Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need, 2003-04 

Efficiency Analysis Charts 

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For the new grants awarded in 2000 and 2001 and closed by December 2004, higher federal 

fellowship amounts and higher institutional match amounts per fellow appear related to higher 

success rates. Four percent of the variance in success rate can be associated with differences in 

the federal fellowship amount (chart 1). For instance: 

• Grantees that provide larger federal fellowships, thus distributing the funds among fewer 

fellows, have a higher success rate, on average (chart 2), 

• Grantees that distribute smaller federal fellowships to more students have a lower success 

rate, on average (chart 3), and 

• The non-federal contribution or institutional match (a minimum of 25% of the federal 

funds) also is associated with success rate. Grantees that supplement larger fellowship 

amounts with a higher match have higher success rates, on average (chart 4). 

However, there are several additional factors that have an effect on the relationship between the 

federal fellowship amount and success rate. These factors include the following: 

• Graduate tuition and fees, which range from $1,300 to $30,000/year.i

• Student living expenses, which range from $10,000 to $21,000/year depending on the 

school location.ii

• Individual fellow’s financial need and overall financial aid package, which affect the 

amount of the fellowship and may include student loans.

• Institutional matching contributions, which range between 23 percent and 100 percent; 

schools are required to provide at least 25 percent of the federal award.

• The point in their graduate school tenure that fellows receive GAANN fellowships, 

which may be at anytime from the first to final year.

• The length of time for which fellows receive the fellowship, which may be as short as 

one semester or as long as four years.

• Grant extensions, which extend the three-year grant into a fourth or fifth year giving 

fellows more time to progress in a doctoral program and likely resulting in a higher 

success rate. 
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need, 2003-04 

Efficiency Analysis Charts 

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y = 13423x + 34558

R2

 = 0.0436

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Success rate

Average fellowship amount

Chart 1. Average federal fellowship amount provided to each fellow, by 

success rate of grantee: 2004

$-

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

0-10%

11-20%

21-30%

31-40%

41-50%

51-60%

61-70%

71-80%

81-90%

91-100%

Success rate range over which values are averaged

0

10

20

30

40

50

Average federal fellowship amount Average number of fellows for grants

Average number of fellows

Average federal fellowship amount

Chart 2. Average federal fellowship and average number of fellows for grants 

in a given success rate range: 2004
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need, 2003-04 

Efficiency Analysis Charts 

Page 3 of 3 

1

10

100

$- $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000

Average federal fellowship amount

Success rate <37%

Success rate 37-71%

Success rate >71%

Chart 3. Number of fellows per grant, by average federal fellowship amount and 

success rate: 2004 Number of fellows per grant

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

$0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000

Average federal fellowship amount

Success rate

Chart 4. Success rate by average federal fellowship amount and match amount 

per fellow: 2004

Above average 

federal 

fellowship and 

above average 

match per 

fellow

Below average 

federal 

fellowship and 

below average 

match per 

fellow

 

 

i

 (IPEDS average of 2000-04 in-state average full-time graduate tuition and required full-time graduate fees 

(IC2000_AY, IC2001_AY, IC2002_AY, IC2003_AY, IC2004_AY). 

ii www.collegeboard.com/highered/res/leb/leb.html accessed 6/19/2006.