 

institutions of higher education with few incentives to control costs. This policy saddles 

parents and graduate students with debt without consideration of a borrower’s ability to 

repay. To address rising debt, the Administration supports common-sense limits on 

Federal student loans, as well as improved guidance to students regarding their ability to 

repay.

• Simplifying Student Aid – The current student loan system burdens students with debt 

and taxpayers with uncertainty about future costs. Under current law, many students 

have difficulty understanding and selecting the best repayment plan for their financial 

situation. The Administration proposes to greatly simplify student loan repayment by 

consolidating five IDR plans into a single plan.

• Giving Prospective Students More Meaningful and Useful Information about 

Schools and Programs – Providing prospective students with more information about 

the schools and programs they are considering will enable them to make better 

decisions about their education. Although the Department of Education currently 

provides students with useful institution-level data—such as annual costs, average 

earnings, and graduation rates—it fails to provide students the program-level data they 

need to make informed choices about potential careers and educational opportunities.

• Supporting Returning Citizens – Today, one in three American adults has some type 

of criminal record, and more than two million Americans are in prisons across the 

country. More than 95 percent of these prisoners will eventually leave prison and face 

1 Luca et. al. ”Credit Supply and the Rise in College Tuition: Evidence from the Expansion in Federal 

Student Aid Programs,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports, July 2015: 

https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/staff_reports/sr733.pdf 
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-7

the challenge of reintegrating their lives. The Administration supports policies that will

prepare inmates for release, as 77 percent of State inmates and 38 percent of Federal 

inmates are rearrested within five years of release.

• Support Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Historically Black colleges and 

universities (HBCUs) have made, and continue to make, extraordinary contributions to 

the general welfare and prosperity of our country. The Nation’s more than 100 HBCUs 

serve more than 300,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. These 

institutions are important engines of economic growth and public service, and they are 

proven ladders of intergenerational advancement. Congress should make permanent the 

President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and 

continue to recognize the importance of these institutions in advancing America’s full 

human potential, strengthen the abilities of HBCUs to equitably participate in Federal 

programs, and foster public-private partnerships with HBCUs. 
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-8

STUDENT AID PROGRAMS OUTPUT MEASURES

Aid Available to Students

(dollars in millions)

Output Measures 2018Footnote 2019Footnote 2020Footnote

Pell Grants $28,026 $29,747 $30,097

Supplemental Educational Opportunity 

Grants 1,131 1,131 0

Federal Work Study 1,239 1,239 548

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants 0.320 0.307 01

Subtotal, New Grant Aid 30,397 32,118 30,645

New Student Loans:

Stafford Loans New 21,223 21,372 13,304

Unsubsidized Stafford Loans New 50,808 51,897 60,817

Parent PLUS Loans New 13,018 13,614 14,204

Grad PLUS Loans New 10,815 11,299 11,888

TEACH Grants2 New 89 96 97

Subtotal, New Student Loans 95,9533 98,2783 100,3123

Total 126,350 130,395 130,957

NOTES: Detail may not add to total aid available due to rounding.

Shows total aid generated by Department programs, including institutional matching funds generated by 

the SEOG and Work-Study programs. Aid available may differ from appropriated amounts for a given 

fiscal year.

1 Value in 2020 reflects policy to make Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants part of the Pell Grant 

program. 2 For budget and financial management purposes, this program is operated as a loan program under the 

Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990.

3 Excludes loans issued to consolidate existing loans (Consolidation Loans), which total $41.6 billion in 

2018, $45.3 billion in 2019, and $46.4 billion in 2020.

.
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-9

Number of Student Aid Awards

(in thousands)

Output Measures 2018Footnote 2019Footnote 2020Footnote

Pell Grants 6,557 6,997 7,250

Supplemental Educational 

Opportunity Grants 1,700 1,700 0

Federal Work-Study 704 704 322

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants N/A1 N/A1 02

Subtotal, New Grant Aid 8,961 9,401 7,572

New Student Loans:

Stafford Loans New 6,051 6,092 4,245

Unsubsidized Stafford Loans 8,019 8,102 10,047

Parent PLUS Loans New 935 963 985

Grad PLUS Loans New 602 617 633

TEACH Grants New 32 32 32

Subtotal, New Student Loans 15,6393 15,8063 15,9423

Total 24,600 25,207 23,514

NOTE: Detail may not add to total due to rounding.

1 N/A denotes number of recipients will not exceed 500.

2 Value in 2020 reflects Budget policy to make Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants part of the Pell Grant 

program. 3 Excludes loans issued to consolidate existing loans.

Number of Postsecondary Students Aided by Federal Student Aid Programs

Count 2018 2019 2020

Unduplicated Count (in thousands) 10,718 11,011 11,850
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-10

Program Performance Information

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, the 

Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) goals, objectives, measures and performance 

targets and data; and an assessment of the progress made toward achieving program results.

Achievement of program results is based on the cumulative effect of the resources provided in 

previous years and those requested in fiscal year 2020 and future years, as well as the 

resources and efforts invested by those served by this program.

Because Federal student assistance grant and loan programs rely on the same program data, 

performance indicators and strategies that apply to these programs are grouped here in the 

Student Aid Overview and are not repeated in justifications for the Student Financial 

Assistance program account or in the Student Loans Overview.

Goal: To help ensure access to high-quality postsecondary education by providing 

financial aid in the form of grants, loans, and work-study in an efficient, financially 

sound, and customer-responsive manner.

Objective: Ensure that low- and middle-income students will have the same access to 

postsecondary education that high-income students do.

Measure: College enrollment rates: Postsecondary education enrollment rates will increase 

each year for all students, while the enrollment gap between low- and high-income and minority 

and non-minority high school graduates will decrease each year.

Year

Target: Total Percentage 

Enrolled

Actual: Total Percentage 

Enrolled

2015 68 69.2%

2016 68 69.8

2017 68 66.7

2018 68

2019 68

2020 68
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-11

Year

Target: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Black high school graduates 

ages 16-24 enrolling 

immediately in college

Actual: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Black high school graduates 

ages 16-24 enrolling 

immediately in college

2015 5.50 15.70%

2016 5.25 12.40

2017 5.25 9.70

2018 5.25

2019 5.00

2020 5.00

Year

Target: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Hispanic high school 

graduates ages 16-24 enrolling 

immediately in college

Actual: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Hispanic high school 

graduates ages 16-24 enrolling 

immediately in college

2015 8.25 2.40%

2016 8.00 -2.30

2017 8.00 8.10

2018 8.00

2019 7.00

2020 7.00

Additional information: The overall enrollment rate in postsecondary education following high 

school increased steadily from 2013 to 2016; however, it dipped below the target in 2017. The 

Department believes its commitment to the Student Financial Assistance programs and 

proposed reforms in the Administration’s fiscal year 2020 budget request will continue to 

encourage and allow more low-income students to enroll in postsecondary education

programs—and provide them the means to remain in school—than would be the case in the 

absence of the Federal student financial assistance programs.

The gap between White and Black high school graduates enrolling in college immediately after 

high school reached 9.70 percentage points in 2017, above the target of 5.25 percentage 

points, but lower than the gap of 12.40 percentage points observed in 2016. In 2014, the 

percentage of high school graduates enrolled in college immediately after high school was 

higher for Black high school graduates than White high school graduates, leading to a reversal 

in the gap between these two groups for the first time.

After meeting or exceeding its targets in recent years, the metric that measures the gap 

between White and non-White Hispanic high school graduates who enroll immediately in college 

has increased to 8.10 percentage points in 2017, which was slightly above its target. In 2016, 

the percentage of Hispanic high school graduates enrolling in college immediately after high 

school was higher than the percentage of White high school graduates for the first time. The 

gap measured in 2014 and 2015, while reversed, was significantly lower than the targets in 

these years. The Department remains committed to furthering equal educational opportunity 

and will continue to pursue policies to support this important goal. 
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-12

Data for the measures above are taken from the Digest of Education Statistics1 (Digest), 

published annually by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Refer to the 

technical information provided in the Digest by NCES when interpreting year-to-year changes in 

the data. 

Objective: Ensure that more students will persist in postsecondary education and attain 

degrees and certificates.

Measure: Graduation rate: Graduation rates for all full-time, degree-seeking students in 4-year 

and less than 4-year programs will improve, while the gap in graduation rates between minority 

and non-minority students will decrease.

Year

Target: Students graduating 

with a 4-year degree within 

150 percent of the normal time 

required

Actual: Students graduating 

with a 4-year degree within 

150 percent of the normal time 

required

2015 65 59.4%

2016 66 59.7

2017 66 60.4

2018 66

2019 66

2020 66

Year

Target: Students graduating 

with a less-than-4-year degree

within 150 percent of the 

normal time required

Actual: Students graduating 

with a less-than-4-year degree 

within 150 percent of the 

normal time required

2015 45 29.0%

2016 46 30.3

2017 46 31.6

2018 46

2019 46

2020 46

1 https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-13

Year

Target: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Black first-time, full-time 

students graduating with a 

4-year degree within 150

percent of the normal time

required

Actual: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Black first-time, full-time 

students graduating with a 

4-year degree within 150

percent of the normal time

required

2015 15.8 23.8%

2016 15.6 24.4

2017 15.6 24.5

2018 15.6

2019 15.6

2020 15.6

Year

Target: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Hispanic first-time, full-time 

students graduating with a 

4-year degree within 150

percent of the normal time

required

Actual: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Hispanic first-time, full-time 

students graduating with a 

4-year degree within 150

percent of the normal time

required

2015 8.6 9.6%

2016 8.5 9.4

2017 8.5 9.4

2018 8.5

2019 8.5

2020 8.5

Year

Target: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Black first-time, full-time 

students graduating with a 

less-than-4-year degree within 

150 percent of the normal time 

required

Actual: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Black first-time, full-time 

students graduating with a 

less-than-4-year degree within 

150 percent of the normal time 

required

2015 5.2 8.4%

2016 5.1 9.2

2017 5.1 8.2

2018 5.1

2019 5.1

2020 5.1
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-14

Year

Target: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Hispanic first-time, full-time 

students graduating with a 

less-than-4-year degree within 

150 percent of the normal time 

required

Actual: Percentage point 

difference between White and 

Hispanic first-time, full-time 

students graduating with a 

less-than-4-year degree within 

150 percent of the normal time 

required

2015 0.8 0.7%

2016 0.7 2.1

2017 0.7 2.6

2018 0.7

2019 0.7

2020 0.7

Additional Information: The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking students 

graduating with a 4-year degree within 150 percent of the normal time increased slightly from 

59.7 percent in 2016 to 60.4 percent in 2017. The percentage of students completing a lessthan-4-year degree increased from 30.3 percent in 2016 to 31.6 percent in 2017. The 

graduation rates for both 2- and 4-year degree levels observed in 2017 were below the targets

established for this measure.

The completion gap between White and Black students who were enrolled in 4-year degree 

programs increased slightly from 2016 to 2017 (24.4 percentage points to 24.5 percentage 

points). The gap observed in 2017 remains larger than the targets established in 2017 and 

future years. 

From 2016 to 2017, the difference between the percentages of White and Black students 

graduating from less-than-4-year degree programs within 150 percent of the normal time

decreased by 1.0 percentage points to 8.2 percentage points — outside of the goal of 5.1

percentage points. In 2015, Hispanic students graduated within 150 percent of the normal time 

at less-than-4-year programs at a slightly lower rate than White non-Hispanic students (29.8

percent compared to 30.5 percent), but the gap increased in 2016 and 2017, with White nonHispanic students graduating at a higher rate (by 2.1 percentage points and 2.6 percentage 

points, respectively, compared to Hispanic students).

Data for the measures supporting this objective are collected through the Graduation Rate 

Survey conducted as part of the annual Integrated Postsecondary Student Aid Study. The 

Department will continue to evaluate current performance measures and, where appropriate, 

revise these measures and goals.

PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS

The Department is exploring ways to gather detailed program and student outcome data for

program-specific measures that will provide reliable indicators of program effectiveness.
STUDENT AID OVERVIEW

N-15

EFFICIENCY MEASURES

The Department is reassessing the efficiency measures for the individual student financial aid 

programs. The results of this reassessment will reflect proposed program changes and be 

incorporated into future budget requests.