Student Financing 

of Undergraduate 

Education: 2003–04

With a Special Analysis of the 

Net Price of Attendance and 

Federal Education Tax Benefi ts

Statistical Analysis Report

U.S. Department of Education

NCES 2006-186
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
U.S. Department of Education 

NCES 2006-186 

Student Financing 

of Undergraduate 

Education: 2003–04 

With a Special Analysis of the 

Net Price of Attendance and 

Federal Education Tax Benefits 

Statistical Analysis Report 

August 2006 

Lutz Berkner 

Christina Chang Wei 

MPR Associates, Inc. 

James Griffith 

Project Officer 

National Center for 

Education Statistics 
U.S. Department of Education 

Margaret Spellings 

Secretary 

Institute of Education Sciences 

Grover J. Whitehurst 

Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

Mark Schneider 

Commissioner 

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and 

reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate 

to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United 

States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such 

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on education activities in foreign countries. 

NCES activities are designed to address high-priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, 

complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high-quality 

data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, 

practitioners, data users, and the general public. Unless specifically noted, all information contained herein is 

in the public domain. 

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 National Center for Education Statistics 

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 Washington, DC 20006–5651 

August 2006 

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The NCES World Wide Web Electronic Catalog is http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch. 

Suggested Citation 

Berkner, L., and Wei, C.C. (2006). Student Financing of Undergraduate Education: 2003–04, With a Special 

Analysis of the Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits (NCES 2006-186). U.S. Department 

of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

For ordering information on this report, write to 

U.S. Department of Education 

ED Pubs 

P.O. Box 1398 

Jessup, MD 20794-1398 

or call toll free 1-877-4ED-Pubs; or order online at http://www.edpubs.org. 

Content Contact 

Aurora D’Amico 

(202) 502-7334 

aurora.d’amico@ed.gov
iii 

Executive Summary

In 2003–04, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of 

all undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary 

education received financial aid (grants, loans, or 

work-study) to help them finance their 

postsecondary education. This report, based on 

data from the 2003–04 National Postsecondary 

Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04), provides detailed 

information about undergraduate tuition and total 

price of attendance at various types of institutions, 

the percentage of students receiving various types 

of financial aid, and the average amounts that they 

received. 

The narrative section of the report discusses 

various measures of the net price of postsecondary 

education to full-time undergraduates in 2003–04. 

Net prices are the price of attendance minus all or 

some of the types of financial aid received by the 

student, and represent different ways of 

calculating and interpreting postsecondary price 

reductions to students. 

In addition, this NPSAS study for the first time 

provides estimates of the benefits students and 

their families received from federal education tax 

credits and tax deductions. Because these tax 

benefit estimates were imputed and differ in many 

ways from the traditional types of financial aid 

(grants, loans, and work-study), they have been 

presented separately in two tables.1 The tax 

benefits are not included in references to 

“financial aid,” and all of the other tables in this 

report are comparable to the tables in prior 

NPSAS studies. 

 

1 Compendium tables 1.5 and 1.6. 

Data and Methods 

The 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04) collected information 

from a sample of about 80,000 undergraduates and 

11,000 graduate and first-professional students 

who were enrolled at any time between July 1, 

2003 and June 30, 2004, in about 1,400 

postsecondary institutions. The NPSAS:04 study 

sample represents about 19 million 

undergraduates and 3 million graduate and firstprofessional students in all postsecondary 

institutions in the United States and Puerto Rico. 

Appendix B provides more information about the 

sample design. 

The estimates presented in this report were 

produced using the NPSAS:04 Undergraduate 

Data Analysis System (DAS). The analysis uses 

standard t tests to determine the statistical 

significance of differences between estimates. All 

differences noted are statistically significant at the 

p < .05 level. For more information on statistical 

methods, see appendix B. The findings presented 

here are entirely descriptive in nature. Although 

associations are noted and discussed, no causal 

inferences should be made. 

Tuition and Total Price of 

Attendance in 2003–04 

In 2003–04, average tuition and fees for fulltime/full-year undergraduates were $2,000 at 

public 2-year institutions, $5,400 at public 4-year 
Executive Summary

iv 

institutions,2 $10,600 at private for-profit 

institutions, and $18,400 at private not-for-profit 

4-year institutions (figure A). The price of 

attendance or student budget includes all other 

expenses related to postsecondary enrollment in 

addition to tuition and fees: books and supplies, 

room and board (or housing and meals for 

students living off campus), transportation, and 

 

2 At public institutions, average tuition includes the 

additional fees charged to out-of-state students and to out-ofdistrict students at 2-year institutions. 

miscellaneous personal expenses. Full-time3

undergraduates attending public 2-year institutions 

had an average price of attendance of $10,500, 

compared with $15,200 for those at public 4-year 

institutions. The average price of attendance was 

$20,300 among those enrolled at private for-profit 

institutions, and $28,300 among those at private 

not-for-profit 4-year institutions. 

 

3 Students who are enrolled full time for a full academic year 

will be referred to as “full-time students” throughout this 

report. About 22 percent of students at public 2-year, 34 

percent at private for-profit, and about 60 percent at 4-year 

institutions were enrolled full time/full year in 2003–04. 

Figure A.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, average tuition and fees and average price of attendance,

Figure A.—by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of 

attendance includes tuition and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related to enrollment such as books and

supplies, room and board, transportation, and other personal living expenses. Public 4-year averages include additional charges to

out-of-state students. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid

Study (NPSAS:04).

$2,000

$5,400

$10,500

$15,200

$28,300

$20,300

$18,400

$10,600

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Tuition and fees Price of attendance

Type of institution

$30,000
 Executive Summary 

v 

Financial Aid in 2003–04 

The traditional types of financial aid are grants, 

loans, and work-study. After receiving a financial 

aid application, a postsecondary institution may 

offer one or more of these types of aid to the 

student as a financial aid “package” in a financial 

aid award letter, generally prior to enrollment. The 

aid award letter includes the student’s estimated 

total price of attendance and the types and 

amounts of financial aid for which the student is 

eligible. The total price of attendance minus the 

financial aid offered provides the information that 

students and their families need to estimate the 

out-of-pocket amount they must pay for the 

student to attend the institution that year. 

In 2003–04, 63 percent of all undergraduates 

received some type of traditional financial aid 

from federal, state, institutional, or other sources 

(figure B). Among full-time undergraduates, about 

three-fourths (76 percent) received financial aid, 

and the average total amount received was $9,900. 

Sixty-two percent of full-time students received 

grants, with an average of $5,600 per recipient. In 

addition, one-half (50 percent) of all full-time 

undergraduates took out an average of $6,200 in 

student loans for the 2003–04 academic year.4

Sixty-one percent of full-time undergraduates 

attending public 2-year institutions received some 

type of financial aid, compared with about threefourths (76 percent) of those at public 4-year 

institutions and about 9 out of 10 students at 

private not-for-profit 4-year (89 percent) and 

private for-profit (92 percent) institutions (figure 

C). The average total aid ranged from $4,900 at 

public 2-year institutions, $8,700 at public 4-year 

institutions, $11,100 at private for-profit 

 

4 The student loan amounts in this report include only the 

amount borrowed for the 2003–04 academic year. 

institutions, to $16,300 at private not-for-profit 4-

year institutions (figure D). 

Net Price of Attendance in 2003–04 

The net price of attendance is the price that 

students pay to receive postsecondary education 

after taking financial aid into account. The net 

price is calculated by subtracting the amount of 

financial aid received from the price of attendance 

(tuition and fees plus other expenses in the student 

budget). In order to estimate averages for net price 

and net tuition in this study, the calculations were 

based on net price and net tuition values for all 

students, whether or not they received any 

financial aid. The average net price of attendance 

after all financial aid (including loans) for all fulltime undergraduates in 2003–04 (whether or not 

they received any financial aid) was $7,400 at 

public 2-year institutions, $8,500 at public 4-year 

institutions, $10,100 at private for-profit 

institutions, and $13,900 at private not-for-profit 

4-year institutions (figure E). 

Net Tuition in 2003–04 

Net tuition is defined in this study as total 

tuition and fees minus all grants. When the grant 

amounts are larger than the tuition and fees 

charged, net tuition will have a negative value. 

Negative net tuition values were set to zero; that 

is, if the grant amount covered more than tuition 

and fees, the student did not have to pay any of the 

tuition and fees charged by the institution.5 In 

2003–04, about one-fourth (24 percent) of all fulltime undergraduates had a zero net tuition because 

 

5 Because negative net tuition values were set to zero before 

any calculations of average net tuition were made, the average 

net tuition estimates will be somewhat higher than the results 

obtained by subtracting the average grant per student from the 

average tuition. 
Executive Summary

vi 

Figure B.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates by type of aid package, percentage receiving different types

Figure B.—of aid, and average amount of aid for aided students: 2003–04

Aid type Percent Average

Grants 51 $4,000

Student loans 35 $5,800

Work-study 8 $2,000

Other 7 $6,200

Any aid 63 $7,400

Percent

Full-time/full-year 41

Part-time or part-year 59

Aid type Percent Average

Grants 62 $5,600

Student loans 50 $6,200

Work-study 14 $1,900

Other 9 $7,900

Any aid 76 $9,900

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Student loans 

may be from any source, but exclude federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). “Other” includes veteran benefits, 

job training funds, and PLUS loans. “Grants, work-study, or any other aid” includes any combination of grants, work-study, and 

“other.” Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Any aid excludes federal education tax benefits. Estimates include 

postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

Attendance pattern

No aid

Student 

loans only

$6,600

40%

27%

24%

9%

No aid

Student 

loans only

$5,900

28%

27%

37%

9%

All undergraduates

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

Grants, 

work-study, 

or other aid, 

no loans

$3,500

Grants, 

work-study, 

or other aid, 

with loans

$11,900

Grants, 

work-study, 

or other aid, 

no loans

$5,400

Grants, 

work-study, 

or other aid, 

with loans

$13,600
 Executive Summary 

vii 

the grant aid they received was equal to or 

exceeded their total tuition and fees.6 Any grant 

amount that was greater than tuition could be used 

to cover other education-related expenses, such as 

books and supplies, transportation, or room and 

board. 

Among full-time dependent undergraduates, 

about one-half (49 percent) of students whose 

family income was less than $32,000 and about 

one-fifth (19 percent) whose family income was 

between $32,000 and $60,000 had a zero net 

tuition after grants.7 At public 2-year institutions, 

37 percent of full-time undergraduates had their 

 

6 Compendium table 1.4. 

7 Compendium table 1.4 and text figure 7. 

entire tuition charges covered by grants, and at 

public 4-year institutions about one-fourth (26 

percent) of all full-time undergraduates also had a 

zero net tuition.8 

Average net tuition (including zero amounts) 

among full-time undergraduates enrolled at public 

2-year institutions was $1,200, while those at 

public 4-year institutions paid an average net 

tuition of $3,500.9 Full-time undergraduates 

attending private for-profit institutions paid an 

average net tuition of $7,800, while those at 

private not-for-profit 4-year institutions paid an 

average net tuition of $11,000. 

 

8 Compendium table 1.4 and text figure 8. 

9 Compendium table 1.4 and text figure 10. 

Figure C.—Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates who received grants, student loans, and any type of 

Figure C.—financial aid, by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Student loans 

may be from any source, but exclude federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Total aid includes grants, loans, 

work-study, and any other aid, including federal PLUS loans. Total aid does not include federal education tax benefits. Estimates 

include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

53

59

81

70

23

51

66

80

61

76

89 92

0

20

40

60

80

100

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Percent

Grants Student loans Any aid

Type of institution
Executive Summary

viii 

Federal Education Tax Credits and 

Deductions in 2003–04 

In addition to the traditional types of financial 

aid described above, the federal government 

provides financial assistance to postsecondary 

students and their families through education tax 

credits and deductions that reduce the amount of 

federal income tax owed. There are three types of 

federal education tax benefits that may be claimed: 

Hope tax credits, Lifetime Learning tax credits, 

and tuition and fees tax deductions. Although there 

are some differences in the eligibility requirements 

and the maximum tax benefits, all three have 

several requirements in common: 

• the benefits are only available if there is a 

positive net tuition, defined as tuition and 

fees minus any grants and veterans 

benefits;10

 

10 Veterans benefits (including all Department of Defense aid 

to students) are not classified as grants in NPSAS. However, 

they are used to determine the net tuition amounts eligible for 

the tax benefits. About 3 percent of undergraduates receive 

these benefits. 

Figure D.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, average amount of grants, student loans, and total 

Figure D.—financial aid received by students who received the specified type of aid, by type of institution:

Figure D.—2003–04

NOTE: Aid averages are for those students who received the specified type of aid. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full 

time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from 

federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Student loans may be from any source, but exclude federal 

Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Total aid includes grants, loans, work-study, and any other aid, including federal 

PLUS loans. Total aid does not include federal education tax benefits. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$3,400

$9,400

$4,100 $4,900

$8,700

$16,300

$11,100

$4,200 $4,600

$7,200 $7,900

$5,800

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Grants Student loans Total aid

Type of institution

$30,000
 Executive Summary 

ix 

• the benefits are only available if there is a 

positive tax liability; and 

• the amount of the tax benefit cannot be 

greater than either the tax liability or the 

net tuition. 

This means that those who owe no taxes, as 

well as those who receive large enough grant aid 

to cover their entire tuition and fees, are not 

eligible for these benefits. There are also income 

limits to these benefits, and eligibility is limited to 

single tax filers with adjusted gross incomes under 

$51,000 (for tax credits) or under $65,000 (for tax 

deductions), and limited to married filers with 

adjusted gross incomes under $103,000 (for tax 

credits) or $130,000 (for tax deductions). That is, 

these tax benefits are intended primarily to assist 

middle-income students and their parents, a group 

that is likely to owe taxes and unlikely to receive 

grants large enough to cover their entire tuition. 

The federal education tax benefits differ from 

the traditional types of student financial aid in 

Figure E.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of attendance, average

Figure E.—net price (price of attendance minus all grants), and average out-of-pocket net price (price of 

Figure E.—attendance minus total aid), by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of 

attendance includes tuition and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related to enrollment such as books and 

supplies, room and board, transportation, and other personal living expenses. Grants include any grants, scholarships, or tuition 

waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Total aid includes grants, loans, work-study, and 

any other aid, including federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS), but not federal education tax benefits. Average

amounts are for all students, including those who received no financial aid. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto

Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$10,500

$15,200

$28,300

$20,300

$8,700

$7,400 $8,500

$12,400

$17,400

$20,600

$13,900

$10,100

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Price of attendance Price minus total grants Price minus total aid

Type of institution

$30,000
Executive Summary

x 

several ways. Unlike traditional financial aid, the 

amount of the tax benefit to the students or their 

families cannot be specified prior to enrollment. 

The amount of the actual tax benefit depends on 

the particular circumstances of the tax filers and 

their choices among several tax benefit options, 

which are not determined until federal taxes are 

filed. The amount of the education tax benefit is 

based on the educational expenses incurred during 

the entire calendar year of enrollment prior to 

filing taxes, while traditional financial aid is 

awarded for an academic year (e.g., fall and spring 

semesters) that usually spans 2 calendar years. 

Unlike the traditional types of financial aid, the 

postsecondary institution does not know and 

therefore cannot report the dollar value of the tax 

benefit for an individual student. Moreover, the 

survey interviews of the students themselves have 

not provided reliable information about these tax 

benefits.11 

Since there is no student level data available, 

estimates of the tax benefit amounts for the 

NPSAS:04 sample students were imputed based 

on the eligibility requirements and data published 

by the Internal Revenue Service. The Internal 

Revenue Service (IRS) publishes aggregated 

annual sample data by income level that shows the 

number of tax filers who claimed the tax credits 

(Hope and Lifetime Learning combined) and the 

total tax credit dollars claimed, as well as the 

number of filers claiming the tuition and fees 

deductions and the total dollars claimed as 

deductions (U.S. Department of the Treasury 

2005a, 2005b).

 

11 In the NPSAS:04 survey interview almost 40 percent of the 

students responded that they did not know whether any 

federal education tax benefits had been claimed, and among 

those who indicated that one of the tax benefits had been 

claimed, one-fourth to two-thirds were apparently ineligible 

to claim that particular benefit. See appendix B for details. 

The IRS data is the only available source of 

information about the federal education tax 

benefits, but it is not directly comparable to the 

NPSAS data. The IRS data is based on the 2003 

calendar year, while the NPSAS data is based on 

the 2003–04 academic year. The IRS data is based 

on the number of tax filers (individuals or 

households), while the NPSAS data is based on 

the number of students. The imputations of the tax 

benefits therefore had to assume that the academic 

year and the calendar year data were equivalent 

and that tax filers were equivalent to students, 

neither of which is necessarily true. 

The NPSAS:04 data on net tuition, income, 

federal taxes, class level, and attendance status 

were used to identify the students in the sample 

who met the eligibility requirements for each of 

the three federal education tax benefits and to 

estimate the amount of those benefits for which 

they were eligible. About one-fourth of tax filers 

who were eligible for one of these benefits did not 

claim them when filing taxes, however (U.S. 

Government Accountability Office 2005). 

Therefore the number and dollar amount of tax 

benefits that could have been claimed by the 

eligible students in the NPSAS sample were 

reduced to approximate the published IRS data 

within the appropriate income categories.12 

For the 2003–04 academic year,13 about onehalf (49 percent) of all undergraduates are 

estimated to have received federal education 

tax benefits through one of the three programs 

described above (figure F). The estimated average 

value of the federal tax benefits for those who 

are estimated to have received them was $600 

 

12 See appendix B for details about the methodology. 

13 The tax benefits are actually based on the net tuition in the 

prior calendar (tax) year rather than the current academic 

year. The estimates are based on the assumption that the net 

tuition in the 2003–04 academic year is a reasonable 

approximation of the net tuition in the 2003 calendar year. 
 Executive Summary 

xi 

(figure G). Among full-time undergraduates, 47 

percent are estimated to have received the federal 

tax benefits, and the estimated average value of 

the benefits to these students was $900. 

In addition, about one-third (35 percent) of all 

full-time undergraduates received federal grants 

(primarily Pell grants) or veterans benefits (figure 

F). In total, about three-fourths (74 percent) of all 

full-time undergraduates are estimated to have 

received federal grants, veterans benefits, or 

education tax benefits for the 2003–04 academic 

year.14 The average amount of financial assistance 

received by these full-time students through 

federal grants or benefits was an estimated $2,200. 

 

14 About 5 percent of the undergraduates received both 

federal grants or veterans benefits and federal tax benefits. 

The effect of the federal grants, veterans 

benefits, and estimated tax benefits on the net 

price of attendance for all full-time 

undergraduates by type of institution is shown in 

figure H. The average net price of attendance for 

full-time undergraduates after federal grants, 

veterans benefits, and tax benefits was $8,900 at 

public 2-year, $13,700 at public 4-year, $17,900 at 

private for-profit, and $26,600 at private not-forprofit 4-year institutions. The average net price 

after all grants, veterans benefits, and federal tax 

benefits was $8,300 at public 2-year, $11,900 at 

public 4-year, $16,700 at private for-profit, and 

$20,000 at private not-for-profit 4-year 

institutions.

Figure F.—Percentage of undergraduates who received federal grants or veterans benefits, estimated federal 

Figure F.—education tax benefits, and any federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated tax benefits: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Federal 

education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning

tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service

data. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

30 35

49 47

73 74

0

20

40

60

80

100

All undergraduates Full-time/full year undergraduates

Percent

Federal grants or veteran benefits

Estimated federal education tax benefits

Any federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated tax benefits
Executive Summary

xii 

Summary and Conclusion 

About three-fourths of all full-time 

undergraduates received the traditional types of 

financial aid (grants, loans, and work-study) in 

2003–04, with an average financial aid package of 

$9,900. This included 33 percent of full-time 

undergraduates who received an average of $3,200 

in federal grants, and 62 percent who received a 

grant from any source (including federal) with an 

average grant amount of $5,600. Total grant aid 

covered the entire tuition and fees charged for 

about one-fourth of all full-time undergraduates 

and for about one-half of all low-income (family 

income less than $32,000) dependent full-time 

undergraduates. 

In addition to the traditional types of financial 

aid, federal tax credits and tax deductions were 

available to students and their parents to reduce 

the amount of tuition and fees not covered by 

grants. About one-half of all full-time 

undergraduates are estimated to have received 

these federal education tax benefits, with an 

estimated average tax benefit of $900. Middleincome students were more likely to receive 

federal education tax benefits than either lowincome or high-income students. Low-income

Figure G.—Estimated average federal education tax benefits and average total federal grants, veterans benefits, 

Figure G.—and estimated tax benefits received by students who received federal grants or benefits: 2003–04

NOTE: Aid averages are for those students who received the specified type of aid. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full 

time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the 

reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax

benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service data. Estimates include postsecondary students in

Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$600 $1,500 $2,200 $800

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

All undergraduates Full-time/full year undergraduates

Average amount

Estimated federal education tax benefits Total federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

$30,000
 Executive Summary 

xiii 

students were more likely to receive federal grant 

aid, however. 

If the estimated federal tax benefits are added to 

the traditional financial aid amounts, about threefourths of all full-time undergraduates are 

estimated to have received federal grants, veterans 

benefits or tax benefits, and about 9 out of 10 fulltime undergraduates (87 percent) are estimated to 

have received some type of grant aid (from all 

sources), veterans benefits, or federal tax 

benefits.15 If the federal tax benefits are included, 

the average net price of attendance after all grants, 

veterans benefits, and estimated federal education 

tax benefits for full-time undergraduates in 2003–

04 was $8,300 at public 2-year, $11,900 at public 

4-year, $16,700 at private for-profit, and $20,000 at 

private not-for-profit 4-year institutions (figure H). 

 

15 Compendium table 1.5. 

Figure H.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of attendance, average 

Figure H.—net price after federal aid (price of attendance minus all federal grants, veterans benefits, and 

Figure H.—estimated federal education tax benefits), and average net price (price of attendance minus all grants, 

Figure H.—veterans benefits, and estimated federal education tax benefits), by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Average amounts are for all students, including those who received no financial aid or tax benefits. Full-time/full-year 

students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Averages include students who received 

no aid or tax benefits. The price of attendance includes tuition and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related

enrollment such as books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and other personal living expenses. Federal education tax 

benefits are the estimated amount of the reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits or

the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service data. 

Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$10,500

$20,300

$8,900 $8,300

$28,300

$15,200

$26,600

$13,700

$17,900

$16,700

$20,000

$11,900

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Price of attendance

Net price after federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

Net price after all grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

Type of institution

$30,000
xiv 

Foreword 

This publication describes postsecondary prices and the financial aid received by 

undergraduates in the 2003–04 academic year. The narrative text of this report focuses on 

average net prices—what students and families actually pay after receiving financial aid. In 

addition to describing the traditional types of financial aid (grants, loans, and work-study), the 

report provides estimates of the federal education tax benefits available to postsecondary students 

and their parents, and the effect of these tax benefits on net prices. 

The report is based on data from the 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 

(NPSAS:04) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. 

Department of Education. Each NPSAS is a comprehensive nationwide survey that includes a 

wide variety of data on postsecondary student demographics, income, enrollment, and many 

other areas related to postsecondary education and financing. NPSAS surveys have been 

conducted about every 3 or 4 years since 1987. 

The report includes a compendium of tables describing average tuition, average total price 

of attendance, and various types and amounts of financial aid, by selected institutional and 

student characteristics. The tables in sections 2 through 5 are comparable to and have the same 

numbering system as those found in the NPSAS:96 and NPSAS:2000 undergraduate financing 

reports (Berkner 1998; Berkner et al. 2002). 

The estimates presented in the report were produced using the NCES Data Analysis System 

(DAS), a web-based software application that enables users to specify and generate tables for 

most of the postsecondary surveys conducted by NCES. The DAS produces the design-adjusted 

standard errors necessary for testing the statistical significance of differences in the estimates. 

The DAS for NPSAS:04 is available on the NCES website (http://www.nces.ed.gov/das). For 

more information on the DAS, see appendix B of this report. 
xv 

Acknowledgments 

The 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study was conducted by RTI 

International and MPR Associates for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). John 

Riccobono and Tim Gabel of RTI were responsible for overall direction and management of the 

project. Others at RTI who made major contributions were Brian Kuhr for institutional 

contacting, Norma Marti for institutional data collection, Jeff Franklin for student telephone 

interviews, Theresa Gilligan and Donna Anderson for the student interview data files, Kristin 

Dudley for the institutional and Department of Education data files, Donna Jewell for data 

processing, Peter Siegel for sampling and weighting, and Karol Krotki for imputation. 

At MPR, Shirley He, Stephen Lew, and Robert Fitzgerald wrote the programs to create the 

derived variables used in this report. Vicky Dingler, Joanna Wu, and John Vavricka created the 

Data Analysis System files, Andrea Livingston edited the report, Annabelle Yang formatted the 

tables and figures, Natesh Daniel did the final layout, and Barbara Kridl copyedited and 

coordinated the final production. 

At NCES, James Griffith, Tracy Hunt-White, Linda Zimbler, and Dennis Carroll reviewed 

the work at every phase of the project and contributed many helpful comments and suggestions 

for improvements. Paula Knepper and Marilyn Seastrom, Chief Statistician, provided a 

comprehensive technical and methodological review of the report. 

The report was also reviewed by Kenneth Redd of the National Association of Student 

Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), Dan Goldenberg of the U.S. Department of Education, 

and Kent Phillippe of the American Association of Community Colleges. 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
xvii 

Contents 

Page 

Executive Summary................................................................................................................ iii

Foreword ................................................................................................................................. xiv

Acknowledgments................................................................................................................... xv

List of Tables........................................................................................................................... xix

List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... xxv

The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 ................ 1

Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1 

Tuition and Total Price of Attendance in 2003–04............................................................. 3 

Financial Aid in 2003–04 ................................................................................................... 5 

Net Price of Attendance in 2003–04................................................................................... 10 

Net Tuition in 2003–04....................................................................................................... 12 

Federal Education Tax Credits and Deductions in 2003–04 .............................................. 16 

Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................................. 24 

References................................................................................................................................ 29

Table Compendium ................................................................................................................ 31

Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables ................................................................................. 33 

Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance........................................................................ 65 

Section 3: Financial Aid ..................................................................................................... 81 

Section 4: Net Price and Need ............................................................................................ 143 

Section 5: Student Characteristics ...................................................................................... 177 

Appendix A—Glossary........................................................................................................... A-1

Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology................................................................ B-1
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
xix 

List of Tables 

Table Page 

COMPENDIUM TABLES 

Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

1.1 Average tuition and fees, average price of attendance, and percentage of 

undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received any financial aid, 

any grants, or student loans, and among those receiving aid, the average amounts of 

aid received, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04.......... 34 

1.2 Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received 

federal, state, institutional, or other grants, and among those receiving aid, the average 

amounts received, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... 39 

1.3 Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, 

average price of attendance, grant aid, student loan, total aid, net price (price minus 

all grants), and out-of-pocket net price (price minus total aid), by type of institution 

and selected student characteristics: 2003–04 ................................................................. 44 

1.4 Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, 

average tuition and fees, average grant amount, percentage with zero net tuition, and 

average net tuition amounts, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... 49 

1.5 Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received 

various combinations of federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated education tax 

benefits and the estimated average amounts received, by type of institution and 

selected student characteristics: 2003–04........................................................................ 54 

1.6 Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary education, 

average price of attendance, average federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated 

tax benefits, average total grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, and 

average net price of attendance, by type of institution and selected student 

characteristics: 2003–04 .................................................................................................. 59 
List of Tables

xx 

Table Page 

Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

2.1-A Average price of attendance, by type of institution and selected institutional and 

student characteristics: 2003–04...................................................................................... 67 

2.1-B Average price of attendance for full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of 

institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 ..................... 69 

2.1-C Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by price of attendance and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04........................................................... 71 

2.2-A Average tuition and fees for undergraduates, by type of institution and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04........................................................... 73 

2.2-B Average tuition and fees for full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of institution 

and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 ...................................... 75 

2.2-C Average tuition and fees for part-time or part-year undergraduates, by type of 

institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 ..................... 77 

2.2-D Percentage distribution of all undergraduates, by tuition and fees and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04........................................................... 79 

Section 3: Financial Aid 

3.1-A Percentage of undergraduates receiving aid, by type of aid and selected institutional 

and student characteristics: 2003–04 ............................................................................... 85 

3.1-B Average amount of aid received by aided undergraduates, by type of aid and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04........................................................... 87 

3.1-C Percentage of undergraduates receiving any aid, by type of institution and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04........................................................... 89 

3.1-D Average amount of total aid received by undergraduates who received any aid, by type 

of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04................. 92 

3.2-A Percentage of undergraduates receiving federal aid, by type of aid and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04........................................................... 94 

3.2-B Average amount of federal aid received by undergraduates who received federal aid, 

by type of aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 ............... 97 

3.2-C Percentage of undergraduates receiving federal aid, by type of institution and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................100 
 List of Tables 

xxi 

Table Page 

3.2-D Average amount of federal aid received by undergraduates who received federal aid, 

by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 ....102 

3.3-A Percentage of undergraduates receiving state aid, by type of aid and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................104 

3.3-B Average amount of state aid received by undergraduates who received state aid, by 

type of aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 ....................107 

3.3-C Percentage of undergraduates receiving state aid, by type of institution and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................110 

3.3-D Average amount of state aid received by undergraduates who received state aid, by 

type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04.........112 

3.4-A Percentage of undergraduates receiving institutional aid, by type of aid and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................114 

3.4-B Average amount of institutional aid received by undergraduates who received 

institutional aid, by type of aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 

2003–04 ...........................................................................................................................117 

3.4-C Percentage of undergraduates receiving institutional aid, by type of institution and 

selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 .............................................120 

3.4-D Average amount of institutional aid received by undergraduates who received 

institutional aid, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04....122 

3.5-A Percentage distribution of aided undergraduates, by combination of financial aid 

received and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04........................124 

3.5-B Average amount of financial aid received by undergraduates who received various 

combinations of financial aid, by selected institutional and student characteristics: 

2003–04 ...........................................................................................................................127 

3.6-A Percentage of undergraduates in public 4-year institutions receiving financial aid, by 

type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04 .............................130 

3.6-B Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in public 4-year 

institutions, by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04 ....132 

3.7-A Percentage of undergraduates in public 2-year institutions receiving financial aid, by 

type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04 .............................134 
List of Tables

xxii 

Table Page 

3.7-B Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in public 2-year 

institutions, by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04 ....136 

3.8-A Percentage of undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions receiving 

financial aid, by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04 ..138 

3.8-B Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in private not-forprofit 4-year institutions, by type and source of aid and selected student 

characteristics: 2003–04 ..................................................................................................140 

Section 4: Net Price and Need 

4.1-A Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary 

education among undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and 

student characteristics: 2003–04......................................................................................147 

4.1-B Average net price (price of attendance minus all grants) among undergraduates, by 

type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04.........149 

4.1-C Average net price after federal grants among undergraduates, by type of institution 

and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 ......................................151 

4.1-D Average net tuition (tuition and fees minus total grants) among undergraduates, by 

type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04.........153 

4.1-E Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary 

education among dependent undergraduates, by dependent student family income and 

selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 .............................................155 

4.1-F Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary 

education among independent undergraduates, by independent student income and 

selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 .............................................157 

4.1-G Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary 

education among full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of institution and 

selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 .............................................159 

4.1-H Average net tuition (tuition and fees minus total grants) among full-time/full-year 

undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and student 

characteristics: 2003–04 ..................................................................................................161 

4.2 Average federal expected family contribution (EFC) among undergraduates, by type 

of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04.................163 
 List of Tables 

xxiii 

Table Page 

4.3-A Percentage of undergraduates who have need for federal aid, by type of institution and 

selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 .............................................165 

4.3-B Average financial need among undergraduates who have need, by type of institution 

and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 ......................................167 

4.4-A Percentage of undergraduates who have remaining need after receiving financial aid 

(if any), by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 

2003–04 ...........................................................................................................................169 

4.4-B Average amount of remaining financial need among undergraduates who have need 

after receiving financial aid (if any), by type of institution and selected institutional 

and student characteristics: 2003–04 ...............................................................................171 

4.5-A Among undergraduates with financial need, the percentage who received any financial 

aid, by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 

2003–04 ...........................................................................................................................173 

4.5-B Average amount of financial aid received by undergraduates who had need, by type of 

institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 .....................175 

Section 5: Student Characteristics 

5.1-A Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by dependency status and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................179 

5.1-B Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by attendance status and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................181 

5.1-C Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by student housing and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................183 

5.2-A Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by race/ethnicity and selected institutional 

and student characteristics: 2003–04 ...............................................................................185 

5.2-B Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by gender, citizenship, and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................187 

5.3 Percentage distribution of dependent undergraduates, by parents’ income and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................189 

5.4 Percentage distribution of independent undergraduates, by students’ income and 

selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04 .............................................191 
List of Tables

xxiv 

Table Page 

5.5 Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by type of institution and selected 

institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04...........................................................193 

APPENDIX B TABLES 

B-1 Standard errors for table 1.1: Average tuition and fees, average price of attendance, 

and percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received 

any financial aid, any grants, or student loans, and among those receiving aid, the 

average amounts of aid received, by selected student characteristics: 2003–04..............B-13 

B-2 Comparison of 2003 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data and NPSAS:04 estimates of 

federal education tax credit and tuition and fees deduction claims by adjusted gross 

income (AGI)...................................................................................................................B-22 

B-3 Estimated federal education tax benefits (reduction in taxes) by adjusted gross income 

(AGI) for postsecondary students: 2003–04 ....................................................................B-23 
xxv 

List of Figures 

Figure Page 

Executive Summary 

A Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, average tuition and fees and average price 

of attendance, by type of institution: 2003–04................................................................. iv 

B Percentage distribution of undergraduates by type of aid package, percentage 

receiving different types of aid, and average amount of aid for aided students: 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... vi 

C Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates who received grants, student loans, 

and any type of financial aid, by type of institution: 2003–04......................................... vii 

D Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, average amount of grants, student loans, 

and total financial aid received by students who received the specified type of aid, by 

type of institution: 2003–04............................................................................................. viii 

E Among full-time/full-year undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of 

attendance, average net price (price of attendance minus all grants), and average 

out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid), by type of institution: 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... ix 

F Percentage of undergraduates who received federal grants or veterans benefits, 

estimated federal education tax benefits, and any federal grants, veterans benefits, or 

estimated tax benefits: 2003–04 ...................................................................................... xi 

G Estimated average federal education tax benefits and average total federal grants, 

veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits received by students who received 

federal grants or benefits: 2003–04 ................................................................................. xii 

H Among full-time/full-year undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of 

attendance, average net price after federal aid (price of attendance minus all federal 

grants, veterans benefits, and estimated federal education tax benefits), and average 

net price (price of attendance minus all grants, veterans benefits, and estimated 

federal education tax benefits), by type of institution: 2003–04...................................... xiii 
List of Figures

xxvi 

Figure Page 

Text 

1 Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, average tuition and fees and average price 

of attendance, by type of institution: 2003–04................................................................. 4 

2 Percentage distribution of undergraduates by type of aid package, percentage 

receiving different types of aid, and average amount of aid for aided students: 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... 6 

3-A Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates who received grants, student loans, 

and any type of financial aid, by type of institution: 2003–04......................................... 7 

3-B Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, average amount of grants, student loans, 

and total financial aid received by students who received the specified type of aid, by 

type of institution: 2003–04............................................................................................. 8 

4 Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates who received federal, state, or 

institutional grants, by type of institution: 2003–04 ........................................................ 9 

5 Among full-time/full-year undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of 

attendance, average net price (price of attendance minus all grants), and average 

out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid), by type of institution: 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... 12 

6 Among low-income (less than $32,000) dependent undergraduates enrolled full time 

for a full academic year, average price of attendance, average net price (price of 

attendance minus all grants), and average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance 

minus total aid), by type of institution: 2003–04............................................................. 13 

7 Percentage of full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates with a net tuition (tuition 

minus all grants) of zero, by family income level: 2003–04 ........................................... 14 

8 Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates with a net tuition (tuition minus all 

grants) of zero, by type of institution: 2003–04............................................................... 15 

9 Among full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates (aided and unaided), average 

tuition and average net tuition (tuition minus all grants), by family income level: 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... 16 

10 Among full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates (aided and unaided), average 

tuition and average net tuition (tuition minus all grants), by type of institution: 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... 17 
 List of Figures 

xxvii 

Figure Page 

11 Percentage of undergraduates who received federal grants or veterans benefits, 

estimated federal education tax benefits, and any federal grants, veterans benefits, or 

estimated tax benefits: 2003–04 ...................................................................................... 20 

12 Estimated average federal education tax benefits and average total federal grants, 

veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits received by students who received 

federal grants or benefits: 2003–04 ................................................................................. 21 

13 Percentage of full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates who received federal 

grants or veterans benefits, estimated federal education tax benefits, and any federal 

grants, veterans benefits, or estimated tax benefits, by family income level: 2003–04... 22 

14 Among full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates, estimated average amount of 

federal education tax benefits and total federal grants, veterans benefits, and tax 

benefits received by students who received federal grants or benefits, by family 

income level: 2003–04..................................................................................................... 23 

15 Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates who received federal grants or 

veterans benefits, estimated federal education tax benefits, and any federal grants, 

veterans benefits, or estimated tax benefits, by type of institution: 2003–04.................. 24 

16 Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, estimated average federal education tax 

benefits and total federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits received 

by students who received federal grants or benefits, by type of institution: 2003–04..... 25 

17 Among full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates (aided and unaided), average 

price of attendance, average net price after federal aid (price of attendance minus all 

federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated federal education tax benefits), and 

average net price (price of attendance minus all grants, veterans benefits, and 

estimated federal education tax benefits), by family income level: 2003–04.................. 26 

18 Among full-time/full-year undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of 

attendance, average net price after federal aid (price of attendance minus all federal 

grants, veterans benefits, and estimated federal education tax benefits), and average 

net price (price of attendance minus all grants, veterans benefits, and estimated 

federal education tax benefits), by type of institution: 2003–04...................................... 27 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
1 

The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax 

Benefits in 2003–04 

Introduction 

In 2003–04, about 19 million undergraduates were enrolled in postsecondary institutions. 

For these students and their families, the price of attending a postsecondary institution depended 

on the type of institution where students were enrolled, their attendance status (full-time or parttime), and the amount of financial aid they received. Because financial aid plays a crucial role in 

determining the postsecondary expenses of students, it is important to examine the “net price” of 

attendance—what students and families have to pay after receiving financial aid. 

The traditional types of financial aid are grants, loans, and work-study. After receiving a 

financial aid application, a postsecondary institution may offer one or more of these types of aid 

to the student as a financial aid “package” in a financial aid award letter, generally prior to 

enrollment. The aid award letter includes the student’s estimated total price of attendance and the 

types and amounts of financial aid for which the student is eligible. The total price of attendance 

minus the financial aid offered provides the information that students and their families need to 

estimate the out-of-pocket amount they must pay for the student to attend the institution that year. 

In addition to the traditional types of financial aid, since 1998 the federal government has 

provided postsecondary students and their families with financial assistance through federal tax 

reductions for certain educational expenses.1 These federal tax benefits differ from the traditional 

types of student financial aid in several ways. Unlike traditional financial aid, the amount of the 

tax benefit to the students or their families cannot be specified prior to enrollment. The amount 

of the actual tax benefit depends on the particular circumstances of the tax filers and their choices 

among several tax benefit options, which are not determined until federal taxes are filed. The 

amount of the education tax benefit is based on the educational expenses incurred during the 

entire calendar year of enrollment prior to filing taxes, while traditional financial aid is awarded 

for an academic year (e.g., fall and spring semesters) that usually spans 2 calendar years. Unlike 

the traditional types of financial aid, the postsecondary institution does not know and therefore 

cannot report the dollar value of the tax benefit for an individual student. Moreover, the survey 

 

1 U.S. Government Accountability Office (2005) and Long (2004) describe these programs and estimate eligibility and 

participation rates. 
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

2 

interviews of the students themselves have not provided reliable information about these tax 

benefits.2 Since there is no actual student-level data available, the federal tax benefit amounts in 

this report are estimates that were imputed based on assumptions that are explained below. 

The data used in this study are from the 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04), a nationally representative sample of students in postsecondary education. 

Comparisons were made by institution type, attendance status, income level, and other variables. 

Standard t tests were used to determine statistical significance at the p < .05 significance level. 

The narrative begins with a description of average tuition and total price of attendance in 

2003–04, followed by an overview of the types and average amounts of traditional financial aid 

that students receive. Because of the many differences in the comparability of the data on federal 

education tax benefits and the traditional types of financial aid, the estimated federal education 

tax benefits are not included in the “financial aid” totals in this report unless they are specifically 

mentioned. All of the tables presenting financial aid and net price data are comparable to the 

prior NPSAS descriptive reports (Berkner 1998; Berkner et al. 2002), with the exception of 

compendium tables 1.5 and 1.6 that specifically include the estimated federal education tax 

benefits. 

The net price of attendance is discussed in the next section. There is no single definition or 

measure of postsecondary “net price.” The various measures of net price depend on which 

combinations of the types of aid are subtracted from the total price of attendance, and each of 

these illustrates different ways of looking at how much the price of postsecondary education is 

reduced for students and families.3 The traditional types of financial aid reduce the price of 

attendance in different ways. Grants are “gift” aid that reduce the price up front and never need to 

be repaid. Loans reduce the price up front in the short term, but eventually need to be repaid with 

interest in the long term. Work-study aid must be earned, so it reduces price incrementally over 

the course of the academic year. 

One of the important measures of net price that will be examined in this report is the price 

of attendance after grant aid. Since grants are traditional types of financial aid that do not need to 

be repaid or earned through employment, the net price of attendance minus grant aid may be 

considered the best estimate of an up-front and permanent reduction in price. Another net price 

measure, which will be called the “out-of-pocket” price, is the price of attendance minus all 

traditional types of aid, including loans and work-study. Although loans need to be repaid and 

 

2 In the NPSAS:04 survey interview almost 40 percent of the students responded that they did not know whether any federal 

education tax benefits had been claimed, and among those who indicated that one of the tax benefits had been claimed, onefourth to two-thirds were apparently ineligible to claim that particular benefit. See appendix B for details. 

3 For example, see Horn, Wei, and Berker (2002) for several different net price measures. 
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

3 

work-study aid needs to be earned, the access price represents the out-of-pocket amount that 

must be paid before or during the academic year of enrollment from sources other than traditional 

financial aid (e.g., current income, savings, or home equity loans). Finally, there is an 

examination of “net tuition,” which represents tuition and fees (only) minus grant aid. The 

percentage of students whose entire tuition and fees are covered by grants are shown as paying 

“zero net tuition.” The proportion of students with zero net tuition by income level is important 

in understanding the distribution of federal education tax benefits, because students whose entire 

tuition and fees are covered by grants are not eligible for the federal education tax benefits. 

The final section describes the federal education tax benefits and provides estimates of the 

average value of these benefits. The focus of this section is to estimate the percentage of 

postsecondary students who received federal grants or other education benefits (including 

veterans as well as tax benefits) and to estimate the average amounts that they (or their parents) 

could have received if their 2003–04 academic year enrollment and net tuition were assumed to 

have been about the same as in the 2003 calendar year. Because of the issues of timing and 

comparability discussed above, all of these estimates have been shown separately from the 

traditional financial aid and net price measures. However, estimates of the effect of all federal 

grants and tax benefits in reducing postsecondary prices can inform policy considerations, even if 

the data is not strictly comparable. Therefore this section shows the estimated reduction in 

average postsecondary prices after federal grants and tax benefits, and then the estimated 

reduction when federal grants and tax benefits are combined with all grants from any sources. 

The narrative and the figures in the text will address undergraduates who were enrolled full 

time for the full academic year (9 or more months)4 in public 2-year, public 4-year, private notfor-profit 4-year, and private for-profit institutions, and full-time dependent students by family 

income level. More detailed information about the data shown in the figures is available in 

section 1 of the compendium tables. 

Tuition and Total Price of Attendance in 2003–04 

A basic component of postsecondary prices is the tuition and required fees charged by the 

institution for enrollment. “Tuition” generally refers to the price of instruction, while “fees” 

usually refer to charges for other services provided by the campus.5 In 2003–04, average tuition 

and fees for full-time/full-year undergraduates were $2,000 at public 2-year institutions, $5,400 

 

4 Students who are enrolled full time for a full academic year will be referred to as “full-time students” throughout this report. In 

2003–04, about 60 percent of those attending 4-year institutions, 22 percent of those attending public 2-year institutions, and

about one-third (34 percent) of undergraduates at private for-profit institutions were full-time/full-year students (compendium

table 5.1-B). 

5 Institutions often do not distinguish between tuition and fees and will use one or the other term to designate both. 
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

4 

at public 4-year institutions,6 $10,600 at private for-profit institutions, and $18,400 at private notfor-profit 4-year institutions (figure 1). The lower average tuition charges at public institutions 

reflect the subsidies that these institutions receive from state governments. The actual tuition 

charged by any particular institution will vary from these averages. 

A student’s price of attendance includes all other expenses related to postsecondary 

enrollment in addition to tuition and fees: books and supplies, room and board (or housing and 

meals for students living off campus), transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses. The 

price of attendance is estimated by financial aid officers and other administrators at each 

institution as the student budgets that are used in determining financial aid eligibility. Student 

 

6 Average tuition and fees include, among public 4-year institutions, the additional amount charged to out-of-state residents, and 

among public 2-year institutions, the additional amount charged to out-of-district as well as out-of-state residents. 

Figure 1.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, average tuition and fees and average price of attendance,

Figure 1.—by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of 

attendance includes tuition and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related to enrollment such as books and

supplies, room and board, transportation, and other personal living expenses. Public 4-year averages include additional charges to

out-of-state students. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid

Study (NPSAS:04).

$2,000

$5,400

$10,500

$15,200

$28,300

$20,300

$10,600

$18,400

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Tuition and fees Price of attendance

Type of institution

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

5 

budgets fall into a number of categories and will vary based on students’ dependency status, 

family responsibilities, and housing arrangements (on-campus, off-campus, or living with 

parents).7 For example, students living on campus will have higher expenses than those living at 

home with their parents, and students who have dependents of their own will have higher 

expenses than those with no dependents. 

In 2003–04, the average total price of attendance differed by the type of institution 

attended, reflecting the variation in average tuition and fees (figure 1). The price of attendance 

for full-time undergraduates attending public 2-year institutions averaged $10,500, compared 

with $15,200 for those at public 4-year institutions. The average price of attendance was $20,300 

among those enrolled at private for-profit institutions, and $28,300 among those at private notfor-profit 4-year institutions. 

Financial Aid in 2003–04 

The traditional types of financial aid awarded to students are grants, loans, and work-study. 

The financial aid totals shown in this report do not include federal education tax benefits unless 

they are specifically mentioned. While the federal education tax benefits also help to offset a 

family’s expenses for postsecondary education, they are not part of the traditional financial aid 

awards made to students before an academic year or term.8 A student or family must first make 

tuition payments to an institution before any tax benefits can be received in the following 

calendar year. Therefore, unlike the traditional forms of financial aid such as grants and loans, 

the federal tax benefits do not help with the immediate, out-of-pocket expenses that must be paid 

during the actual period of enrollment. 

In 2003–04, 63 percent of all undergraduates received some type of traditional financial aid 

from federal, state, institutional, or other sources (figure 2). Among full-time undergraduates, 

about three-fourths (76 percent) received financial aid, and the average total amount received was 

$9,900. Sixty-two percent of full-time students received grants, with an average of $5,600 per 

recipient. Grants, which are considered “gift aid” that does not need to be repaid, can be either 

need- or merit-based (often called scholarships). In addition, one-half (50 percent) of all full-time 

undergraduates took out an average of $6,200 in student loans for the 2003–04 academic year.9 

 

7 Dependent students are those who are under the age of 24, unmarried, and have no dependents of their own. 

8 Tuition reimbursements from employers are an exception to the usual financial aid award procedures, since students must 

usually have completed the courses in order to get reimbursed. 

9 The student loan amounts in this report include only the amount borrowed for the 2003–04 academic year. Those students who 

were also enrolled in prior years may have taken out student loans previously. The total amount ever borrowed for postsecondary

education is referred to as the “cumulative student loan amount.” 
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

6 

Figure 2.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates by type of aid package, percentage receiving different types

Figure 2.—of aid, and average amount of aid for aided students: 2003–04

Aid type Percent Average

Grants 51 $4,000

Student loans 35 $5,800

Work-study 8 $2,000

Other 7 $6,200

Any aid 63 $7,400

Percent

Full-time/full-year 41

Part-time or part-year 59

Aid type Percent Average

Grants 62 $5,600

Student loans 50 $6,200

Work-study 14 $1,900

Other 9 $7,900

Any aid 76 $9,900

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Student loans 

may be from any source, but exclude federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). “Other” includes veteran benefits, 

job training funds, and PLUS loans. “Grants, work-study, or any other aid” includes any combination of grants, work-study, and 

“other.” Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Any aid excludes federal education tax benefits. Estimates include 

postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

Attendance pattern

No aid

Student 

loans only

$6,600

40%

27%

24%

9%

Student 

loans only

$5,900

No aid

28%

27%

37%

9%

All undergraduates

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

Grants, 

work-study, 

or other aid, 

no loans

$3,500

Grants, 

work-study, 

or other aid, 

with loans

$11,900

Grants, 

work-study, 

or other aid, 

no loans

$5,400

Grants, 

work-study, 

or other aid, 

with loans

$13,600
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

7 

Student loans may be either subsidized or unsubsidized and must be repaid with interest.10

Fourteen percent of full-time undergraduates held work-study jobs, and 9 percent received other 

types of aid, which include federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS), veterans 

benefits, and job training and vocational rehabilitation funds. Students often receive more than 

one type of aid: 40 percent of full-time undergraduates received some combination of grants, 

work-study, or other aid and student loans in their total aid package. 

The proportion of full-time students who received financial aid varied by the type of 

institution they attended (figure 3-A). Sixty-one percent of full-time undergraduates attending 

public 2-year institutions received some type of financial aid, compared with about three-fourths 

(76 percent) of those at public 4-year institutions and about 9 out of 10 students at private not- 

 

10 Most student loans are made through the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and the Federal Direct Loan 

program. Each program administers two major types of loans: subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Stafford loans. The federal 

government pays the interest on subsidized Stafford loans while the student is enrolled and for 6 months after the enrollment 

period. Subsidized Stafford loans are available to students who can demonstrate need. Unsubsidized Stafford loans are available

to students regardless of need, and interest on the loan accrues while the student is enrolled. 

Figure 3-A.—Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates who received grants, student loans, and any type of 

Figure 3-A.—financial aid, by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Student loans 

may be from any source, but exclude federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Total aid includes grants, loans, 

work-study, and any other aid, including federal PLUS loans. Total aid does not include federal education tax benefits. Estimates 

include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

53

59

81

70

23

51

66

80

61

76

89 92

0

20

40

60

80

100

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Percent

Grants Student loans Any aid

Type of institution
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

8 

for-profit 4-year (89 percent) and private for-profit (92 percent) institutions. Full-time students at 

public 2-year institutions were the least likely to borrow: about one-fourth (23 percent) took out 

student loans, compared with about one-half (51 percent) of those attending public 4-year 

institutions, about two-thirds (66 percent) at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions, and fourfifths (80 percent) at private for-profit institutions. 

The average amount of financial aid received by full-time undergraduates at each type of 

institution was related to the average price of attendance at that type of institution (figure 3-B). 

The average amount of financial aid ranged from $4,900 at public 2-year institutions, $8,700 at 

public 4-year institutions, $11,100 at private for-profit institutions, to $16,300 at private not-forprofit 4-year institutions. 

Figure 3-B.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, average amount of grants, student loans, and total 

Figure 3-B.—financial aid received by students who received the specified type of aid, by type of institution:

Figure 3-B.—2003–04

NOTE: Aid averages are for those students who received the specified type of aid. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full 

time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from 

federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Student loans may be from any source, but exclude federal 

Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Total aid includes grants, loans, work-study, and any other aid, including federal 

PLUS loans. Total aid does not include federal education tax benefits. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$3,400 $4,100 $4,900

$8,700

$16,300

$11,100 $9,400

$4,200 $4,600

$7,900 $7,200

$5,800

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Grants Student loans Total aid

Type of institution

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

9 

The major sources of grant aid are the federal government, the state governments, and the 

institutions themselves. About one-third (33 percent) of all full-time undergraduates received a 

federal grant in 2003–04.11 The largest source of federal grants is the Federal Pell grant 

program.12 The Federal Pell grant program provides only need-based grants and targets students 

with the lowest incomes. A smaller grant program, the Federal Supplemental Educational 

Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), is used to supplement Pell grants, and there are also a variety of 

small programs included in the federal grant totals.13

Federal grants are an important source of aid for undergraduates. Full-time students 

attending private for-profit institutions were the most likely to receive federal grants (figure 4). 

More than one-half (55 percent) of full-time undergraduates at private for-profit institutions 

received federal grants, compared with about one-third (30–35 percent) of those attending the 

other types of institutions. 

 

11 Compendium table 1.2. 

12 Federal Pell grants provided about $12.7 billion dollars to about 5 million students in 2003–04. The maximum Federal Pell 

grant award in that year was $4,050 (The College Board 2004). 

13 The federal grant totals exclude federal veterans benefits (including all Department of Defense aid), which are classified as 

“other aid” in NPSAS. 

Figure 4.—Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates who received federal, state, or institutional grants, by

Figure 4.—type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers. Federal amounts exclude veterans benefits and education tax benefits. Estimates

include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

35 30 32

55

19 25 29

14 14

27

64

10

0

20

40

60

80

100

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit

4-year

Private for-profit

Percent

Federal grants State grants Institutional grants

Type of institution
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

10 

State-funded and institutional grants may be need based, merit based, or both. Students 

attending private not-for-profit 4-year institutions were more likely to receive grants from 

institutional funds than from either federal or state funds. About two-thirds (64 percent) of fulltime undergraduates at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions received an institutional grant, 

while about one-third (32 percent) received a federal grant and 29 percent received a state-funded 

grant. 

Net Price of Attendance in 2003–04 

The net price of attendance is the price that students and their families pay to attend a 

postsecondary institution after taking financial aid into account. The net price is calculated by 

subtracting the amount of financial aid received from the total price of attendance (tuition and 

fees plus other expenses in the student budget). Net prices can be calculated by subtracting 

grants, grants and loans, or all types of financial aid. Depending on what types of aid are included 

in the calculation, a net price estimate can be a measure of what students and families must pay 

either during that academic year or over the long term. For example, net price calculations that 

include student loans only measure net price in the short term because the loan amounts must 

eventually be repaid. 

Calculating average net prices requires a different approach to calculating averages than has 

been used so far in this study in presenting average financial aid amounts. There are two ways to 

calculate the average amount of financial aid: one determines the average only for the recipients 

of a particular type or combination of aid; the other calculates the average for all students, 

including those who did not receive that type or combination of aid. To obtain an estimate of the 

average amount of grant aid for grant recipients, for example, the total amount of grant aid 

awarded is divided only by the number of students who received grants. In 2003–04, 

approximately one-half (51 percent) of all undergraduates received grants; the average amount 

per recipient was $4,000.14

The second method calculates the average amount of grant aid for all students, so that in the 

example cited above, the numerator is still total grant aid awarded, but the denominator includes 

all undergraduates, both recipients and nonrecipients. This second method gives an estimate of 

the average amount of grant aid awarded per student, and because those who did not receive 

grants are included, the average will be lower. For example, because about one-half of all 

undergraduates were grant recipients and they received on average $4,000 each, the average 

among the total population of undergraduates was approximately $2,000.15 In this study, net 

 

14 Compendium table 1.1. 

15 Compendium table 1.3. 
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

11 

tuition and net price include all students, aided and unaided. By using a common denominator 

(all students) it is possible to compare the relative impact of different financial aid combinations 

in reducing net tuition and net price among categories of students. 

In this section, two important measures of net price are discussed: total price minus grants, 

and total price minus total financial aid.16 The first measure, total price minus grants, is the 

amount students and families must pay for a postsecondary education after receiving grant aid. 

Since grants do not need to be repaid, this is closest to the actual, permanent price reduction 

while enrolled in a postsecondary institution during the 2003–04 academic year. The second 

measure of net price is the total price minus all traditional types of financial aid. It subtracts loans 

and work-study as well as grants, and represents the out-of-pocket payments that were required in 

order to enroll in 2003–04. This out-of-pocket net price measure subtracts loans, which must be 

repaid with interest, so it does not account for the total amount that must be paid over the 

student’s lifetime for a postsecondary education in 2003–04. 

As shown in figure 5, when only grant aid is subtracted from price, the average net price of 

attendance after grants for all full-time undergraduates in 2003–04 (including unaided students) 

was $8,700 at public 2-year institutions, $12,400 at public 4-year institutions, $17,400 at private 

for-profit institutions, and $20,600 at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions. These net prices 

after all grant aid represent the permanent, up-front reduced price to the student. 

 The average out-of-pocket net price of attendance after all financial aid (including loans) 

for all full-time undergraduates in 2003–04 (whether or not they received any financial aid) was 

$7,400 at public 2-year institutions, $8,500 at public 4-year institutions, $10,100 at private forprofit institutions, and $13,900 at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions. These out-of-pocket 

net prices only represent the short-term price reductions for enrollment that year, because the 

loans will need to be repaid with interest later. 

The total price and net prices for full-time dependent undergraduates from low-income 

families (less than $32,000)17 are shown in figure 6. The average out-of-pocket net price after all 

financial aid was about $6,000 at the public institutions ($5,600 at 4-year and $6,000 at 2-year) 

and about $9,000 at the private institutions ($8,800 at for-profit and $9,200 at not-for-profit 4-

year). Comparing figures 5 and 6, low-income full-time dependent undergraduates had lower 

average net prices after grants as well as lower average out-of-pocket net prices after total aid 

than the average net prices among all full-time undergraduates in the same type of institution. 

 

16 Neither of these two measures of net price subtract the federal tuition tax benefits (the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits 

and the tuition and fees tax deduction) that also offset the total price of attendance for students and families. The federal tuition 

tax benefits and their impact on net prices are discussed later in this report. 

17 This is the lowest family income quartile for the parents of all dependent students. 
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

12 

Net Tuition in 2003–04 

Net tuition is defined as total tuition and fees minus all grants. In calculating the average 

net tuition, all students are included, whether or not they received grant aid. When the grant 

amounts are larger than the tuition and fees charged, net tuition after grants will have a negative 

value. Grants are not necessarily limited to covering only tuition and fees but may also be used 

for a student’s other educational expenses. Negative net tuition values occur because the entire

student budget (total price of attendance) is taken into account when determining financial aid 

need and award amounts, so grant amounts may be larger than total tuition. Negative net tuition 

Figure 5.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of attendance, average

Figure 5.—net price (price of attendance minus all grants), and average out-of-pocket net price (price of 

Figure 5.—attendance minus total aid), by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of 

attendance includes tuition and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related to enrollment such as books and 

supplies, room and board, transportation, and other personal living expenses. Grants include any grants, scholarships, or tuition 

waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Total aid includes grants, loans, work-study, and 

any other aid, including federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS), but not federal education tax benefits. Average

amounts are for all students, including those who received no financial aid. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto

Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$10,500

$15,200

$28,300

$20,300

$8,700

$7,400 $8,500

$12,400

$17,400

$20,600

$13,900

$10,100

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Price of attendance Price minus total grants Price minus total aid

Type of institution

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

13 

values were set to zero; that is, if the grant amount covered more than tuition and fees, the 

student did not have to pay any of the tuition and fees charged by the institution.18

In 2003–04, about one-fourth (24 percent) of all full-time undergraduates had a zero net 

tuition because the grant aid that they received was equal to or exceeded the total tuition and fees 

charged; any amount that was greater than tuition and fees could be used to cover books, 

 

18 Because negative net tuition values were set to zero before any calculations of average net tuition were made, the average net

tuition estimates will be somewhat higher than the results obtained by subtracting the average grant per student from the average 

tuition. 

Figure 6.—Among low-income (less than $32,000) dependent undergraduates enrolled full time for a full academic

Figure 6.—year, average price of attendance, average net price (price of attendance minus all grants), and average 

Figure 6.—out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid), by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of 

attendance includes tuition and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related to enrollment such as books and 

supplies, room and board, transportation, and other personal living expenses. Grants include any grants, scholarships, or tuition 

waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Total aid includes grants, loans, work-study, and 

any other aid, including federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS), but not federal education tax benefits. Average

amounts are for all students, including those who received no financial aid. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto

Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid

Study (NPSAS:04).

$9,600

$14,500

$26,400

$20,600

$6,700

$9,000

$6,000 $5,600

$9,200 $8,800

$15,500 $15,700

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Price of attendance Price minus total grants Price minus total aid

Type of institution

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

14 

supplies, transportation costs, or living expenses.19 Among full-time dependent undergraduates, 

about one-half (49 percent) of students whose family income was less than $32,000 and about 

one-fifth (19 percent) whose family income20 was between $32,000 and $60,000 had a zero net 

tuition after grants (figure 7). The percentage of full-time undergraduates with a zero net tuition 

varied by institution type, reflecting the tuition levels at that type of institution. Students at public 

institutions were more likely to have a zero net tuition than those enrolled at private institutions 

(figure 8). At public 2-year institutions, 37 percent of full-time undergraduates had their entire 

tuition charges covered by grants, and at public 4-year institutions about one-fourth (26 percent) 

of all full-time undergraduates also had a zero net tuition. The distribution of students with zero 

net tuition after grants is important in understanding the distribution of federal education tax 

benefits, because these students are not eligible for the tax benefits. 

 

19 Compendium table 1.4. 

20 The income categories in the tables and figures represent approximate family income quartiles among all dependent students’ 

parents and among independent students. 

Figure 7.—Percentage of full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates with a net tuition (tuition minus all grants)

Figure 7.—of zero, by family income level: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Grants do not 

include federal veterans benefits and Department of Defense programs or federal education tax benefits. Negative net tuition 

values were set to zero. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid

Study (NPSAS:04).

49

19

9 7

0

20

40

60

80

100

Less than $32,000 $32,000–59,999 $60,000–91,999 $92,000 or more

Percent

Dependent student family income level
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

15 

Figure 9 shows average tuition and average net tuition after grants (including zero grant 

amounts) for full-time dependent undergraduates by family income level. For example, among 

low-income (less than $32,000) students the average tuition was $7,100, while the net tuition 

after grants was $2,700. As family income increased, so did the average net tuition, because 

lower income students were more likely to receive grant aid. Average net tuition was lower than 

average total tuition regardless of income, indicating that even students at the highest income 

levels received enough grant aid to show a difference between the average tuition charged and 

average net tuition amounts paid.21

Average tuition and average net tuition (including zero amounts) also varied by the type of 

institution attended (figure 10). Full-time dependent undergraduates enrolled at public 2-year 

institutions were charged an average tuition of $2,000 and paid an average net tuition of $1,200, 

while those at public 4-year institutions were charged an average tuition of $5,400 and paid an 

average net tuition of $3,500. Full-time dependent undergraduates attending private for-profit 

institutions were charged an average tuition of $10,600, but paid an average net tuition of $7,800, 

 

21 The net tuition after grants may be paid with other types of financial aid, such as student loans. 

Figure 8.—Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates with a net tuition (tuition minus all grants) of zero, by

Figure 8.—type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Grants do not 

include federal veterans benefits and Department of Defense programs or federal education tax benefits. Negative net tuition 

values were set to zero. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid

Study (NPSAS:04).

37

26

9 4

0

20

40

60

80

100

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Percent

Type of institution
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

16 

while those at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions were charged an average of $18,400, but 

paid an average net tuition of $11,000. 

Federal Education Tax Credits and Deductions in 2003–04 

In addition to the traditional types of financial aid described above, the federal government 

provides financial assistance to postsecondary students and their families through education tax 

credits and deductions that reduce the amount of federal income tax owed. Unlike the traditional 

types of financial aid, the actual value of the federal education tax benefits is not known before 

enrollment and is not determined until taxes are filed; the tax benefits are based on tuition and 

fees paid during enrollment in the prior 12 months of the calendar year, while traditional 

financial aid is based on enrollment during an academic year that spans 2 calendar years (e.g., 

Figure 9.—Among full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates (aided and unaided), average tuition and average

Figure 9.—net tuition (tuition minus all grants), by family income level: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Grants do not 

include federal veterans benefits and Department of Defense programs or federal education tax benefits. Negative net tuition 

values were set to zero. Average amounts are for all students, including those who did not receive grant aid. Estimates include

postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid

Study (NPSAS:04).

$7,100 $7,600 $8,300

$10,400

$2,700

$4,400 $5,700

$8,000

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Less than $32,000 $32,000–59,999 $60,000–91,999 $92,000 or more

Average amount

Tuition and fees Net tuition after grants

Dependent student family income level

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

17 

fall and spring terms); the postsecondary institutions do not know and therefore cannot report the 

amount of the tax benefits for a student, and the students themselves were not able to provide 

reliable information about them.22 The estimates of the tax benefits in this report were imputed 

and based on many assumptions discussed below. For these reasons, the federal education tax 

benefit estimates are not included in the financial aid totals in this report or the compendium 

tables unless specifically mentioned.23

There are three types of federal education tax benefits that may be claimed: Hope tax 

credits, Lifetime Learning tax credits, and tuition and fees deductions. Although there are some 

 

22 See appendix B for more details. 

23 Compendium tables 1.5 and 1.6. 

Figure 10.—Among full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates (aided and unaided), average tuition and 

Figure 10.—average net tuition (tuition minus all grants), by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include 

any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Grants do not 

include federal veterans benefits and Department of Defense programs or federal education tax benefits. Negative net tuition 

values were set to zero. Average amounts are for all students, including those who did not receive grant aid. Estimates include

postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid

Study (NPSAS:04).

$2,000

$5,400

$18,400

$10,600

$1,200

$3,500

$7,800

$11,000

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Tuition and fees Net tuition after grants

Type of institution

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

18 

differences in the eligibility requirements and the maximum tax benefits, all three have several 

requirements in common: 

• the benefits are only available if there is a positive net tuition, defined as tuition and 

fees minus any grants and veterans benefits; 

• the benefits are only available if there is a positive tax liability; and 

• the amount of the tax benefit cannot be greater than either the tax liability or the net 

tuition. 

This means that those who owe no taxes, as well as those who receive large enough grant aid to 

cover their entire tuition and fees, are not eligible for these benefits. There are also income limits 

to these benefits: eligibility is limited to single tax filers with adjusted gross incomes under 

$51,000 (for tax credits) or under $65,000 (for tax deductions), and limited to married filers with 

adjusted gross incomes under $103,000 (for tax credits) or $130,000 (for tax deductions). That is, 

these tax benefits are intended primarily to assist middle-income students and their parents, a 

group that is likely to owe taxes and unlikely to receive grants large enough to cover the entire 

tuition and fees. 

The federal Hope tax credit is limited to undergraduates in the first and second year of 

study, and the students must be enrolled at least half time.24 The maximum tax credit for each of 

those years of study is $1,500 per student, and tax filers25 may claim the credit for more than one 

student. The federal Lifetime Learning tax credit is available to any undergraduate or graduate 

students even if they are enrolled in only one course. The annual maximum amount of the tax 

credit was $2,000,26 but that applies to all students claimed on the same tax form. 

Both Hope and Lifetime Learning are tax credits that are directly subtracted from the 

amount of federal taxes owed. The tuition and fees deduction, on the other hand, reduces taxable 

income rather than reducing the tax amount directly. The maximum amount of the deduction is 

$3,000 for all students per tax filer. The amount of the tax benefit (reduction in taxes) is 

substantially less than this, however, because the amount of the tax benefit depends on the 

income tax bracket. A filer in a 10 percent tax bracket, for example, would receive a tax 

reduction of about $300 on a maximum tuition and fees deduction of $3,000. The maximum tax 

reduction (for a filer in the 40 percent tax bracket) was about $1,200. Tax filers may choose 

among the three types of tax benefits, but only one of them can be used for the same student. In 

 

24 Half-time attendance normally means enrolling for a minimum of 6 credits or two courses. 

25 Tax filers may be the students themselves or their parents. 

26 The maximum was 20 percent of up to $10,000 in net tuition. 
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

19 

general, the tax credits will result in greater tax savings than the deduction, except for filers in 

the higher income levels.27

Since there is no source of student-level data available for the value of these federal tax 

benefits, estimates of the tax benefit amounts for the NPSAS:04 sample students were imputed 

based on the eligibility requirements and data published by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

The IRS publishes aggregated annual sample data by income level that shows the number of tax 

filers who claimed the tax credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning combined) and the total tax credit 

dollars claimed, as well as the number of filers claiming the tuition and fees deductions and the 

total dollars claimed as deductions (U.S. Department of the Treasury 2005a, 2005b). The IRS 

data is not directly comparable to the NPSAS data, but it is the only source available. The IRS 

data is based on the 2003 calendar year, while the NPSAS data is based on the 2003–04 

academic year. The IRS data is based on the number of tax filers (individuals or households), 

while the NPSAS data is based on the number of students. The imputations of the tax benefits 

therefore had to assume that the academic year and the calendar year data were equivalent and 

that tax filers were equivalent to students, neither of which is necessarily true. 

The NPSAS:04 data on net tuition,28 income, federal taxes, class level, and attendance 

status were used to identify the students in the sample who met the eligibility requirements for 

each of the three federal education tax benefits based on their 2003–04 academic year enrollment 

and net tuition, and to estimate the amount of those benefits for which they would have been 

eligible. About one-fourth of tax filers who were eligible for one of these benefits did not claim 

them when filing taxes, however (U.S. Government Accountability Office 2005). Therefore the 

number and dollar amount of tax benefits that could have been claimed by the eligible students in 

the NPSAS sample were reduced to approximate the published IRS data within the appropriate 

income categories.29 

For the 2003–04 academic year,30 the imputations based on the NPSAS sample indicate 

that about one-half (49 percent) of all undergraduates received federal education tax benefits 

through one of the three tax reduction options described above (figure 11). In addition, 30 

percent of all undergraduates received federal grants (primarily Pell grants) or veterans benefits. 

In total, about three-fourths (73 percent) of all undergraduates are estimated to have received 

 

27 In addition to the income limits, the amount of the tax credit benefits are phased out for single filers with incomes above 

$41,000 and married filers with incomes above $83,000. 

28 For federal education tax benefit purposes, net tuition is calculated as tuition and fees minus grants and veterans benefits 

(including all Department of Defense aid to students). About 3 percent of undergraduates received veterans benefits. 

29 See appendix B for details. 

30 The tax benefits are actually based on the net tuition in the prior calendar (tax) year rather than the current academic year. The 

estimates are based on the assumption that the net tuition in the 2003–04 academic year is an approximation of the net tuition in 

the 2003 calendar year. 
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

20 

either federal grants, veterans benefits, or education tax benefits, or some combination (about 5 

percent of the total received both federal grants and tax benefits). The average value of the 

federal tax benefits for those who are estimated to have received them was $600 for all 

undergraduates and $800 for full-time undergraduates (figure 12). The combined average amount 

of federal grants, veterans benefits, and tax benefits was $1,500 for all undergraduates and 

$2,200 for full-time undergraduates. 

The percentage of full-time dependent undergraduates receiving any federal grants or 

veterans benefits and the estimated percentage with federal education tax benefits is shown by 

family income level in figure 13. Dependent students with family incomes of less than $32,000 

were the least likely to receive federal tax benefits (27 percent), but the most likely to receive 

federal grant aid (73 percent). In the two middle-income levels, 63 and 69 percent of the students 

are estimated to have received the federal tax benefits, compared with 40 percent of those in the 

highest income level. The estimated average value of the federal tax benefits received by fulltime dependent middle-income students was $900 and $1,100 (figure 14). The estimated average 

tax benefit for full-time dependent low-income students was $600 and for full-time dependent 

high-income students was $700. 

Figure 11.—Percentage of undergraduates who received federal grants or veterans benefits, estimated federal 

Figure 11.—education tax benefits, and any federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated tax benefits: 2003–04

NOTE: Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Federal 

education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning

tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service

data. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

30 35

49 47

73 74

0

20

40

60

80

100

All undergraduates Full-time/full year undergraduates

Percent

Federal grants or veteran benefits

Estimated federal education tax benefits

Any federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated tax benefits
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

21 

The percentage of full-time undergraduates who are estimated to have received federal tax 

benefits ranged from 42 percent at public 2-year institutions to 50 percent at private not-for-profit 

4-year institutions (figure 15). The estimated average amount of the federal education tax 

benefits was lower for full-time undergraduates attending public 2-year and 4-year institutions 

($700–$800) than for those attending private for-profit institutions or private not-for-profit 4-year 

institutions ($1,000–$1,100) (figure 16). 

Figure 12.—Estimated average federal education tax benefits and average total federal grants, veterans benefits, 

Figure 12.—and estimated tax benefits received by students who received federal grants or benefits: 2003–04

NOTE: Aid averages are for those students who received the specified type of aid. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full 

time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the 

reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax

benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service data. Estimates include postsecondary students in

Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$600 $1,500 $2,200 $800

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

All undergraduates Full-time/full year undergraduates

Average amount

Estimated federal education tax benefits Total federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

22 

If the federal tax benefits are included, the reduction in the average net price of attendance 

after grants and federal benefits for full-time dependent students by family income level is shown 

in figure 17. The average net price of attendance after all federal grants, veterans benefits, and 

estimated tax benefits at all types of institutions was $13,200 for low-income (less than $32,000) 

students, $15,300 for lower middle-income students ($32,000–59,999), $16,700 for upper 

middle-income students ($60,000–91,999), and $19,700 for high-income students ($92,000 or 

more). The average net price of attendance after all grants (federal, state, institutional, and other), 

veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits ranged from $9,900 for low-income students to 

$17,200 for high-income students. 

Figure 13.—Percentage of full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates who received federal grants or veterans

Figure 13.—benefits, estimated federal education tax benefits, and any federal grants, veterans benefits, or 

Figure 13.—estimated tax benefits, by family income level: 2003–04

NOTE: Percentages with an income category all use the same denominator (total number of full-time/full-year dependent students

in that income category). Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to 

June 30, 2004. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the 

Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and

Internal Revenue Service data. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

73

31

4 2

89

81

71

40 41

69

27

63

0

20

40

60

80

100

Less than $32,000 $32,000–59,999 $60,000–91,999 $92,000 or more

Percent

Federal grants or veterans benefits

Estimated federal education tax benefits

Any federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated tax benefits

Dependent student family income level
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

23 

The effect of the federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits on two 

measures of the total net price of attendance for all full-time undergraduates by type of institution 

is shown in figure 18. The average net price of attendance for full-time undergraduates after 

federal grants, veterans benefits, and tax benefits was $8,900 at public 2-year, $13,700 at public 

4-year, $17,900 at private for-profit, and $26,600 at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions. The 

average net price after all grants, veterans benefits, and federal tax benefits was $8,300 at public 

2-year, $11,900 at public 4-year, $16,700 at private for-profit, and $20,000 at private not-forprofit 4-year institutions. 

Figure 14.—Among full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates, estimated average amount of federal education

Figure 14.—tax benefits and total federal grants, veterans benefits, and tax benefits received by students who 

Figure 14.—received federal grants or benefits, by family income level: 2003–04

NOTE: Aid averages are for those students who received the specified type of aid. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full 

time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the 

reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax

benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service data. Estimates include postsecondary students in

Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$600 $900 $1,100 $700

$3,300

$1,500 $1,200 $800

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Less than $32,000 $32,000–59,999 $60,000–91,999 $92,000 or more

Average amount

Estimated federal education tax benefits Total federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

Dependent student family income level

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

24 

Summary and Conclusions 

About three-fourths of all full-time undergraduates received the traditional types of 

financial aid (grants, loans, and work-study) in 2003–04, with an average financial aid package of 

$9,900. This included 33 percent of full-time undergraduates who received an average of $3,200 

in federal grants, and 62 percent who received a grant from any source (including federal) with 

an average grant amount of $5,600. Total grant aid covered the entire tuition and fees charged for 

about one-fourth of all full-time undergraduates and for about one-half of all low-income (family 

income less than $32,000) dependent full-time undergraduates. 

Figure 15.—Percentage of full-time/full-year undergraduates who received federal grants or veterans benefits, 

Figure 15.—estimated federal education tax benefits, and any federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated tax 

Figure 15.—benefits, by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Percentages with a type of institution all have the same denominator (all full-time/full-year students in that type of 

institution). Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Federal

education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning

tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service

data. Estimates include postsecondary students in Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

37 32 33

57

42 45 50 49

75 71 72

87

0

20

40

60

80

100

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Percent

Federal grants or veterans benefits

Estimated federal education tax benefits

Any federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated tax benefits

Type of institution
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

25 

In addition to the traditional types of financial aid, federal tax credits and tax deductions 

were available to students and their parents to reduce the amount of tuition and fees not covered 

by grants. About one-half of all full-time undergraduates are estimated to have received these 

federal education tax benefits, with an estimated average tax benefit of $900. Middle-income 

students were more likely to receive federal education tax benefits than low-income students. 

Low-income students were more likely to receive federal grant aid, however. If the federal tax 

benefits are added to the traditional types of financial aid amounts, about three-fourths of all fulltime undergraduates are estimated to have received federal grants, veterans benefits, or tax 

benefits, and about 9 out of 10 full-time undergraduates (87 percent) are estimated to have 

received some type of grant aid (from any source), federal veterans benefits, or federal tax 

benefits. 

Figure 16.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates, estimated average federal education tax benefits and 

Figure 16.—total federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits received by students who received 

Figure 16.—federal grants or benefits, by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Aid averages are for those students who received the specified type of aid. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full 

time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the 

reduction in federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax

benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service data. Estimates include postsecondary students in

Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$700 $800 $1,100 $1,000 $2,100 $2,100 $2,400 $2,900

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Estimated federal education tax benefits Total federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

Type of institution

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04

26 

The average price of attendance (before any financial aid or federal education tax benefits) 

for full-time undergraduates in 2003–04 was $10,500 at public 2-year institutions, $15,200 at 

public 4-year institutions, $20,300 at private for-profit institutions, and $28,300 at private notfor-profit 4-year institutions. The average net price of attendance after all grants (from any 

source), veterans benefits, and estimated federal education tax benefits for all full-time 

undergraduates (including students who received no aid or tax benefits) in 2003–04 was $8,300 

at public 2-year, $11,900 at public 4-year, $16,700 at private for-profit, and $20,000 at private 

not-for-profit 4-year institutions. 

Figure 17.—Among full-time/full-year dependent undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of

Figure 17.—attendance, average net price after federal aid (price of attendance minus all federal grants, veterans 

Figure 17.—benefits, and estimated federal education tax benefits), and average net price (price of attendance 

Figure 17.—minus all grants, veterans benefits, and estimated federal education tax benefits), by family income 

Figure 17.—level: 2003–04

NOTE: Average amounts are for all students, including those who received no financial aid or tax benefits. Full-time/full-year 

students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of attendance includes tuition

and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related enrollment such as books and supplies, room and board,

transportation, and other personal living expenses. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the reduction in

federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax benefits were

imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service data. All grants include any grants, scholarships, or tuition 

waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Estimates include postsecondary students in 

Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$20,100

$17,600 $16,600 $16,100$13,200 $15,300

$19,700

$16,700

$12,200

$17,200

$13,900

$9,900

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Less than $32,000 $32,000–59,999 $60,000–91,999 $92,000 or more

Average amount

Price of attendance

Net price after federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

Net price after all grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

Dependent student family income level

$30,000
The Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits in 2003–04 

27 

Figure 18.—Among full-time/full-year undergraduates (aided and unaided), average price of attendance, average 

Figure 18.—net price after federal aid (price of attendance minus all federal grants, veterans benefits, and

Figure 18.—estimated federal education tax benefits), and average net price (price of attendance minus all grants,

Figure 18.—veterans benefits, and estimated federal education tax benefits), by type of institution: 2003–04

NOTE: Average amounts are for all students, including those who received no financial aid or tax benefits. Full-time/full-year 

students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of attendance includes tuition

and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related enrollment such as books and supplies, room and board,

transportation, and other personal living expenses. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated amount of the reduction in

federal tax liability by claiming the Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits or the Tuition and Fees deduction. Tax benefits were

imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal Revenue Service data. All grants include any grants, scholarships, or tuition 

waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Estimates include postsecondary students in 

Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

$10,500

$20,300

$8,900 $8,300

$28,300

$15,200

$26,600

$13,700

$17,900

$16,700

$20,000

$11,900

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Public 2-year Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 

4-year

Private for-profit

Average amount

Price of attendance

Net price after federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

Net price after all grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits

Type of institution

$30,000
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29 

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Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

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Kaufman, S. (2004). Using the Bootstrap in a Two-Stage Design When Some Second-Stage 

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Long, B.T. (2004). The Impact of Federal Tax Credits for Higher Education Expenses. In C.M. 

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for It (pp. 101–165). Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press. 

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U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2003). NCES Statistical 

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31 

Table Compendium
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33 

Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

34 

Table 1.1.—Average tuition and fees, average price of attendance, and percentage of undergraduates enrolled in 

Table 1.1.—postsecondary institutions who received any financial aid, any grants, or student loans, and among 

Table 1.1.—those receiving aid, the average amounts of aid received, by type of institution and selected student 

Table 1.1.—characteristics: 2003–04

Average Average

tuition price of

and atten- Average Average Average

 Student characteristics fees dance Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $4,500 $11,300 63.0 $7,400 50.4 $4,000 35.1 $5,800

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 4,500 11,300 63.2 7,400 50.7 4,000 35.0 5,800

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 7,700 17,200 76.2 9,900 62.2 5,600 49.5 6,200

 Part-time or part-year 2,400 7,200 54.3 4,900 42.7 2,400 24.9 5,300

Dependency status

 Dependent 6,200 13,700 63.8 8,600 50.4 5,200 38.1 5,300

 Independent 2,900 8,800 62.7 6,100 51.0 2,900 32.0 6,400

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 5,200 12,300 78.5 8,500 74.6 5,500 39.2 5,000

 $32,000–59,999 5,500 12,700 65.7 8,200 52.9 4,700 41.5 5,200

 $60,000–91,999 6,200 13,900 59.1 8,700 40.0 4,900 39.8 5,400

 $92,000 or more 8,000 16,000 51.9 9,100 34.0 5,400 31.6 5,600

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 3,400 9,900 70.9 7,100 66.2 3,600 37.8 6,200

 $12,000–26,999 3,100 9,300 72.0 6,400 59.0 2,900 40.3 6,300

 $27,000–51,999 2,600 8,500 60.8 5,500 45.9 2,300 30.4 6,600

 $52,000 or more 2,200 7,400 44.9 4,600 30.0 2,100 17.7 7,200

Institution type

 Public 2-year 1,000 6,100 46.8 3,200 39.8 2,200 12.1 3,600

 Public 4-year 4,200 12,300 68.6 7,600 51.7 4,000 44.5 5,600

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 13,800 22,200 83.3 13,100 73.5 7,700 56.3 6,900

 Private for-profit 7,600 14,900 89.2 8,800 65.7 3,300 73.4 6,800

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

 Total 7,700 17,200 76.2 9,900 62.2 5,600 49.5 6,200

Dependency status

 Dependent 8,400 17,600 73.9 10,200 60.3 6,100 46.8 5,600

 Independent 5,900 15,900 83.1 9,600 70.2 4,600 56.5 7,500

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 7,100 16,100 88.5 10,700 85.5 7,000 49.1 5,400

 $32,000–59,999 7,600 16,600 76.2 10,000 64.8 5,700 50.4 5,600

 $60,000–91,999 8,300 17,600 69.5 10,100 50.9 5,600 48.4 5,800

 $92,000 or more 10,400 20,100 63.3 10,000 43.5 5,900 39.6 5,800

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 5,800 15,500 85.0 10,400 80.9 5,300 57.0 7,000

 $12,000–26,999 6,000 15,900 89.2 9,600 76.5 4,400 61.9 7,400

 $27,000–51,999 6,100 16,300 80.1 8,900 60.8 3,600 55.6 8,000

 $52,000 or more 6,200 16,500 68.0 8,000 37.4 2,900 44.5 8,400

Institution type

 Public 2-year 2,000 10,500 61.3 4,900 52.7 3,400 22.8 4,100

 Public 4-year 5,400 15,200 76.3 8,700 59.1 4,600 51.4 5,800

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 18,400 28,300 88.7 16,300 81.5 9,400 65.8 7,200

 Private for-profit 10,600 20,300 92.3 11,100 69.8 4,200 79.5 7,900

See notes at end of table.

Total aid Total grants Student loans
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

35 

Table 1.1.—Average tuition and fees, average price of attendance, and percentage of undergraduates enrolled in 

Table 1.1.—postsecondary institutions who received any financial aid, any grants, or student loans, and among 

Table 1.1.—those receiving aid, the average amounts of aid received, by type of institution and selected student 

Table 1.1.—characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average

tuition price of

and atten- Average Average Average

 Student characteristics fees dance Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $1,000 $6,100 46.8 $3,200 39.8 $2,200 12.1 $3,600

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 1,000 6,100 46.8 3,200 39.8 2,200 12.1 3,600

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 2,000 10,500 61.3 4,900 52.7 3,400 22.8 4,100

 Part-time or part-year 800 4,900 42.7 2,400 36.1 1,700 9.0 3,300

Dependency status

 Dependent 1,300 6,700 42.7 3,200 35.4 2,400 12.3 2,900

 Independent 900 5,800 49.5 3,200 42.7 2,000 11.9 4,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 1,200 6,600 63.7 3,600 60.0 3,000 11.9 2,600

 $32,000–59,999 1,400 6,800 44.0 2,900 35.7 1,900 15.6 2,800

 $60,000–91,999 1,400 6,800 32.2 2,700 22.1 1,700 12.9 2,800

 $92,000 or more 1,300 6,600 22.4 2,800 14.5 1,700 7.4 3,600

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 1,000 6,500 59.1 3,900 55.5 2,700 14.7 4,100

 $12,000–26,999 900 6,200 60.8 3,500 52.4 2,100 16.6 4,000

 $27,000–51,999 800 5,600 47.9 2,800 39.8 1,600 12.1 4,200

 $52,000 or more 700 5,000 30.6 1,900 23.6 1,100 4.5 4,500

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 Total 2,000 10,500 61.3 4,900 52.7 3,400 22.8 4,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 2,100 10,000 54.6 4,100 45.8 3,100 18.5 3,200

 Independent 2,000 11,400 72.7 6,000 64.4 3,700 30.0 4,900

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 1,900 9,600 77.1 4,800 73.3 4,000 17.8 2,800

 $32,000–59,999 2,100 9,900 56.5 3,700 48.3 2,500 22.0 3,200

 $60,000–91,999 2,100 10,200 42.0 3,400 30.7 2,000 18.6 3,200

 $92,000 or more 2,200 10,200 34.3 3,900 20.6 2,400 14.0 4,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 2,000 11,300 75.2 6,500 71.1 4,300 29.4 4,800

 $12,000–26,999 2,000 11,300 83.0 6,200 73.7 3,700 36.5 4,800

 $27,000–51,999 2,000 11,300 66.5 5,400 55.2 2,800 29.7 5,300

 $52,000 or more 2,200 11,900 47.6 4,400 32.3 2,000 15.8 5,300

See notes at end of table.

Total aid Total grants Student loans
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

36 

Table 1.1.—Average tuition and fees, average price of attendance, and percentage of undergraduates enrolled in 

Table 1.1.—postsecondary institutions who received any financial aid, any grants, or student loans, and among 

Table 1.1.—those receiving aid, the average amounts of aid received, by type of institution and selected student 

Table 1.1.—characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average

tuition price of

and atten- Average Average Average

 Student characteristics fees dance Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $4,300 $12,300 68.5 $7,600 51.5 $4,000 44.8 $5,600

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 4,200 12,300 68.6 7,600 51.7 4,000 44.5 5,600

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 5,400 15,200 76.3 8,700 59.1 4,600 51.4 5,800

 Part-time or part-year 2,500 8,200 57.5 5,500 41.0 2,600 34.5 5,200

Dependency status

 Dependent 4,900 13,500 69.2 7,600 50.8 4,400 44.7 5,000

 Independent 2,900 10,100 67.5 7,600 53.5 3,300 44.1 6,800

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 4,500 12,900 85.1 9,000 81.2 5,800 48.7 4,800

 $32,000–59,999 4,700 12,900 73.4 7,400 57.2 3,800 50.4 5,000

 $60,000–91,999 5,000 13,600 66.2 7,100 40.6 3,400 46.0 5,000

 $92,000 or more 5,500 14,300 55.7 7,100 31.4 3,800 35.0 5,100

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 3,400 11,200 74.7 9,100 70.3 4,300 52.5 6,400

 $12,000–26,999 3,000 10,500 76.5 7,900 58.1 3,100 54.7 6,900

 $27,000–51,999 2,600 9,700 65.5 6,500 45.2 2,400 41.0 7,100

 $52,000 or more 2,300 8,200 46.6 4,800 30.4 1,900 20.1 7,200

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 Total 5,400 15,200 76.3 8,700 59.1 4,600 51.4 5,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 5,700 15,200 74.5 8,300 56.3 4,700 48.4 5,200

 Independent 4,500 15,100 83.7 10,500 70.5 4,600 63.5 7,600

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 5,200 14,500 90.5 9,900 87.3 6,300 53.5 5,000

 $32,000–59,999 5,500 14,800 78.6 8,100 63.9 4,100 54.1 5,300

 $60,000–91,999 5,600 15,100 71.0 7,500 46.0 3,500 48.9 5,200

 $92,000 or more 6,300 16,100 62.1 7,400 36.3 3,900 39.1 5,200

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 4,600 14,900 87.2 11,400 83.9 5,400 68.8 7,100

 $12,000–26,999 4,600 15,200 89.5 10,400 72.9 4,200 69.5 7,800

 $27,000–51,999 4,400 15,400 79.9 9,400 56.6 3,600 58.1 8,500

 $52,000 or more 4,400 14,800 60.1 7,300 31.6 2,400 35.8 8,400

See notes at end of table.

Total aid Total grants Student loans
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

37 

Table 1.1.—Average tuition and fees, average price of attendance, and percentage of undergraduates enrolled in 

Table 1.1.—postsecondary institutions who received any financial aid, any grants, or student loans, and among 

Table 1.1.—those receiving aid, the average amounts of aid received, by type of institution and selected student 

Table 1.1.—characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average

tuition price of

and atten- Average Average Average

 Student characteristics fees dance Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $14,200 $22,600 83.2 $13,500 73.1 $7,900 57.4 $7,000

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 13,800 22,200 83.3 13,100 73.5 7,700 56.3 6,900

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 18,400 28,300 88.7 16,300 81.5 9,400 65.8 7,200

 Part-time or part-year 7,500 13,600 75.9 8,100 62.4 4,500 43.0 6,300

Dependency status

 Dependent 17,800 27,000 85.1 15,600 77.7 9,200 60.3 6,700

 Independent 7,300 14,200 80.5 8,800 66.5 4,700 49.7 7,400

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 15,000 23,800 92.8 15,900 90.7 10,200 63.5 6,400

 $32,000–59,999 16,600 25,500 89.8 16,300 84.2 9,700 66.9 6,800

 $60,000–91,999 17,900 27,300 85.3 16,400 76.4 9,200 66.0 6,900

 $92,000 or more 20,300 30,000 76.4 14,200 65.6 7,900 49.2 6,800

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 9,400 17,100 83.5 11,500 77.9 6,200 56.6 7,800

 $12,000–26,999 7,700 14,900 83.4 9,500 70.0 4,800 60.5 7,100

 $27,000–51,999 6,700 13,400 80.9 7,800 65.3 3,900 47.8 7,100

 $52,000 or more 5,600 11,700 74.6 6,500 54.2 3,500 35.6 7,500

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 Total 18,400 28,300 88.7 16,300 81.5 9,400 65.8 7,200

Dependency status

 Dependent 19,700 29,600 88.1 17,000 81.4 10,100 64.7 6,900

 Independent 12,900 23,000 91.1 13,300 81.7 6,700 70.5 8,600

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 16,800 26,400 95.9 17,900 94.5 11,600 69.6 6,500

 $32,000–59,999 18,700 28,400 92.4 18,100 88.0 10,800 71.4 7,000

 $60,000–91,999 19,700 29,500 88.3 17,600 80.8 9,800 70.4 7,200

 $92,000 or more 22,200 32,400 80.3 14,900 69.5 8,500 53.0 6,800

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 13,100 22,800 91.2 15,200 87.9 8,100 68.8 8,900

 $12,000–26,999 12,400 22,700 93.8 13,000 84.8 6,500 74.7 8,300

 $27,000–51,999 13,300 23,800 91.5 11,900 79.6 5,200 71.0 8,500

 $52,000 or more 12,600 23,000 84.9 10,600 60.5 4,300 65.8 8,900

See notes at end of table.

Total aid Total grants Student loans
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

38 

Table 1.1.—Average tuition and fees, average price of attendance, and percentage of undergraduates enrolled in 

Table 1.1.—postsecondary institutions who received any financial aid, any grants, or student loans, and among 

Table 1.1.—those receiving aid, the average amounts of aid received, by type of institution and selected student 

Table 1.1.—characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average

tuition price of

and atten- Average Average Average

 Student characteristics fees dance Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $7,600 $15,000 89.2 $8,900 65.3 $3,300 74.5 $6,800

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 7,600 14,900 89.2 8,800 65.7 3,300 73.4 6,800

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 10,600 20,300 92.3 11,100 69.8 4,200 79.5 7,900

 Part-time or part-year 6,000 12,100 87.7 7,500 63.6 2,700 70.3 6,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 8,900 16,100 85.2 10,000 59.7 3,800 72.6 6,000

 Independent 7,200 14,500 90.5 8,400 67.6 3,100 73.7 7,000

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 8,800 15,600 93.0 9,600 87.1 4,000 75.6 5,900

 $32,000–59,999 8,600 15,700 85.2 9,600 50.9 3,300 75.0 5,700

 $60,000–91,999 9,600 17,600 79.4 11,000 28.2 3,200 72.7 6,200

 $92,000 or more 9,100 16,900 63.7 12,000 18.7 3,600 55.9 7,000

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 7,400 14,100 91.3 8,200 85.0 3,300 70.8 6,300

 $12,000–26,999 7,500 14,300 94.0 8,600 76.7 3,100 80.5 6,700

 $27,000–51,999 7,100 15,000 90.2 8,800 56.6 2,700 78.3 7,700

 $52,000 or more 6,300 14,700 83.2 7,700 36.1 3,200 60.8 8,000

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 Total 10,600 20,300 92.3 11,100 69.8 4,200 79.5 7,900

Dependency status

 Dependent 11,800 21,000 87.1 12,600 65.5 5,000 75.2 6,800

 Independent 10,100 20,100 94.4 10,500 71.4 3,900 81.2 8,300

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 11,700 20,600 95.8 12,300 91.2 5,400 78.2 6,800

 $32,000–59,999 11,400 20,400 82.2 12,100 53.7 4,500 74.5 6,700

 $60,000–91,999 12,300 21,600 83.1 13,100 41.4 4,100 77.0 6,400

 $92,000 or more 12,500 22,800 68.4 14,900 25.1 4,500 61.8 7,900

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 10,500 19,800 94.8 10,400 87.6 4,500 78.8 7,100

 $12,000–26,999 10,600 20,200 96.6 11,100 81.9 3,900 85.7 8,400

 $27,000–51,999 9,900 20,300 93.6 10,600 63.0 3,300 82.8 9,000

 $52,000 or more 8,900 19,900 90.9 9,300 36.6 3,000 75.5 9,000

NOTE: Aid averages are for those students who received the specified type of aid. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full 

time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of attendance includes tuition and fees charged by the 

institution and all other expenses related to enrollment such as books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and other 

personal living expenses. Total aid includes grants, loans, work study, and any other aid, including federal Parent Loans to 

Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Total aid does not include federal education tax benefits. Grants include any grants, scholarships

or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Student loans may be from any source, 

but exclude federal PLUS loans. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Total aid Total grants Student loans
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

39 

Table 1.2.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received federal, state, 

Table 1.2.—institutional, or other grants, and among those receiving aid, the average amounts received, by type of 

Table 1.2.—institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 27.1 $2,600 14.6 $2,000 17.6 $4,200 14.6 $2,000

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 27.6 2,600 14.7 2,000 17.6 4,200 14.5 2,000

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 33.3 3,200 22.6 2,400 29.6 5,000 15.3 2,300

 Part-time or part-year 23.6 2,000 9.2 1,200 9.1 2,400 13.9 1,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 22.8 2,700 17.9 2,200 25.5 5,100 13.4 2,100

 Independent 32.3 2,500 11.5 1,500 9.7 2,000 15.6 1,900

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 62.4 3,200 28.7 2,500 28.0 4,200 11.0 2,100

 $32,000–59,999 25.4 1,800 21.9 2,200 26.3 4,900 14.2 2,000

 $60,000–91,999 2.5 1,500 13.5 1,900 25.2 5,500 15.2 2,000

 $92,000 or more 0.9 1,500 7.4 2,200 22.5 6,000 13.0 2,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 56.2 2,900 16.5 1,700 14.2 2,200 9.6 2,100

 $12,000–26,999 43.3 2,500 14.7 1,500 11.4 1,800 12.0 1,800

 $27,000–51,999 24.1 1,800 9.7 1,400 8.1 1,800 18.3 1,800

 $52,000 or more 1.3 1,200 3.9 1,100 4.6 2,100 23.7 1,900

Institution type

 Public 2-year 23.1 2,300 11.3 1,000 7.5 1,200 11.8 1,100

 Public 4-year 26.6 2,800 18.6 2,200 20.8 2,900 14.5 2,000

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 28.2 3,000 22.1 2,800 49.6 7,100 23.3 2,900

 Private for-profit 52.8 2,600 8.3 2,500 6.9 2,300 12.6 3,200

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

 Total 33.3 3,200 22.6 2,400 29.6 5,000 15.3 2,300

Dependency status

 Dependent 25.2 3,100 23.7 2,500 35.4 5,600 16.4 2,200

 Independent 55.3 3,400 22.5 2,100 18.6 2,700 12.5 2,700

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 72.4 3,700 39.9 2,800 38.5 4,900 13.7 2,200

 $32,000–59,999 30.3 2,000 30.1 2,400 37.6 5,300 17.8 2,000

 $60,000–91,999 2.9 1,600 17.9 2,000 35.0 5,900 17.9 2,100

 $92,000 or more 1.1 1,800 9.4 2,400 31.0 6,300 15.8 2,500

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 74.3 3,800 27.2 2,200 22.5 2,900 9.1 2,600

 $12,000–26,999 63.4 3,300 25.0 2,000 18.4 2,600 10.2 2,600

 $27,000–51,999 39.2 2,500 18.1 2,000 16.4 2,300 16.2 2,900

 $52,000 or more 3.2 1,100 9.2 1,700 10.3 2,500 22.6 2,800

Institution type

 Public 2-year 35.4 3,200 19.3 1,300 14.2 1,700 10.3 1,500

 Public 4-year 30.2 3,200 24.6 2,400 27.5 3,100 15.2 2,100

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 31.6 3,400 28.8 3,000 64.2 7,900 22.1 2,800

 Private for-profit 54.8 3,300 13.7 3,000 9.7 3,100 13.0 3,400

See notes at end of table.

Federal grants State grants Institutional grants Other grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

40 

Table 1.2.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received federal, state, 

Table 1.2.—institutional, or other grants, and among those receiving aid, the average amounts received, by type of 

Table 1.2.—institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 23.1 $2,300 11.3 $1,000 7.5 $1,200 11.8 $1,100

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 23.1 2,300 11.3 1,000 7.5 1,200 11.8 1,100

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 35.4 3,200 19.3 1,300 14.2 1,700 10.3 1,500

 Part-time or part-year 19.6 1,800 9.0 800 5.6 800 12.2 1,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 19.7 2,300 12.3 1,100 9.6 1,600 8.4 1,300

 Independent 25.3 2,200 10.6 900 6.2 800 13.9 1,100

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 49.5 2,700 20.0 1,200 13.8 1,200 7.1 1,300

 $32,000–59,999 17.7 1,500 13.3 1,000 10.8 1,700 9.4 1,100

 $60,000–91,999 1.7 1,700 7.9 1,000 7.4 1,900 10.2 1,300

 $92,000 or more 0.4 ‡ 5.1 1,100 4.1 2,100 6.6 1,500

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 44.2 2,600 14.7 1,000 9.0 800 9.1 1,400

 $12,000–26,999 36.6 2,300 14.8 900 8.1 700 11.1 1,000

 $27,000–51,999 20.3 1,600 10.0 900 5.8 900 16.1 1,000

 $52,000 or more 0.9 800 3.2 900 2.1 800 19.1 1,100

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 Total 35.4 3,200 19.3 1,300 14.2 1,700 10.3 1,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 25.2 2,900 17.9 1,300 15.6 2,000 10.4 1,400

 Independent 52.6 3,400 21.6 1,300 11.9 1,100 10.3 1,800

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 62.6 3,400 28.8 1,400 19.0 1,700 8.4 1,100

 $32,000–59,999 24.8 1,800 19.0 1,100 18.7 2,000 12.5 1,300

 $60,000–91,999 1.9 ‡ 11.6 1,100 13.7 2,300 12.2 1,200

 $92,000 or more 0.3 ‡ 8.0 1,400 8.0 2,600 7.6 2,400

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 64.4 3,700 23.8 1,400 13.4 1,300 8.1 1,900

 $12,000–26,999 64.4 3,400 25.2 1,300 11.4 900 8.1 1,300

 $27,000–51,999 38.5 2,500 18.0 1,100 12.3 1,000 14.3 1,800

 $52,000 or more 5.1 ‡ 10.9 ‡ 7.9 ‡ 16.4 2,300

See notes at end of table.

Federal grants State grants Institutional grants Other grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

41 

Table 1.2.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received federal, state, 

Table 1.2.—institutional, or other grants, and among those receiving aid, the average amounts received, by type of 

Table 1.2.—institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 26.2 $2,800 18.5 $2,300 20.9 $2,900 14.5 $2,000

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 26.6 2,800 18.6 2,200 20.8 2,900 14.5 2,000

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 30.2 3,200 24.6 2,400 27.5 3,100 15.2 2,100

 Part-time or part-year 21.3 2,000 10.0 1,600 11.2 2,100 13.4 1,900

Dependency status

 Dependent 21.8 2,800 21.4 2,400 24.3 3,200 14.5 2,100

 Independent 35.6 2,800 13.4 1,800 14.2 1,900 14.4 1,800

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 67.1 3,400 40.0 2,700 33.5 3,100 13.4 2,300

 $32,000–59,999 27.1 1,900 26.5 2,200 26.4 2,900 15.3 1,900

 $60,000–91,999 2.6 1,500 14.7 2,000 22.8 3,200 15.6 2,000

 $92,000 or more 1.0 1,900 8.7 2,500 16.6 3,900 13.5 2,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 60.7 3,200 22.0 1,900 20.6 2,000 9.7 2,000

 $12,000–26,999 42.3 2,500 14.5 1,800 15.4 1,800 11.2 1,900

 $27,000–51,999 23.2 1,900 8.9 1,600 10.5 1,900 17.3 1,800

 $52,000 or more 1.8 ‡ 3.7 1,500 7.0 1,500 22.6 1,700

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 Total 30.2 3,200 24.6 2,400 27.5 3,100 15.2 2,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 23.6 3,100 24.8 2,500 28.5 3,300 16.3 2,100

 Independent 56.5 3,500 24.0 2,200 23.1 2,300 10.7 2,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 73.3 3,700 46.6 2,900 38.0 3,200 14.9 2,200

 $32,000–59,999 29.9 2,000 31.6 2,300 31.9 3,000 17.4 1,900

 $60,000–91,999 2.7 1,600 16.9 2,000 26.6 3,300 17.2 2,000

 $92,000 or more 1.2 2,000 9.9 2,600 20.3 3,800 15.3 2,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 76.8 3,800 31.5 2,200 26.9 2,300 9.5 2,200

 $12,000–26,999 58.7 3,100 23.9 2,200 22.8 2,300 8.8 2,100

 $27,000–51,999 34.8 2,600 15.0 1,900 21.3 2,400 13.1 2,400

 $52,000 or more 2.8 ‡ 7.7 ‡ 11.6 ‡ 16.8 2,000

See notes at end of table.

Federal grants State grants Institutional grants Other grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

42 

Table 1.2.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received federal, state, 

Table 1.2.—institutional, or other grants, and among those receiving aid, the average amounts received, by type of 

Table 1.2.—institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 26.1 $3,000 22.5 $2,800 51.0 $7,200 23.9 $2,900

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 28.2 3,000 22.1 2,800 49.6 7,100 23.3 2,900

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 31.6 3,400 28.8 3,000 64.2 7,900 22.1 2,800

 Part-time or part-year 23.5 2,200 12.9 2,000 29.3 4,500 24.9 3,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 24.8 3,200 24.4 3,000 64.7 7,900 21.5 2,700

 Independent 33.8 2,800 18.4 2,300 24.7 3,600 26.2 3,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 72.7 3,800 37.3 3,500 61.9 7,600 17.9 2,700

 $32,000–59,999 35.1 2,200 36.2 3,100 70.2 8,000 24.6 2,700

 $60,000–91,999 4.0 1,400 22.9 2,500 69.9 8,300 23.9 2,700

 $92,000 or more 1.2 1,400 8.6 2,200 58.7 7,600 19.9 2,700

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 63.9 3,300 23.6 2,600 38.5 4,100 15.2 3,300

 $12,000–26,999 45.6 2,700 24.5 2,500 27.2 3,400 17.8 3,100

 $27,000–51,999 28.1 1,900 16.6 2,300 20.3 3,100 30.7 3,200

 $52,000 or more 1.4 ‡ 9.9 1,300 14.0 3,700 39.4 3,200

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 Total 31.6 3,400 28.8 3,000 64.2 7,900 22.1 2,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 25.6 3,400 27.4 3,100 69.8 8,400 22.9 2,700

 Independent 57.0 3,600 34.7 2,700 40.4 4,400 18.5 3,800

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 78.4 4,100 42.8 3,700 67.6 8,300 19.6 2,700

 $32,000–59,999 37.3 2,200 41.4 3,300 76.5 8,700 26.1 2,500

 $60,000–91,999 4.3 1,400 26.1 2,500 74.6 8,700 25.0 2,600

 $92,000 or more 1.2 ‡ 9.4 2,300 63.1 8,000 21.4 2,800

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 78.9 4,000 33.7 3,000 49.8 4,800 13.6 3,700

 $12,000–26,999 63.9 3,300 40.8 2,600 38.8 4,400 16.3 4,000

 $27,000–51,999 42.3 2,600 37.6 2,800 36.5 3,200 23.1 3,700

 $52,000 or more 2.2 ‡ 20.6 ‡ 23.1 4,500 30.3 3,900

See notes at end of table.

Federal grants State grants Institutional grants Other grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

43 

Table 1.2.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received federal, state, 

Table 1.2.—institutional, or other grants, and among those receiving aid, the average amounts received, by type of 

Table 1.2.—institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 52.3 $2,600 7.9 $2,600 6.9 $2,300 12.8 $3,200

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 52.8 2,600 8.3 2,500 6.9 2,300 12.6 3,200

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 54.8 3,300 13.7 3,000 9.7 3,100 13.0 3,400

 Part-time or part-year 51.8 2,300 5.5 1,900 5.4 1,500 12.5 3,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 48.4 2,600 11.8 2,900 13.0 3,100 6.8 3,400

 Independent 54.2 2,600 7.2 2,300 4.9 1,600 14.4 3,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 84.0 2,900 15.0 3,100 13.6 3,200 5.3 2,700

 $32,000–59,999 36.5 1,600 12.2 3,100 12.2 3,200 7.8 4,200

 $60,000–91,999 3.5 ‡ 8.7 1,800 14.1 2,800 9.6 3,200

 $92,000 or more 2.1 ‡ 2.7 ‡ 11.1 3,000 6.7 ‡

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 81.1 2,800 10.0 2,400 5.1 1,600 7.3 3,100

 $12,000–26,999 66.7 2,700 9.1 2,100 5.9 1,500 11.1 3,000

 $27,000–51,999 40.8 2,000 5.1 2,400 4.2 2,000 15.4 3,300

 $52,000 or more 3.2 900 1.5 ‡ 3.9 1,500 31.4 3,300

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 Total 54.8 3,300 13.7 3,000 9.7 3,100 13.0 3,400

Dependency status

 Dependent 49.8 3,200 17.4 3,500 20.6 3,900 7.9 3,500

 Independent 56.7 3,300 12.2 2,700 5.5 2,000 15.0 3,400

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 87.3 3,600 23.1 3,700 21.1 3,700 5.6 2,600

 $32,000–59,999 34.7 1,800 15.1 3,500 18.3 4,600 9.2 4,200

 $60,000–91,999 5.1 ‡ 13.7 ‡ 23.9 3,200 12.8 ‡

 $92,000 or more 1.1 ‡ 4.7 ‡ 18.7 4,000 6.4 ‡

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 84.8 3,700 17.1 3,000 5.5 2,500 5.9 3,400

 $12,000–26,999 69.9 3,400 14.7 2,500 7.4 1,400 11.6 3,400

 $27,000–51,999 43.9 2,300 10.1 2,600 4.3 ‡ 18.0 4,000

 $52,000 or more 2.5 ‡ 2.1 ‡ 3.7 ‡ 32.5 3,000

‡ Reporting standards not met.

NOTE: Aid averages are for those students who received the specified type of aid. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full 

time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include any grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers. Federal

grants do not include veterans benefits, other Department of Defense aid, or education tax benefits. Other grants may be from

private sources, including employers. Standard error tables are available at

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Federal grants State grants Institutional grants Other grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

44 

Table 1.3.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average price 

Table 1.3.—of attendance, grant aid, student loan, total aid, net price (price minus all grants), and out-of-pocket 

Table 1.3.—net price (price minus total aid), by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

Price Price

Average Average Average of atten- of attenprice of Average student total dance dance

atten- grant loan aid minus all minus

Student characteristics dance amount amount amount grants total aid

All undergraduates

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $11,300 $2,000 $2,000 $4,700 $9,200 $6,600

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 11,300 2,000 2,000 4,600 9,200 6,600

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 17,200 3,500 3,100 7,500 13,600 9,500

 Part-time or part-year 7,200 1,000 1,300 2,600 6,200 4,700

Dependency status

 Dependent 13,700 2,600 2,000 5,500 11,100 8,200

 Independent 8,800 1,500 2,100 3,800 7,300 5,100

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 12,300 4,100 2,000 6,700 8,100 5,600

 $32,000–59,999 12,700 2,500 2,100 5,400 10,200 7,300

 $60,000–91,999 13,900 2,000 2,100 5,100 11,800 8,700

 $92,000 or more 16,000 1,800 1,800 4,700 14,200 11,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 9,900 2,400 2,300 5,100 7,500 4,900

 $12,000–26,999 9,300 1,700 2,500 4,600 7,600 4,800

 $27,000–51,999 8,500 1,000 2,000 3,300 7,400 5,200

 $52,000 or more 7,400 600 1,300 2,100 6,800 5,400

Institution type

 Public 2-year 6,100 900 400 1,500 5,300 4,700

 Public 4-year 12,300 2,100 2,500 5,200 10,200 7,100

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 22,200 5,600 3,900 11,000 16,500 11,200

 Private for-profit 14,900 2,200 5,000 7,800 12,700 7,000

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

 Total 17,200 3,500 3,100 7,500 13,600 9,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 17,600 3,700 2,600 7,500 13,900 10,100

 Independent 15,900 3,200 4,200 8,000 12,700 7,900

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 16,100 6,000 2,700 9,500 10,100 6,600

 $32,000–59,999 16,600 3,700 2,800 7,600 12,900 9,000

 $60,000–91,999 17,600 2,800 2,800 7,000 14,700 10,500

 $92,000 or more 20,100 2,600 2,300 6,300 17,500 13,700

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 15,500 4,300 4,000 8,800 11,200 6,700

 $12,000–26,999 15,900 3,300 4,600 8,600 12,600 7,300

 $27,000–51,999 16,300 2,200 4,500 7,200 14,100 9,100

 $52,000 or more 16,500 1,100 3,700 5,400 15,400 11,100

Institution type

 Public 2-year 10,500 1,800 900 3,000 8,700 7,400

 Public 4-year 15,200 2,700 3,000 6,700 12,400 8,500

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 28,300 7,700 4,800 14,400 20,600 13,900

 Private for-profit 20,300 3,000 6,300 10,200 17,400 10,100

See notes at end of table.
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

45 

Table 1.3.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average price 

Table 1.3.—of attendance, grant aid, student loan, total aid, net price (price minus all grants), and out-of-pocket 

Table 1.3.—net price (price minus total aid), by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—

Table 1.3.—Continued

Price Price

Average Average Average of atten- of attenprice of Average student total dance dance

atten- grant loan aid minus all minus

Student characteristics dance amount amount amount grants total aid

All undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $6,100 $900 $400 $1,500 $5,300 $4,700

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 6,100 900 400 1,500 5,300 4,700

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 10,500 1,800 900 3,000 8,700 7,400

 Part-time or part-year 4,900 600 300 1,000 4,300 3,900

Dependency status

 Dependent 6,700 900 400 1,300 5,800 5,300

 Independent 5,800 900 500 1,600 4,900 4,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 6,600 1,800 300 2,300 4,800 4,300

 $32,000–59,999 6,800 700 400 1,300 6,100 5,500

 $60,000–91,999 6,800 400 400 900 6,400 5,900

 $92,000 or more 6,600 200 300 600 6,300 6,000

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 6,500 1,500 600 2,300 5,000 4,200

 $12,000–26,999 6,200 1,100 700 2,100 5,000 4,100

 $27,000–51,999 5,600 600 500 1,300 5,000 4,300

 $52,000 or more 5,000 300 200 600 4,800 4,400

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 Total 10,500 1,800 900 3,000 8,700 7,400

Dependency status

 Dependent 10,000 1,400 600 2,200 8,600 7,700

 Independent 11,400 2,400 1,500 4,400 9,000 7,000

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 9,600 2,900 500 3,700 6,700 6,000

 $32,000–59,999 9,900 1,200 700 2,100 8,800 7,800

 $60,000–91,999 10,200 600 600 1,400 9,500 8,700

 $92,000 or more 10,200 500 600 1,300 9,700 8,900

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 11,300 3,000 1,400 4,900 8,200 6,400

 $12,000–26,999 11,300 2,800 1,700 5,100 8,600 6,200

 $27,000–51,999 11,300 1,500 1,600 3,600 9,800 7,700

 $52,000 or more 11,900 600 800 2,100 11,300 9,800

See notes at end of table.
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

46 

Table 1.3.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average price 

Table 1.3.—of attendance, grant aid, student loan, total aid, net price (price minus all grants), and out-of-pocket 

Table 1.3.—net price (price minus total aid), by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—

Table 1.3.—Continued

Price Price

Average Average Average of atten- of attenprice of Average student total dance dance

atten- grant loan aid minus all minus

Student characteristics dance amount amount amount grants total aid

All undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $12,300 $2,100 $2,500 $5,200 $10,300 $7,100

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 12,300 2,100 2,500 5,200 10,200 7,100

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 15,200 2,700 3,000 6,700 12,400 8,500

 Part-time or part-year 8,200 1,100 1,800 3,200 7,100 5,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 13,500 2,200 2,200 5,300 11,200 8,200

 Independent 10,100 1,800 3,000 5,100 8,300 5,000

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 12,900 4,700 2,300 7,700 8,200 5,200

 $32,000–59,999 12,900 2,100 2,500 5,400 10,800 7,500

 $60,000–91,999 13,600 1,400 2,300 4,700 12,200 8,900

 $92,000 or more 14,300 1,200 1,800 4,000 13,100 10,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 11,200 3,000 3,400 6,800 8,200 4,400

 $12,000–26,999 10,500 1,800 3,800 6,000 8,700 4,500

 $27,000–51,999 9,700 1,100 2,900 4,300 8,600 5,400

 $52,000 or more 8,200 600 1,500 2,200 7,700 6,000

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 Total 15,200 2,700 3,000 6,700 12,400 8,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 15,200 2,600 2,500 6,100 12,600 9,000

 Independent 15,100 3,300 4,800 8,800 11,800 6,300

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 14,500 5,500 2,700 8,900 9,000 5,600

 $32,000–59,999 14,800 2,600 2,800 6,400 12,100 8,400

 $60,000–91,999 15,100 1,600 2,600 5,300 13,500 9,800

 $92,000 or more 16,100 1,400 2,000 4,600 14,700 11,500

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 14,900 4,500 4,900 10,000 10,400 5,000

 $12,000–26,999 15,200 3,000 5,400 9,300 12,100 5,900

 $27,000–51,999 15,400 2,000 4,900 7,500 13,400 7,900

 $52,000 or more 14,800 700 3,000 4,400 14,000 10,400

See notes at end of table.
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

47 

Table 1.3.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average price 

Table 1.3.—of attendance, grant aid, student loan, total aid, net price (price minus all grants), and out-of-pocket 

Table 1.3.—net price (price minus total aid), by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—

Table 1.3.—Continued

Price Price

Average Average Average of atten- of attenprice of Average student total dance dance

atten- grant loan aid minus all minus

Student characteristics dance amount amount amount grants total aid

All undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $22,600 $5,800 $4,000 $11,200 $16,800 $11,400

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 22,200 5,600 3,900 11,000 16,500 11,200

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 28,300 7,700 4,800 14,400 20,600 13,900

 Part-time or part-year 13,600 2,800 2,700 6,100 10,800 7,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 27,000 7,200 4,100 13,300 19,800 13,700

 Independent 14,200 3,100 3,700 7,100 11,100 7,100

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 23,800 9,300 4,100 14,700 14,500 9,000

 $32,000–59,999 25,500 8,200 4,600 14,700 17,300 10,800

 $60,000–91,999 27,300 7,000 4,600 14,000 20,200 13,300

 $92,000 or more 30,000 5,200 3,300 10,800 24,800 19,200

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 17,100 4,800 4,400 9,600 12,300 7,500

 $12,000–26,999 14,900 3,300 4,300 7,900 11,600 7,000

 $27,000–51,999 13,400 2,500 3,400 6,300 10,900 7,100

 $52,000 or more 11,700 1,900 2,700 4,800 9,800 6,900

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 Total 28,300 7,700 4,800 14,400 20,600 13,900

Dependency status

 Dependent 29,600 8,200 4,500 15,000 21,400 14,600

 Independent 23,000 5,500 6,100 12,100 17,500 10,800

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 26,400 10,900 4,600 17,200 15,500 9,200

 $32,000–59,999 28,400 9,500 5,000 16,700 18,900 11,700

 $60,000–91,999 29,500 7,900 5,000 15,600 21,600 13,900

 $92,000 or more 32,400 5,900 3,600 12,000 26,500 20,400

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 22,800 7,100 6,100 13,900 15,700 9,000

 $12,000–26,999 22,700 5,500 6,200 12,200 17,100 10,500

 $27,000–51,999 23,800 4,200 6,000 10,900 19,600 12,900

 $52,000 or more 23,000 2,600 5,800 9,000 20,300 14,000

See notes at end of table.
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

48 

Table 1.3.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average price 

Table 1.3.—of attendance, grant aid, student loan, total aid, net price (price minus all grants), and out-of-pocket 

Table 1.3.—net price (price minus total aid), by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—

Table 1.3.—Continued

Price Price

Average Average Average of atten- of attenprice of Average student total dance dance

atten- grant loan aid minus all minus

Student characteristics dance amount amount amount grants total aid

All undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $15,000 $2,100 $5,000 $7,900 $12,800 $7,100

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 14,900 2,200 5,000 7,800 12,700 7,000

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 20,300 3,000 6,300 10,200 17,400 10,100

 Part-time or part-year 12,100 1,700 4,300 6,600 10,300 5,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 16,100 2,300 4,400 8,600 13,800 7,500

 Independent 14,500 2,100 5,200 7,600 12,400 6,900

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 15,600 3,500 4,500 8,900 12,100 6,600

 $32,000–59,999 15,700 1,700 4,300 8,200 14,000 7,400

 $60,000–91,999 17,600 900 4,500 8,700 16,700 8,900

 $92,000 or more 16,900 700 3,900 7,600 16,200 9,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 14,100 2,800 4,400 7,500 11,300 6,600

 $12,000–26,999 14,300 2,400 5,400 8,000 11,900 6,300

 $27,000–51,999 15,000 1,500 6,000 8,000 13,400 7,000

 $52,000 or more 14,700 1,200 4,800 6,400 13,600 8,300

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 Total 20,300 3,000 6,300 10,200 17,400 10,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 21,000 3,300 5,100 11,000 17,700 10,000

 Independent 20,100 2,800 6,700 9,900 17,300 10,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 20,600 4,900 5,300 11,800 15,700 8,800

 $32,000–59,999 20,400 2,400 5,000 9,900 18,000 10,500

 $60,000–91,999 21,600 1,700 4,900 10,900 20,000 10,800

 $92,000 or more 22,800 1,100 4,900 10,200 21,600 12,600

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 19,800 4,000 5,600 9,900 15,900 9,900

 $12,000–26,999 20,200 3,200 7,200 10,800 17,000 9,400

 $27,000–51,999 20,300 2,100 7,400 9,900 18,200 10,400

 $52,000 or more 19,900 1,100 6,800 8,500 18,900 11,500

NOTE: Average amounts are for all undergraduates, including those who did not receive any financial aid. Full-time/full-year 

students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The price of attendance includes tuition

and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses related to enrollment such as books and supplies, room and board,

transportation, and other personal living expenses. Total aid includes grants, loans, work study, and any other aid, including

federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Total aid does not include federal education tax benefits. Grants include

any grants, scholarships or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers. Student loans 

may be from any source, but exclude federal PLUS loans. Standard error tables are available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

49 

Table 1.4.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average tuition

Table 1.4.—and fees, average grant amount, percentage with zero net tuition, and average net tuition amounts, by 

Table 1.4.—type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

Average

Average tuition grant amount Percent zero Average

Student characteristics and fees (all students) net tuition net tuition

All undergraduates

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $4,500 $2,000 22.2 $2,900

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 4,500 2,000 22.3 2,900

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 7,700 3,500 23.6 4,800

 Part-time or part-year 2,400 1,000 21.5 1,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 6,200 2,600 18.8 4,000

 Independent 2,900 1,500 25.8 1,800

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 5,200 4,100 42.9 2,200

 $32,000–59,999 5,500 2,500 16.8 3,400

 $60,000–91,999 6,200 2,000 9.0 4,400

 $92,000 or more 8,000 1,800 6.8 6,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 3,400 2,400 37.4 1,700

 $12,000–26,999 3,100 1,700 30.0 1,900

 $27,000–51,999 2,600 1,000 20.5 1,800

 $52,000 or more 2,200 600 13.1 1,800

Institution type

 Public 2-year 1,000 900 28.4 700

 Public 4-year 4,200 2,100 23.2 2,800

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 13,800 5,600 11.4 8,500

 Private for-profit 7,600 2,200 6.7 5,600

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

 Total 7,700 3,500 23.6 4,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 8,400 3,600 20.3 5,300

 Independent 5,900 3,100 32.3 3,500

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 7,100 5,800 48.6 2,700

 $32,000–59,999 7,600 3,600 18.9 4,400

 $60,000–91,999 8,300 2,700 9.5 5,700

 $92,000 or more 10,400 2,500 7.3 8,000

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 5,800 4,200 45.1 2,700

 $12,000–26,999 6,000 3,300 34.0 3,400

 $27,000–51,999 6,100 2,100 19.9 4,300

 $52,000 or more 6,200 1,000 8.3 5,200

Institution type

 Public 2-year 2,000 1,800 36.9 1,200

 Public 4-year 5,400 2,700 26.2 3,500

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 18,400 7,700 9.1 11,000

 Private for-profit 10,600 3,000 3.8 7,800

See notes at end of table.

Tuition and fees minus all grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

50 

Table 1.4.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average tuition

Table 1.4.—and fees, average grant amount, percentage with zero net tuition, and average net tuition amounts, by 

Table 1.4.—type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average

Average tuition grant amount Percent zero Average

Student characteristics and fees (all students) net tuition net tuition

All undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $1,000 $900 28.4 $700

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 1,000 900 28.4 700

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 2,000 1,800 36.9 1,200

 Part-time or part-year 800 600 25.9 500

Dependency status

 Dependent 1,300 900 23.2 900

 Independent 900 900 31.7 500

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 1,200 1,800 49.8 500

 $32,000–59,999 1,400 700 18.4 1,000

 $60,000–91,999 1,400 400 10.3 1,100

 $92,000 or more 1,300 200 6.4 1,200

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 1,000 1,500 46.9 400

 $12,000–26,999 900 1,100 40.4 400

 $27,000–51,999 800 600 26.4 500

 $52,000 or more 700 300 13.6 600

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 Total 2,000 1,800 36.9 1,200

Dependency status

 Dependent 2,100 1,400 28.2 1,400

 Independent 2,000 2,400 51.4 900

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 1,900 2,900 61.5 600

 $32,000–59,999 2,100 1,200 23.5 1,400

 $60,000–91,999 2,100 600 11.0 1,800

 $92,000 or more 2,200 500 8.1 1,900

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 2,000 3,000 62.8 700

 $12,000–26,999 2,000 2,800 59.4 700

 $27,000–51,999 2,000 1,500 36.2 1,100

 $52,000 or more 2,200 600 17.3 1,800

See notes at end of table.

Tuition and fees minus all grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

51 

Table 1.4.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average tuition

Table 1.4.—and fees, average grant amount, percentage with zero net tuition, and average net tuition amounts, by 

Table 1.4.—type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average

Average tuition grant amount Percent zero Average

Student characteristics and fees (all students) net tuition net tuition

All undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $4,300 $2,100 22.8 $2,800

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 4,200 2,100 23.2 2,800

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 5,400 2,700 26.2 3,500

 Part-time or part-year 2,500 1,100 18.8 1,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 4,900 2,200 20.9 3,400

 Independent 2,900 1,800 27.6 1,600

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 4,500 4,700 53.0 1,500

 $32,000–59,999 4,700 2,100 19.0 3,100

 $60,000–91,999 5,000 1,400 9.7 3,900

 $92,000 or more 5,500 1,200 8.9 4,600

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 3,400 3,000 43.5 1,300

 $12,000–26,999 3,000 1,800 29.5 1,700

 $27,000–51,999 2,600 1,100 17.2 1,800

 $52,000 or more 2,300 600 12.2 1,900

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 Total 5,400 2,700 26.2 3,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 5,700 2,600 23.1 3,800

 Independent 4,500 3,300 38.7 2,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 5,200 5,500 58.9 1,600

 $32,000–59,999 5,500 2,600 21.4 3,500

 $60,000–91,999 5,600 1,600 10.8 4,300

 $92,000 or more 6,300 1,400 9.7 5,100

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 4,600 4,500 55.0 1,500

 $12,000–26,999 4,600 3,000 36.7 2,300

 $27,000–51,999 4,400 2,000 19.9 2,900

 $52,000 or more 4,400 700 6.9 3,700

See notes at end of table.

Tuition and fees minus all grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

52 

Table 1.4.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average tuition

Table 1.4.—and fees, average grant amount, percentage with zero net tuition, and average net tuition amounts, by 

Table 1.4.—type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average

Average tuition grant amount Percent zero Average

Student characteristics and fees (all students) net tuition net tuition

All undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $14,200 $5,800 10.6 $8,800

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 13,800 5,600 11.4 8,500

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 18,400 7,700 9.1 11,000

 Part-time or part-year 7,500 2,800 14.5 5,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 17,800 7,200 9.0 10,800

 Independent 7,300 3,100 15.3 4,500

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 15,000 9,300 19.6 6,300

 $32,000–59,999 16,600 8,200 10.3 8,700

 $60,000–91,999 17,900 7,000 5.9 11,100

 $92,000 or more 20,300 5,200 3.3 15,200

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 9,400 4,800 17.6 5,000

 $12,000–26,999 7,700 3,300 14.1 4,600

 $27,000–51,999 6,700 2,500 14.1 4,500

 $52,000 or more 5,600 1,900 15.4 4,000

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 Total 18,400 7,700 9.1 11,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 19,700 8,200 8.5 11,800

 Independent 12,900 5,500 11.7 7,600

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 16,800 10,900 20.8 6,500

 $32,000–59,999 18,700 9,500 9.3 9,500

 $60,000–91,999 19,700 7,900 5.3 12,000

 $92,000 or more 22,200 5,900 2.8 16,400

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 13,100 7,100 17.3 6,300

 $12,000–26,999 12,400 5,500 11.9 7,000

 $27,000–51,999 13,300 4,200 5.2 9,300

 $52,000 or more 12,600 2,600 4.5 10,100

See notes at end of table.

Tuition and fees minus all grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

53 

Table 1.4.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary institutions, average tuition

Table 1.4.—and fees, average grant amount, percentage with zero net tuition, and average net tuition amounts, by 

Table 1.4.—type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average

Average tuition grant amount Percent zero Average

Student characteristics and fees (all students) net tuition net tuition

All undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $7,600 $2,100 6.7 $5,600

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 7,600 2,200 6.7 5,600

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 10,600 3,000 3.8 7,800

 Part-time or part-year 6,000 1,700 8.2 4,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 8,900 2,300 5.2 6,900

 Independent 7,200 2,100 7.2 5,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 8,800 3,500 7.0 5,500

 $32,000–59,999 8,600 1,700 5.2 7,200

 $60,000–91,999 9,600 900 2.4 8,900

 $92,000 or more 9,100 700 2.0 8,600

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 7,400 2,800 8.3 4,700

 $12,000–26,999 7,500 2,400 6.6 5,200

 $27,000–51,999 7,100 1,500 5.1 5,600

 $52,000 or more 6,300 1,200 9.2 5,400

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 Total 10,600 3,000 3.8 7,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 11,800 3,300 5.2 8,800

 Independent 10,100 2,800 3.3 7,400

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 11,700 4,900 7.1 7,200

 $32,000–59,999 11,400 2,400 5.2 9,300

 $60,000–91,999 12,300 1,700 2.8 10,900

 $92,000 or more 12,500 1,100 1.6 11,400

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 10,500 4,000 4.9 6,700

 $12,000–26,999 10,600 3,200 1.8 7,400

 $27,000–51,999 9,900 2,100 4.0 7,800

 $52,000 or more 8,900 1,100 1.8 7,800

NOTE: Average amounts are for all undergraduates, including those who did not receive grant aid. When grant aid is greater than

tuition, the additional amount is used to cover room and board and other expenses. Negative net tuition amounts were set to zero

before calculating net tuition averages. Therefore the average net tuition shown will be greater than the difference between the

average tuition and the average grant amounts. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from

July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Grants include any grants, scholarships or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private

sources, including employers. Grants do not include federal veterans benefits, Department of Defense aid, or federal education tax

benefits. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Tuition and fees minus all grants
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

54 

Table 1.5.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received various

Table 1.5.—combinations of federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated education tax benefits and the 

Table 1.5.—estimated average amounts received, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 

Table 1.5.—2003–04

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 29.2 $2,800 49.4 $600 72.6 $1,500 84.2 $2,900

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 29.7 2,800 49.3 600 72.8 1,500 84.3 2,900

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 34.7 3,500 47.1 800 74.1 2,200 87.0 4,600

 Part-time or part-year 26.2 2,100 50.9 500 72.0 1,100 82.4 1,700

Dependency status

 Dependent 23.7 2,800 50.8 800 68.8 1,500 81.8 3,700

 Independent 35.6 2,800 47.9 400 76.8 1,600 86.8 2,100

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 62.9 3,200 31.4 500 84.7 2,600 91.4 4,700

 $32,000–59,999 26.5 1,900 65.0 800 80.4 1,300 91.1 3,400

 $60,000–91,999 3.8 2,400 67.6 900 69.8 1,000 83.9 3,200

 $92,000 or more 1.9 2,800 38.7 600 40.0 700 60.3 3,500

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 57.4 3,000 25.2 200 76.3 2,300 83.2 3,100

 $12,000–26,999 46.6 2,700 48.5 500 86.6 1,700 94.2 2,300

 $27,000–51,999 28.4 2,200 62.7 500 81.6 1,100 91.8 1,700

 $52,000 or more 6.0 2,900 57.6 500 61.5 700 77.4 1,400

Institution type

 Public 2-year 25.5 2,400 47.8 400 70.9 1,100 81.3 1,400

 Public 4-year 28.2 3,000 48.2 700 70.9 1,700 83.5 3,000

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 30.3 3,200 50.7 900 70.9 2,000 90.5 6,900

 Private for-profit 55.4 2,800 47.5 900 85.4 2,300 90.3 3,000

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

 Total 34.7 3,500 47.1 800 74.1 2,200 87.0 4,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 25.7 3,200 50.1 900 69.5 1,800 85.1 4,800

 Independent 57.4 3,800 39.3 700 85.7 2,800 91.7 4,000

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 72.7 3,800 26.8 600 88.5 3,300 95.3 6,400

 $32,000–59,999 31.1 2,200 63.3 900 81.4 1,500 93.7 4,500

 $60,000–91,999 3.9 2,600 68.8 1,100 70.9 1,200 87.7 4,000

 $92,000 or more 1.6 3,500 39.7 700 40.8 800 65.7 4,200

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 74.9 4,000 19.5 200 85.8 3,500 90.2 5,000

 $12,000–26,999 64.7 3,700 39.0 700 90.9 2,900 95.5 4,100

 $27,000–51,999 43.3 2,900 61.2 900 87.2 2,100 94.4 3,200

 $52,000 or more 10.8 4,700 65.8 900 71.4 1,600 84.1 2,500

Institution type

 Public 2-year 36.9 3,400 41.6 700 75.1 2,100 84.2 2,600

 Public 4-year 31.6 3,500 45.4 800 71.2 2,100 85.3 3,800

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 32.5 3,700 50.2 1,100 71.6 2,400 91.9 9,100

 Private for-profit 57.2 3,400 48.8 1,000 86.9 2,900 92.0 4,000

See notes at end of table.

Federal grants, 

veterans benefits,

All grants, veterans

benefits, and federal

tax benefits

Estimated federal

veterans benefits tax benefits

Federal grants and education

and tax benefits
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

55 

Table 1.5.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received various

Table 1.5.—combinations of federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated education tax benefits and the 

Table 1.5.—estimated average amounts received, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 

Table 1.5.—2003–04—Continued

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 25.5 $2,400 47.8 $400 70.9 $1,100 81.3 $1,400

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 25.5 2,400 47.8 400 70.9 1,100 81.3 1,400

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 36.9 3,400 41.6 700 75.1 2,100 84.2 2,600

 Part-time or part-year 22.2 1,900 49.6 300 69.8 800 80.4 1,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 20.8 2,400 49.0 500 67.4 1,100 76.4 1,500

 Independent 28.5 2,400 47.0 300 73.2 1,100 84.4 1,300

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 50.0 2,700 32.0 400 79.3 1,900 86.2 2,300

 $32,000–59,999 18.6 1,600 65.1 600 78.8 800 87.9 1,200

 $60,000–91,999 3.3 1,600 62.7 700 65.1 700 76.4 1,100

 $92,000 or more 1.9 1,800 33.9 300 35.7 400 45.1 900

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 45.5 2,700 25.4 100 69.7 1,800 78.2 2,000

 $12,000–26,999 40.2 2,500 47.8 300 84.9 1,400 94.4 1,500

 $27,000–51,999 24.1 1,900 59.5 300 79.6 800 91.4 1,000

 $52,000 or more 5.0 2,100 54.7 300 58.6 400 73.5 700

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 Total 36.9 3,400 41.6 700 75.1 2,100 84.2 2,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 25.9 3,000 47.9 800 70.6 1,600 81.2 2,200

 Independent 55.5 3,700 31.1 600 82.5 2,700 89.3 3,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 62.6 3,400 24.7 600 84.3 2,700 90.7 3,400

 $32,000–59,999 25.6 1,900 63.8 800 82.4 1,200 92.5 1,900

 $60,000–91,999 2.9 ‡ 64.1 900 66.0 1,000 79.9 1,600

 $92,000 or more 0.9 ‡ 37.3 500 38.2 500 51.3 1,400

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 65.5 3,900 16.7 100 80.7 3,200 85.3 3,800

 $12,000–26,999 66.9 3,800 28.5 600 90.2 3,000 94.1 3,500

 $27,000–51,999 42.9 2,900 49.8 700 84.7 1,900 94.5 2,300

 $52,000 or more 13.1 ‡ 55.0 800 64.1 1,600 81.7 2,000

See notes at end of table.

benefits, and federal

All grants, veterans

tax benefits

Estimated federal Federal grants, 

Federal grants and education veterans benefits,

veterans benefits tax benefits and tax benefits
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

56 

Table 1.5.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received various

Table 1.5.—combinations of federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated education tax benefits and the 

Table 1.5.—estimated average amounts received, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 

Table 1.5.—2003–04—Continued

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 27.8 $3,000 48.4 $700 70.8 $1,700 83.4 $3,000

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 28.2 3,000 48.2 700 70.9 1,700 83.5 3,000

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 31.6 3,500 45.4 800 71.2 2,100 85.3 3,800

 Part-time or part-year 23.2 2,200 52.3 500 70.5 1,100 80.9 1,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 22.8 3,000 49.1 800 67.2 1,600 81.5 3,300

 Independent 38.4 3,100 46.5 400 78.1 1,800 87.4 2,500

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 67.7 3,500 25.7 600 86.1 2,900 94.2 5,200

 $32,000–59,999 28.4 2,000 62.5 800 80.1 1,300 91.9 3,000

 $60,000–91,999 3.7 2,500 67.8 900 70.1 1,000 85.4 2,400

 $92,000 or more 1.8 2,800 36.0 700 37.4 800 58.0 2,500

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 62.0 3,500 25.0 200 80.3 2,700 86.4 3,700

 $12,000–26,999 45.9 2,900 49.8 500 86.9 1,800 94.1 2,500

 $27,000–51,999 26.7 2,300 63.8 500 81.1 1,200 90.6 1,800

 $52,000 or more 4.7 4,000 55.6 500 59.2 800 76.1 1,300

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 Total 31.6 3,500 45.4 800 71.2 2,100 85.3 3,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 24.6 3,200 47.7 900 67.4 1,800 83.7 3,700

 Independent 59.9 3,900 36.0 600 86.5 3,000 92.0 4,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 73.8 3,800 21.3 600 88.0 3,300 96.4 6,000

 $32,000–59,999 31.2 2,200 60.6 900 80.2 1,500 93.3 3,500

 $60,000–91,999 3.8 2,400 67.7 1,000 70.1 1,100 87.7 2,700

 $92,000 or more 1.8 3,100 36.2 700 37.4 800 61.2 2,800

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 78.1 4,100 17.9 200 88.3 3,700 92.4 5,200

 $12,000–26,999 62.9 3,700 39.9 600 90.8 2,800 95.9 3,900

 $27,000–51,999 40.1 3,300 58.7 700 85.8 2,100 92.5 3,100

 $52,000 or more 9.4 ‡ 64.4 800 69.9 1,500 80.4 2,100

See notes at end of table.

veterans benefits tax benefits

Federal grants, All grants, veterans

Federal grants and education veterans benefits,

Estimated federal

benefits, and federal

and tax benefits tax benefits
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

57 

Table 1.5.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received various

Table 1.5.—combinations of federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated education tax benefits and the 

Table 1.5.—estimated average amounts received, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 

Table 1.5.—2003–04—Continued

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 28.2 $3,200 50.8 $1,000 70.0 $2,000 90.3 $7,000

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 30.3 3,200 50.7 900 70.9 2,000 90.5 6,900

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 32.5 3,700 50.2 1,100 71.6 2,400 91.9 9,100

 Part-time or part-year 27.2 2,300 51.2 800 70.0 1,500 88.5 3,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 25.5 3,300 52.0 1,100 67.6 2,100 89.9 8,700

 Independent 38.2 3,000 48.5 700 76.3 2,000 91.4 4,000

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 73.2 3,900 36.3 700 89.1 3,500 97.1 9,800

 $32,000–59,999 36.1 2,300 65.7 1,100 81.6 1,900 97.6 9,200

 $60,000–91,999 4.7 2,700 71.4 1,400 73.2 1,500 94.1 8,600

 $92,000 or more 1.9 4,500 38.2 800 39.4 1,000 76.7 7,300

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 65.6 3,300 26.7 200 80.1 2,800 89.2 5,500

 $12,000–26,999 48.3 2,900 47.4 700 84.2 2,100 94.1 4,000

 $27,000–51,999 34.5 2,600 61.4 800 80.8 1,700 95.1 3,600

 $52,000 or more 7.9 2,900 57.6 800 62.0 1,100 87.6 2,900

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 Total 32.5 3,700 50.2 1,100 71.6 2,400 91.9 9,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 26.1 3,600 52.2 1,100 68.1 2,200 91.2 9,700

 Independent 59.3 3,900 42.1 900 86.5 3,100 94.9 6,400

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 78.8 4,200 35.1 700 92.0 3,900 99.0 11,300

 $32,000–59,999 38.0 2,400 65.5 1,200 81.8 2,100 98.2 10,500

 $60,000–91,999 4.8 3,000 72.3 1,400 74.0 1,600 95.5 9,400

 $92,000 or more 1.7 4,900 38.6 800 39.5 1,000 78.6 8,000

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 79.4 4,100 22.6 200 86.7 3,800 93.2 7,800

 $12,000–26,999 64.7 3,700 38.2 800 88.8 3,100 96.6 6,300

 $27,000–51,999 47.9 3,400 66.4 1,100 90.5 2,700 99.2 5,500

 $52,000 or more 8.3 ‡ 71.4 1,100 75.4 1,700 90.1 4,300

See notes at end of table.

Federal grants and

veterans benefits tax benefits

education

Federal grants, All grants, veterans

veterans benefits, benefits, and federal

Estimated federal

and tax benefits tax benefits
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

58 

Table 1.5.—Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received various

Table 1.5.—combinations of federal grants, veterans benefits, or estimated education tax benefits and the 

Table 1.5.—estimated average amounts received, by type of institution and selected student characteristics: 

Table 1.5.—2003–04—Continued

Average Average Average Average

Student characteristics Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) 54.8 $2,800 47.4 $900 85.2 $2,300 90.2 $3,000

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 55.4 2,800 47.5 900 85.4 2,300 90.3 3,000

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 57.2 3,400 48.8 1,000 86.9 2,900 92.0 4,000

 Part-time or part-year 54.5 2,400 46.8 800 84.6 2,000 89.5 2,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 48.9 2,700 51.1 1,000 81.3 2,300 85.6 3,300

 Independent 57.4 2,800 46.3 900 86.7 2,300 91.8 3,000

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 84.1 3,000 33.3 700 92.5 2,900 93.8 4,000

 $32,000–59,999 37.7 1,600 75.9 1,200 88.0 1,700 92.5 2,800

 $60,000–91,999 3.8 1,900 67.2 1,500 68.3 1,500 75.3 2,500

 $92,000 or more 2.3 low n 40.4 800 41.7 800 52.7 1,900

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 81.7 3,000 19.3 200 87.4 2,800 90.4 3,300

 $12,000–26,999 68.5 2,800 44.3 800 92.0 2,500 95.0 3,000

 $27,000–51,999 46.5 2,300 70.0 1,000 90.4 2,000 94.0 2,700

 $52,000 or more 10.3 3,300 65.6 1,000 71.2 1,400 86.0 2,500

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 Total 57.2 3,400 48.8 1,000 86.9 2,900 92.0 4,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 49.9 3,300 49.5 1,100 81.3 2,700 86.8 4,500

 Independent 60.0 3,500 48.5 1,000 89.2 2,900 94.1 3,800

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 87.3 3,600 33.2 600 93.9 3,600 95.3 5,400

 $32,000–59,999 35.0 1,900 72.8 1,300 86.7 1,800 92.8 3,600

 $60,000–91,999 5.2 ‡ 69.3 1,600 71.0 1,700 80.2 3,500

 $92,000 or more 1.1 ‡ 32.7 800 33.5 800 49.0 2,900

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 85.3 3,800 19.0 200 90.1 3,700 92.5 4,500

 $12,000–26,999 71.5 3,600 46.0 900 93.8 3,200 97.2 4,000

 $27,000–51,999 48.0 2,400 73.6 1,200 92.1 2,200 95.8 3,300

 $52,000 or more 12.4 4,200 70.5 1,200 75.7 1,800 89.0 2,800

‡ Reporting standards not met.

NOTE: Average amounts are for those students who received the specified federal aid or tax benefits. The average combined 

federal grants, veterans benefits, and tax benefit amounts are usually smaller than the average amount for federal grants and 

veterans benefits alone because the combined amount is the weighted average of the two component variables, and the average 

tax benefit is almost always smaller than the federal grants and veterans benefits average. Federal veterans benefits include any 

Department of Defense aid programs. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated tax reductions from the Hope and Lifetime

Learning tax credits and the Tuition and Fees deductions. Tax benefits were imputed based on eligibility criteria and Internal 

Revenue Service data. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004.

Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Federal grants and education veterans benefits, benefits, and federal

Estimated federal Federal grants, All grants, veterans

veterans benefits tax benefits and tax benefits tax benefits
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

59 

Table 1.6.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary education, average price of 

Table 1.6.—attendance, average federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, average total grants, 

Table 1.6.—veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, and average net price of attendance, by type of instituTable 1.6.—tion and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

Average Average

federal total grants,

Estimated grants, veterans Price minus Price minus

Average average veterans benefits, federal grants, all grants,

price of federal tax benefits, and and tax veterans benefits, veterans benefits,

Student characteristics attendance benefits tax benefits benefits and tax benefits and tax benefits

All undergraduates

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $11,300 $300 $1,100 $2,500 $10,200 $8,800

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 11,300 300 1,100 2,500 10,100 8,800

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 17,200 400 1,600 4,100 15,500 13,100

 Part-time or part-year 7,200 200 800 1,400 6,500 5,900

Dependency status

 Dependent 13,700 400 1,100 3,100 12,700 10,600

 Independent 8,800 200 1,200 1,800 7,700 7,000

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 12,300 200 2,200 4,400 10,100 7,900

 $32,000–59,999 12,700 500 1,000 3,100 11,700 9,600

 $60,000–91,999 13,900 600 700 2,700 13,200 11,200

 $92,000 or more 16,000 200 300 2,200 15,800 13,900

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 9,900 # 1,800 2,600 8,100 7,300

 $12,000–26,999 9,300 200 1,500 2,100 7,900 7,200

 $27,000–51,999 8,500 300 900 1,500 7,500 6,900

 $52,000 or more 7,400 300 400 1,000 7,000 6,400

Institution type

 Public 2-year 6,100 200 800 1,100 5,400 5,000

 Public 4-year 12,300 300 1,200 2,500 11,100 9,800

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 22,200 500 1,400 6,200 20,700 15,900

 Private for-profit 14,900 400 2,000 2,700 12,900 12,100

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

 Total 17,200 400 1,600 4,100 15,500 13,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 17,600 500 1,300 4,200 16,300 13,400

 Independent 15,900 300 2,500 3,800 13,400 12,100

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 16,100 200 2,900 6,200 13,200 9,900

 $32,000–59,999 16,600 600 1,300 4,400 15,300 12,200

 $60,000–91,999 17,600 800 900 3,700 16,700 13,900

 $92,000 or more 20,100 300 300 2,900 19,700 17,200

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 15,500 # 3,100 4,500 12,500 11,000

 $12,000–26,999 15,900 300 2,700 3,900 13,200 12,000

 $27,000–51,999 16,300 600 1,900 3,100 14,400 13,200

 $52,000 or more 16,500 600 1,100 2,200 15,400 14,300

Institution type

 Public 2-year 10,500 300 1,600 2,200 8,900 8,300

 Public 4-year 15,200 400 1,500 3,200 13,700 11,900

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 28,300 500 1,700 8,300 26,600 20,000

 Private for-profit 20,300 500 2,500 3,600 17,900 16,700

See notes at end of table.

Average net price

of attendance
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

60 

Table 1.6.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary education, average price of 

Table 1.6.—attendance, average federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, average total grants, 

Table 1.6.—veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, and average net price of attendance, by type of instituTable 1.6.—tion and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average

federal total grants,

Estimated grants, veterans Price minus Price minus

Average average veterans benefits, federal grants, all grants,

price of federal tax benfits, and and tax veterans benefits, veterans benefits,

Student characteristics attendance benefits tax benefits benefits and tax benefits and tax benefits

All undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $6,100 $200 $800 $1,100 $5,400 $5,000

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 6,100 200 800 1,100 5,400 5,000

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 10,500 300 1,600 2,200 8,900 8,300

 Part-time or part-year 4,900 100 600 800 4,300 4,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 6,700 300 700 1,100 5,900 5,500

 Independent 5,800 100 800 1,100 5,000 4,700

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 6,600 100 1,500 2,000 5,100 4,600

 $32,000–59,999 6,800 400 700 1,100 6,100 5,700

 $60,000–91,999 6,800 400 500 800 6,300 5,900

 $92,000 or more 6,600 100 200 400 6,400 6,200

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 6,500 # 1,300 1,600 5,200 4,900

 $12,000–26,999 6,200 100 1,200 1,400 5,000 4,700

 $27,000–51,999 5,600 200 600 900 5,000 4,700

 $52,000 or more 5,000 100 300 500 4,800 4,500

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 2-year institutions

 Total 10,500 300 1,600 2,200 8,900 8,300

Dependency status

 Dependent 10,000 400 1,100 1,800 8,800 8,100

 Independent 11,400 200 2,300 2,900 9,100 8,500

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 9,600 100 2,300 3,100 7,300 6,500

 $32,000–59,999 9,900 500 1,000 1,800 8,900 8,200

 $60,000–91,999 10,200 600 700 1,200 9,500 8,900

 $92,000 or more 10,200 200 200 700 10,000 9,500

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 11,300 # 2,600 3,200 8,700 8,000

 $12,000–26,999 11,300 200 2,700 3,300 8,600 8,000

 $27,000–51,999 11,300 400 1,600 2,200 9,700 9,100

 $52,000 or more 11,900 400 1,000 1,600 10,900 10,300

See notes at end of table.

Average net price

of attendance
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

61 

Table 1.6.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary education, average price of 

Table 1.6.—attendance, average federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, average total grants, 

Table 1.6.—veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, and average net price of attendance, by type of instituTable 1.6.—tion and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average

federal total grants,

Estimated grants, veterans Price minus Price minus

Average average veterans benefits, federal grants, all grants,

price of federal tax benfits, and and tax veterans benefits, veterans benefits,

Student characteristics attendance benefits tax benefits benefits and tax benefits and tax benefits

All undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $12,300 $300 $1,200 $2,500 $11,200 $9,800

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 12,300 300 1,200 2,500 11,100 9,800

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 15,200 400 1,500 3,200 13,700 11,900

 Part-time or part-year 8,200 300 800 1,400 7,400 6,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 13,500 400 1,100 2,700 12,400 10,800

 Independent 10,100 200 1,400 2,200 8,700 7,900

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 12,900 100 2,500 4,900 10,400 7,900

 $32,000–59,999 12,900 500 1,100 2,700 11,800 10,200

 $60,000–91,999 13,600 600 700 2,100 12,800 11,500

 $92,000 or more 14,300 200 300 1,500 14,000 12,800

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 11,200 # 2,200 3,200 9,000 8,000

 $12,000–26,999 10,500 200 1,600 2,300 9,000 8,200

 $27,000–51,999 9,700 300 900 1,600 8,700 8,100

 $52,000 or more 8,200 300 500 1,000 7,800 7,200

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in public 4-year institutions

 Total 15,200 400 1,500 3,200 13,700 11,900

Dependency status

 Dependent 15,200 400 1,200 3,100 14,000 12,100

 Independent 15,100 200 2,600 3,800 12,500 11,200

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 14,500 100 2,900 5,800 11,600 8,800

 $32,000–59,999 14,800 500 1,200 3,200 13,600 11,500

 $60,000–91,999 15,100 700 800 2,400 14,400 12,800

 $92,000 or more 16,100 300 300 1,700 15,800 14,400

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 14,900 # 3,200 4,800 11,700 10,200

 $12,000–26,999 15,200 200 2,500 3,700 12,700 11,400

 $27,000–51,999 15,400 400 1,800 2,900 13,700 12,600

 $52,000 or more 14,800 500 1,000 1,700 13,800 13,100

See notes at end of table.

Average net price

of attendance
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables

62 

Table 1.6.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary education, average price of 

Table 1.6.—attendance, average federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, average total grants, 

Table 1.6.—veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, and average net price of attendance, by type of instituTable 1.6.—tion and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average

federal total grants,

Estimated grants, veterans Price minus Price minus

Average average veterans benefits, federal grants, all grants,

price of federal tax benfits, and and tax veterans benefits, veterans benefits,

Student characteristics attendance benefits tax benefits benefits and tax benefits and tax benefits

All undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $22,600 $500 $1,400 $6,400 $21,200 $16,200

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 22,200 500 1,400 6,200 20,700 15,900

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 28,300 500 1,700 8,300 26,600 20,000

 Part-time or part-year 13,600 400 1,000 3,300 12,600 10,300

Dependency status

 Dependent 27,000 600 1,400 7,800 25,600 19,200

 Independent 14,200 300 1,500 3,600 12,700 10,600

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 23,800 300 3,100 9,600 20,700 14,200

 $32,000–59,999 25,500 800 1,600 9,000 23,900 16,500

 $60,000–91,999 27,300 1,000 1,100 8,100 26,200 19,200

 $92,000 or more 30,000 300 400 5,600 29,600 24,400

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 17,100 # 2,200 4,900 14,800 12,100

 $12,000–26,999 14,900 300 1,700 3,800 13,200 11,100

 $27,000–51,999 13,400 500 1,400 3,400 12,000 10,000

 $52,000 or more 11,700 400 700 2,600 11,100 9,200

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions

 Total 28,300 500 1,700 8,300 26,600 20,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 29,600 600 1,500 8,800 28,100 20,700

 Independent 23,000 400 2,700 6,100 20,300 16,900

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 26,400 300 3,500 11,200 22,900 15,200

 $32,000–59,999 28,400 800 1,700 10,400 26,700 18,000

 $60,000–91,999 29,500 1,000 1,200 9,000 28,400 20,500

 $92,000 or more 32,400 300 400 6,300 32,000 26,100

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 22,800 # 3,300 7,200 19,500 15,600

 $12,000–26,999 22,700 300 2,700 6,100 19,900 16,600

 $27,000–51,999 23,800 800 2,400 5,500 21,400 18,300

 $52,000 or more 23,000 800 1,300 3,900 21,700 19,100

See notes at end of table.

Average net price

of attendance
Section 1: Supplemental Text Tables 

63 

Table 1.6.—Among all undergraduates (aided and unaided) enrolled in postsecondary education, average price of 

Table 1.6.—attendance, average federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, average total grants, 

Table 1.6.—veterans benefits, and estimated tax benefits, and average net price of attendance, by type of instituTable 1.6.—tion and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Average Average

federal total grants,

Estimated grants, veterans Price minus Price minus

Average average veterans benefits, federal grants, all grants,

price of federal tax benfits, and and tax veterans benefits, veterans benefits,

Student characteristics attendance benefits tax benefits benefits and tax benefits and tax benefits

All undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $15,000 $400 $2,000 $2,700 $13,000 $12,200

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 14,900 400 2,000 2,700 12,900 12,100

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 20,300 500 2,500 3,600 17,900 16,700

 Part-time or part-year 12,100 400 1,700 2,300 10,400 9,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 16,100 500 1,800 2,800 14,200 13,300

 Independent 14,500 400 2,000 2,700 12,500 11,800

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 15,600 200 2,700 3,700 12,900 11,800

 $32,000–59,999 15,700 900 1,500 2,600 14,100 13,000

 $60,000–91,999 17,600 1,000 1,000 1,900 16,500 15,700

 $92,000 or more 16,900 300 300 1,000 16,600 15,900

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 14,100 # 2,500 3,000 11,700 11,100

 $12,000–26,999 14,300 400 2,300 2,900 12,000 11,400

 $27,000–51,999 15,000 700 1,800 2,500 13,200 12,400

 $52,000 or more 14,700 700 1,000 2,200 13,700 12,600

Full-time/full-year undergraduates in private for-profit institutions

 Total 20,300 500 2,500 3,600 17,900 16,700

Dependency status

 Dependent 21,000 600 2,200 3,900 18,800 17,100

 Independent 20,100 500 2,600 3,500 17,500 16,500

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 20,600 200 3,400 5,200 17,200 15,400

 $32,000–59,999 20,400 900 1,600 3,400 18,800 17,100

 $60,000–91,999 21,600 1,100 1,200 2,800 20,400 18,800

 $92,000 or more 22,800 300 300 1,400 22,500 21,400

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 19,800 # 3,300 4,200 16,500 15,700

 $12,000–26,999 20,200 400 3,000 3,800 17,200 16,400

 $27,000–51,999 20,300 900 2,000 3,100 18,300 17,200

 $52,000 or more 19,900 900 1,400 2,500 18,600 17,500

# Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Average amounts are for all students, including those who did not receive any aid or federal tax benefits. Federal veterans

benefits include any Department of Defense aid programs. Federal education tax benefits are the estimated tax reductions from 

the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits and the Tuition and Fees deductions. Tax benefits were imputed based on eligibility 

criteria and Internal Revenue Service data. Full-time/full-year students were enrolled full time for 9 or more months from July 1,

2003 to June 30, 2004. The total price of attendance includes tuition and fees charged by the institution and all other expenses

related to enrollment such as books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and other personal living expenses. Grants

include any grants, scholarships or tuition waivers from federal, state, institutional, or private sources, including employers.

Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Average net price

of attendance
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
65 

Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

Price of Attendance 

• A student’s price of attendance is equal to the total tuition and fees charged, as well as 

books and supplies and other living expenses while enrolled. In 2003–04, the average 

price of attendance was $11,300 among all undergraduates (full time and part time) at 

all types of institutions (table 2.1-A). The average price varied with the type of 

institution students attended as well as their attendance status, ranging from $6,100 

among those enrolled in public 2-year institutions to $26,800 among those enrolled in 

private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions. 

• Among undergraduates enrolled full time for a full academic year (9 or more months) 

in 2003–04, the average price of attendance was $17,200 (table 2.1-B). The average 

total price was $10,500 among full-time/full-year undergraduates attending public 2-

year institutions, $15,900 among those at public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions, 

$20,300 among those at private for-profit institutions, and $32,300 among those at 

private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions. 

• Ninety-five percent of undergraduates who were enrolled full time for a full academic 

year (9 or more months) had a total price of attendance that was $8,000 or more in 

2003–04 (table 2.1-C). Among those who were enrolled part time or for only part of 

the academic year, 92 percent had a price of attendance of less than $8,000. 

Tuition and Fees 

• The average tuition and fees among all undergraduates who were enrolled in 2003–04 

was $4,500 (table 2.2-A). Tuition and fees varied by the type of institution students 

attended as well as their attendance status, with those enrolled at public 2-year 

institutions paying the lowest average tuition ($1,000) and those attending private notfor-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions paying the highest ($17,600). 

• Among undergraduates enrolled full time for a full academic year (9 or more months), 

the average amount of tuition and fees was $7,700 in 2003–04 (table 2.2-B). Those 

attending public 2-year institutions were charged an average of $2,000 in tuition and 

fees, those attending public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions were charged an 

average of $5,900, those enrolled at private for-profit institutions were charged an 

average of $10,600, and those attending private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting 

institutions were charged an average of $21,800. 
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance

66 

• Among undergraduates who were enrolled part time or for only part of the academic 

year in 2003–04, the average amount of tuition and fees was $2,400 (table 2.2-C). 

Students at public 2-year institutions were charged an average of $800 in tuition and 

fees, and those attending public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions had average 

tuition and fees of $2,900. Among those enrolled at private for-profit institutions, the 

average tuition was $6,000, and among those at private not-for-profit 4-year doctorategranting institutions, it was $9,800. 

• Ninety-five percent of undergraduates enrolled full time for a full academic year (9 or 

more months) were charged tuition and fees of $1,000 or more in 2003–04 (table 2.2-

D). About three-fourths (74 percent) of those enrolled part time or for only part of the 

academic year were charged less than $1,000. 
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

67 

Table 2.1-A.—Average price of attendance, by type of institution and selected institutional and student

Table 2.1-A.—characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $6,100 $10,800 $13,200 $19,700 $27,300 $15,000 $11,300

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 6,100 10,800 13,100 19,400 26,800 14,900 11,300

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 10,500 13,700 15,900 25,400 32,300 20,300 17,200

 Full-time/part-year 5,700 7,500 9,000 15,600 20,200 12,800 9,800

 Part-time/full-year 6,500 9,200 11,100 14,400 18,500 13,800 8,700

 Part-time/part-year 3,200 4,400 5,200 6,700 8,800 8,500 4,200

Housing

 On campus 7,100 13,400 15,200 26,900 32,000 17,200 19,900

 Off campus 6,100 10,400 12,700 15,100 21,900 14,800 10,000

 Living with parents 6,300 9,600 11,100 17,600 21,100 15,000 9,100

Tuition and fees

 Less than $500 4,000 3,200 3,300 3,100 ‡ ‡ 4,000

 $500–999 5,500 4,500 4,700 4,600 4,100 5,900 5,300

 $1,000–1,999 7,600 7,200 7,200 5,000 5,400 6,400 7,400

 $2,000–3,999 10,100 11,200 11,700 8,700 9,400 8,500 10,800

 $4,000–7,999 13,400 13,700 15,200 13,100 12,600 13,200 14,100

 $8,000 or more ‡ 20,800 22,800 25,800 31,400 19,300 25,200

Gender

 Male 6,100 11,000 13,200 19,400 27,100 16,200 11,600

 Female 6,200 10,700 13,000 19,400 26,500 14,000 11,000

Race/ethnicity2

 White 6,200 10,900 13,100 20,500 27,500 15,100 11,600

 Black 6,300 10,200 13,400 16,700 23,500 14,100 10,500

 Hispanic 5,800 10,300 11,900 16,000 21,400 14,600 9,900

 Asian 6,600 11,200 14,500 22,800 31,300 17,400 12,500

 American Indian 5,800 10,300 11,000 18,600 ‡ 13,600 9,100

 Pacific Islander 4,900 ‡ 13,800 ‡ ‡ 17,400 9,500

 Multiple races 6,100 11,100 13,300 19,500 29,600 15,800 11,400

 Other 7,100 11,300 12,500 19,600 26,800 15,700 11,700

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 6,900 12,300 14,800 24,900 30,800 16,500 13,500

 19–23 years 6,600 11,700 13,900 23,500 29,300 15,200 13,200

 24–29 years 6,100 9,400 11,200 14,900 17,200 14,700 9,500

 30–39 years 5,900 9,100 9,800 12,900 14,000 14,600 8,600

 40 years or older 5,200 8,400 8,700 11,600 13,300 14,300 7,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 6,700 12,000 14,100 24,400 30,000 16,100 13,700

 Independent 5,800 9,300 10,700 13,600 16,100 14,500 8,800

 Unmarried, no dependents 5,900 9,600 11,300 15,600 17,200 15,300 9,600

 Married, no dependents 5,300 8,800 10,600 12,300 15,800 15,000 8,200

 Single parent 6,200 9,800 10,700 13,900 16,300 13,900 9,000

 Married parents 5,600 8,600 9,700 12,100 14,400 14,200 8,100

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance

68 

Table 2.1-A.—Average price of attendance, by type of institution and selected institutional and student 

Table 2.1-A.—characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $6,700 $11,200 $13,600 $20,300 $26,800 $15,200 $12,100

 $20,000–39,999 6,500 11,600 13,700 22,800 27,900 15,700 12,600

 $40,000–59,999 6,900 11,800 13,500 23,000 28,900 16,000 12,800

 $60,000–79,999 6,900 12,000 14,100 25,000 29,600 17,500 13,600

 $80,000–99,999 6,600 12,600 14,400 26,100 31,300 16,900 15,000

 $100,000 or more 6,500 12,500 15,000 27,500 32,000 17,300 16,100

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 6,500 10,700 11,800 16,900 18,400 14,100 10,000

 $10,000–19,999 6,400 9,800 11,600 14,900 17,100 14,500 9,600

 $20,000–29,999 5,900 9,400 10,200 14,000 16,000 14,300 8,900

 $30,000–49,999 5,600 8,600 10,700 13,000 14,900 15,100 8,400

 $50,000 or more 5,000 7,800 8,700 11,000 14,200 14,600 7,500

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 6,500 11,000 12,900 19,300 24,600 14,600 11,100

 Middle 50 percent 6,300 10,900 13,000 19,300 26,200 15,000 11,100

 Highest 25 percent 5,500 10,400 13,600 19,400 28,800 15,000 11,700

Aid status

 No aid 5,200 8,900 11,300 15,200 25,200 11,600 7,800

 Received aid 7,200 11,700 13,900 20,100 27,100 15,300 13,300

Grant status

 No grants 5,500 10,000 12,200 15,800 25,500 14,500 9,100

 Received grants 7,100 11,600 13,900 20,600 27,300 15,000 13,300

Loan status3

 No loans 5,700 9,400 12,000 15,800 24,700 11,500 8,700

 Received loans 9,200 12,700 14,500 22,000 28,600 16,100 16,100

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of

time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the

“part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

69 

Table 2.1-B.—Average price of attendance for full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of institution and

Table 2.1-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $10,500 $13,800 $15,900 $26,000 $32,900 $20,500 $17,200

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 10,500 13,700 15,900 25,400 32,300 20,300 17,200

Housing

 On campus 9,400 14,600 16,500 28,100 34,500 25,200 21,800

 Off campus 11,600 14,200 16,200 23,200 30,600 20,400 16,600

 Living with parents 9,500 11,900 13,400 21,900 25,600 19,600 13,000

Tuition and fees

 Less than $500 9,900 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 10,000

 $500–999 9,200 9,400 9,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ 9,200

 $1,000–1,999 9,700 11,000 12,200 ‡ ‡ ‡ 9,900

 $2,000–3,999 11,300 12,600 13,300 11,400 10,600 13,700 12,400

 $4,000–7,999 14,100 14,000 15,700 16,700 14,000 16,900 15,200

 $8,000 or more ‡ 20,900 23,300 26,800 33,300 21,600 26,900

Gender

 Male 10,400 13,900 16,000 25,600 32,600 21,600 17,300

 Female 10,500 13,600 15,700 25,200 32,000 19,400 17,000

Race/ethnicity2

 White 10,500 13,800 15,800 26,400 33,100 20,400 17,400

 Black 10,500 14,000 16,600 23,600 29,000 19,900 16,500

 Hispanic 10,000 13,000 14,500 20,400 26,900 19,800 15,700

 Asian 11,300 14,600 17,100 28,100 35,800 22,400 18,800

 American Indian 10,400 ‡ 14,100 ‡ ‡ ‡ 15,000

 Pacific Islander ‡ ‡ 15,100 ‡ ‡ ‡ 16,200

 Multiple races 10,600 13,300 16,000 26,400 34,900 21,500 17,400

 Other 11,000 14,900 15,800 26,100 31,600 20,500 17,100

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 9,800 13,500 15,900 27,100 32,900 20,400 17,100

 19–23 years 10,200 13,700 15,900 26,200 32,800 20,700 17,600

 24–29 years 11,500 14,300 15,900 21,500 27,000 20,400 16,200

 30–39 years 11,700 14,300 15,600 21,600 24,300 20,100 15,900

 40 years or older 11,100 13,600 15,300 22,200 ‡ 19,800 15,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 10,000 13,600 15,900 26,500 33,000 21,000 17,600

 Independent 11,400 14,000 15,800 22,000 26,300 20,100 15,900

 Unmarried, no dependents 11,400 14,100 16,000 23,300 28,400 21,500 16,700

 Married, no dependents 12,000 13,600 15,800 21,400 27,100 20,100 16,200

 Single parent 11,000 14,200 15,700 21,900 24,200 19,100 15,200

 Married parents 11,600 14,000 15,100 20,500 23,700 19,600 15,500

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance

70 

Table 2.1-B.—Average price of attendance for full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of institution and

Table 2.1-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $9,800 $12,800 $15,400 $23,300 $29,200 $20,000 $15,800

 $20,000–39,999 9,600 13,200 15,300 25,100 31,000 21,100 16,500

 $40,000–59,999 10,000 13,500 15,500 25,600 31,700 20,500 16,500

 $60,000–79,999 10,300 13,600 15,700 26,800 32,900 21,500 17,300

 $80,000–99,999 9,900 14,200 15,900 27,100 34,300 21,700 18,500

 $100,000 or more 10,200 14,500 16,800 29,400 35,000 23,100 20,200

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 11,300 13,900 15,900 21,900 25,900 19,700 15,600

 $10,000–19,999 11,300 13,900 15,800 21,700 24,400 20,500 15,600

 $20,000–29,999 11,200 14,300 15,500 22,000 26,800 20,200 16,200

 $30,000–49,999 11,500 14,200 16,300 23,100 27,900 20,000 16,400

 $50,000 or more 11,700 14,300 15,200 21,400 28,800 20,000 16,400

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 10,400 13,300 15,500 23,300 28,900 20,100 15,900

 Middle 50 percent 10,500 13,700 15,700 25,300 31,900 20,400 16,800

 Highest 25 percent 10,600 14,400 16,500 27,900 34,800 20,500 19,400

Aid status

 No aid 10,200 13,600 15,900 29,100 35,700 18,300 15,100

 Received aid 10,700 13,800 15,900 25,000 31,700 20,500 17,800

Grant status

 No grants 10,400 13,900 15,900 27,500 35,100 20,400 15,800

 Received grants 10,500 13,600 15,800 25,000 31,400 20,300 18,000

Loan status3

 No loans 10,200 13,200 15,700 25,100 32,900 17,700 15,200

 Received loans 11,400 14,200 16,000 25,500 31,900 21,000 19,100

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Full-time/full-year students represent 41 percent of all

undergraduates attending only one institution. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

71 

Table 2.1-C.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by price of attendance and selected institutional and

Table 2.1-C.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Institutional and Less than $4,000– $8,000– $12,000– $16,000

student characteristics $4,000 7,999 11,999 15,999 or more

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 18.5 24.6 19.2 17.4 20.4

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 18.3 24.6 19.4 17.4 20.3

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 28.7 29.9 21.9 13.8 5.8

 2-year 34.8 39.0 19.3 5.8 1.1

 4-year 7.1 15.6 22.9 34.6 19.9

 Non-doctorate-granting 9.3 19.8 29.1 32.0 9.8

 Doctorate-granting 5.9 13.2 19.3 36.1 25.5

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 3.5 16.9 25.0 20.3 34.3

 4-year 4.0 8.0 11.6 9.7 66.8

 Non-doctorate-granting 5.3 9.5 14.2 10.6 60.5

 Doctorate-granting 1.8 5.5 7.4 8.1 77.2

 Private for-profit 1.5 13.6 19.4 24.1 41.4

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year # 4.7 23.1 30.8 41.5

 Full-time/part-year 8.9 42.8 21.7 13.9 12.8

 Part-time/full-year 4.0 53.2 25.3 11.1 6.4

 Part-time/part-year 71.3 20.4 5.6 1.7 1.1

Housing

 On campus 2.2 6.7 13.6 25.0 52.5

 Off campus 21.9 26.5 17.7 17.6 16.2

 Living with parents 19.4 30.6 26.7 12.3 11.1

Tuition and fees

 Less than $500 67.8 26.6 4.3 1.1 0.1

 $500–999 40.4 44.3 12.3 2.9 0.2

 $1,000–1,999 9.3 56.8 26.9 6.0 1.1

 $2,000–3,999 0.3 22.0 41.5 29.6 6.6

 $4,000–7,999 # 2.8 24.3 46.2 26.8

 $8,000 or more # # 1.0 11.6 87.4

Gender

 Male 18.1 23.5 19.1 17.4 21.9

 Female 18.5 25.4 19.6 17.3 19.2

Race/ethnicity1

 White 17.9 23.2 19.3 18.5 21.2

 Black 18.2 27.1 19.9 16.1 18.6

 Hispanic 20.8 28.5 20.9 13.8 16.1

 Asian 16.4 23.4 17.3 16.5 26.5

 American Indian 24.3 31.2 15.7 16.7 12.2

 Pacific Islander 29.2 26.9 12.9 13.9 17.1

 Multiple races 19.8 24.5 17.5 17.5 20.8

 Other 14.5 23.8 21.2 17.0 23.5

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 10.5 19.6 23.0 19.8 27.1

 19–23 years 11.7 20.4 20.4 20.8 26.7

 24–29 years 22.4 28.0 19.6 15.5 14.6

 30–39 years 26.4 31.2 17.6 13.1 11.8

 40 years or older 35.3 32.4 14.2 9.7 8.5

See notes at end of table.

Price of attendance
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance

72 

Table 2.1-C.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by price of attendance and selected institutional and

Table 2.1-C.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Institutional and Less than $4,000– $8,000– $12,000– $16,000

student characteristics $4,000 7,999 11,999 15,999 or more

Dependency status

 Dependent 10.4 19.1 20.9 21.3 28.4

 Independent 26.2 29.9 17.9 13.5 12.5

 Unmarried, no dependents 24.2 27.1 18.1 15.0 15.6

 Married, no dependents 31.5 30.0 14.7 13.1 10.8

 Single parent 22.3 31.1 20.4 13.9 12.3

 Married parents 29.4 32.0 16.7 11.8 10.1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 10.6 24.3 23.7 19.0 22.3

 $20,000–39,999 11.0 22.7 22.4 20.0 23.9

 $40,000–59,999 10.7 20.6 23.9 20.7 24.2

 $60,000–79,999 10.6 17.7 20.6 23.8 27.4

 $80,000–99,999 9.0 15.3 18.9 23.6 33.3

 $100,000 or more 9.8 14.6 16.6 21.0 37.9

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 19.9 26.5 20.5 17.5 15.7

 $10,000–19,999 20.0 29.2 20.9 15.7 14.3

 $20,000–29,999 23.4 30.8 20.7 13.7 11.3

 $30,000–49,999 28.5 31.6 15.9 12.3 11.7

 $50,000 or more 36.7 31.8 12.9 9.1 9.5

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 15.3 25.5 21.7 18.4 19.2

 Middle 50 percent 17.5 24.8 20.4 17.9 19.4

 Highest 25 percent 23.3 23.2 14.9 15.2 23.5

Aid status

 No aid 35.0 31.3 15.4 10.3 8.1

 Received aid 8.6 20.7 21.7 21.5 27.5

Grant status

 No grants 27.9 27.9 17.7 14.1 12.4

 Received grants 9.2 21.4 21.0 20.5 28.0

Loan status2

 No loans 27.4 31.6 18.1 12.3 10.6

 Received loans 1.1 11.1 21.8 27.0 39.0

# Rounds to zero.

1

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

2

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. This table excludes students attending more than one institution.

Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were 

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Price of attendance
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

73 

Table 2.2-A.—Average tuition and fees for undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and

Table 2.2-A.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $1,000 $3,400 $4,700 $11,900 $18,000 $7,600 $4,500

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 1,000 3,400 4,700 11,500 17,600 7,600 4,500

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 2,000 4,600 5,900 15,900 21,800 10,600 7,700

 Full-time/part-year 1,000 2,200 3,100 8,900 12,500 6,500 4,100

 Part-time/full-year 1,000 2,400 3,600 7,300 10,900 7,300 2,600

 Part-time/part-year 400 1,200 1,600 2,800 4,600 3,700 1,000

Housing

 On campus 1,400 5,000 5,900 17,800 21,500 9,100 10,800

 Off campus 1,000 2,900 4,300 7,800 13,700 7,300 3,500

 Living with parents 1,200 3,100 4,000 10,300 14,100 8,400 3,300

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 400 800 800 900 1,200 1,200 500

 $4,000–7,999 1,000 1,700 2,000 2,300 2,700 2,900 1,300

 $8,000–11,999 1,800 3,100 3,300 4,600 4,900 4,900 2,800

 $12,000–15,999 2,400 4,400 4,500 6,900 6,500 7,500 4,700

 $16,000 or more 3,800 7,300 8,400 16,300 21,500 10,600 13,500

Gender

 Male 1,100 3,600 4,800 11,600 18,000 8,200 4,700

 Female 1,000 3,300 4,600 11,500 17,300 7,200 4,400

Race/ethnicity2

 White 1,100 3,500 4,700 12,700 18,200 7,500 4,800

 Black 1,100 3,200 5,000 8,900 14,900 7,200 4,000

 Hispanic 700 2,700 3,600 7,900 13,400 7,800 3,500

 Asian 1,100 3,800 5,600 14,400 21,400 9,100 5,200

 American Indian 800 2,400 3,400 10,300 ‡ 7,300 2,800

 Pacific Islander 600 ‡ 4,600 ‡ ‡ 9,200 3,400

 Multiple races 1,000 3,100 4,700 12,000 19,900 8,200 4,500

 Other 1,200 3,500 4,400 11,700 17,900 8,000 4,700

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 1,300 4,200 5,700 16,200 20,700 9,100 6,100

 19–23 years 1,200 3,900 5,200 14,900 19,600 8,300 5,800

 24–29 years 1,000 2,600 3,400 7,600 10,000 7,500 3,200

 30–39 years 900 2,300 2,800 6,000 7,800 7,000 2,700

 40 years or older 700 2,100 2,500 5,400 7,100 6,700 2,200

Dependency status

 Dependent 1,300 4,100 5,300 15,700 20,200 8,900 6,200

 Independent 900 2,400 3,200 6,800 9,200 7,200 2,900

 Unmarried, no dependents 900 2,600 3,600 8,300 10,200 7,900 3,300

 Married, no dependents 800 2,400 3,100 6,100 8,700 7,100 2,500

 Single parent 900 2,500 3,200 7,000 9,300 7,000 2,900

 Married parents 800 2,200 2,700 5,500 7,800 6,700 2,400

See notes at end of table.

Private not-forPublic 4-year profit 4-year
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance

74 

Table 2.2-A.—Average tuition and fees for undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and

Table 2.2-A.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $1,200 $3,500 $4,900 $12,100 $17,800 $8,500 $5,000

 $20,000–39,999 1,200 3,900 5,000 14,100 18,500 8,900 5,400

 $40,000–59,999 1,400 4,200 5,000 14,500 19,400 8,800 5,500

 $60,000–79,999 1,400 4,000 5,300 16,200 19,700 9,600 6,000

 $80,000–99,999 1,300 4,700 5,400 17,200 21,200 9,200 7,100

 $100,000 or more 1,300 4,400 5,900 18,500 21,800 9,300 8,000

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 1,000 2,900 3,900 9,000 10,800 7,400 3,500

 $10,000–19,999 1,000 2,600 3,500 7,900 10,000 7,700 3,200

 $20,000–29,999 900 2,300 2,900 6,800 8,900 7,300 2,900

 $30,000–49,999 800 2,100 3,100 6,300 8,300 7,100 2,600

 $50,000 or more 700 2,100 2,500 4,900 7,900 6,200 2,200

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 1,100 3,300 4,500 11,200 15,900 7,800 4,300

 Middle 50 percent 1,100 3,500 4,600 11,500 17,100 7,700 4,400

 Highest 25 percent 900 3,400 5,100 11,900 19,300 6,700 5,100

Aid status

 No aid 900 2,800 4,400 9,500 17,100 6,200 2,600

 Received aid 1,200 3,700 4,900 11,900 17,800 7,700 5,700

Grant status

 No grants 900 3,200 4,500 9,200 17,000 7,100 3,200

 Received grants 1,200 3,600 4,900 12,300 17,900 7,800 5,800

Loan status3

 No loans 1,000 2,900 4,500 9,400 16,400 5,900 3,100

 Received loans 1,700 4,000 5,000 13,100 18,700 8,200 7,300

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of

time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the

“part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year profit 4-year

Private not-for-
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

75 

Table 2.2-B.—Average tuition and fees for full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of institution and

Table 2.2-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $2,000 $4,700 $5,900 $16,500 $22,400 $10,700 $7,800

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 2,000 4,600 5,900 15,900 21,800 10,600 7,700

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 2,000 4,600 5,900 15,900 21,800 10,600 7,700

 Full-time/part-year † † † † † † †

 Part-time/full-year † † † † † † †

 Part-time/part-year † † † † † † †

Housing

 On campus 2,100 5,600 6,500 18,700 23,400 14,500 12,000

 Off campus 2,200 4,300 5,700 13,000 20,300 10,400 6,600

 Living with parents 1,900 4,000 5,000 13,300 17,500 11,000 5,000

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 $4,000–7,999 1,300 1,400 1,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ 1,300

 $8,000–11,999 1,900 3,400 3,400 3,500 4,500 4,700 2,600

 $12,000–15,999 2,500 4,500 4,500 6,500 4,500 7,500 4,300

 $16,000 or more 4,100 7,500 8,500 16,700 22,500 11,200 13,800

Gender

 Male 2,100 4,800 6,000 15,900 22,300 11,600 7,900

 Female 2,000 4,500 5,700 15,800 21,500 9,800 7,600

Race/ethnicity2

 White 2,200 4,700 5,900 17,200 22,500 10,500 8,000

 Black 1,900 4,700 6,500 13,200 18,900 10,500 7,000

 Hispanic 1,500 3,500 4,500 10,200 17,500 10,400 6,300

 Asian 2,400 5,400 6,600 18,100 25,000 11,900 8,800

 American Indian 1,700 ‡ 4,700 ‡ ‡ ‡ 5,500

 Pacific Islander ‡ ‡ 5,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ 6,600

 Multiple races 1,900 3,800 6,000 17,000 23,800 10,900 7,800

 Other 2,100 4,800 5,700 16,100 21,700 11,200 7,400

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 2,000 4,800 6,100 17,900 22,400 11,400 8,000

 19–23 years 2,100 4,800 6,000 16,900 22,300 11,400 8,300

 24–29 years 2,100 4,200 5,000 11,700 17,000 10,400 6,200

 30–39 years 2,000 3,800 4,500 10,900 14,200 9,900 5,700

 40 years or older 1,800 3,500 4,800 11,700 ‡ 9,600 5,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 2,100 4,800 6,000 17,200 22,500 11,800 8,400

 Independent 2,000 3,900 5,000 11,900 16,200 10,100 5,900

 Unmarried, no dependents 2,100 4,100 5,300 13,400 18,200 11,500 6,600

 Married, no dependents 2,200 3,800 5,000 11,700 16,500 9,700 6,000

 Single parent 1,900 3,800 4,800 11,700 14,500 9,500 5,500

 Married parents 2,000 3,700 4,400 10,100 13,400 9,300 5,400

See notes at end of table.

Private not-forPublic 4-year profit 4-year
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance

76 

Table 2.2-B.—Average tuition and fees for full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of institution and

Table 2.2-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $1,900 $4,200 $5,700 $14,000 $19,500 $11,400 $6,900

 $20,000–39,999 1,900 4,500 5,700 15,700 20,900 11,800 7,500

 $40,000–59,999 2,100 4,900 5,900 16,400 21,400 11,500 7,500

 $60,000–79,999 2,200 4,700 5,900 17,600 22,300 12,200 8,000

 $80,000–99,999 2,100 5,400 5,900 17,900 23,600 12,300 9,100

 $100,000 or more 2,200 5,300 6,700 20,000 24,100 12,700 10,500

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 2,000 4,000 5,200 12,100 16,100 10,400 5,800

 $10,000–19,999 1,900 3,800 5,000 11,900 14,600 10,800 5,800

 $20,000–29,999 2,000 3,900 4,600 11,300 16,300 10,600 6,200

 $30,000–49,999 2,000 3,600 5,100 12,900 16,600 9,500 6,100

 $50,000 or more 2,200 4,200 4,500 11,100 18,300 8,900 6,100

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 1,900 4,200 5,500 13,700 19,200 11,000 6,600

 Middle 50 percent 2,100 4,700 5,800 15,800 21,500 10,600 7,400

 Highest 25 percent 2,200 5,200 6,400 18,400 23,900 9,600 9,700

Aid status

 No aid 2,000 4,600 6,200 19,500 24,900 9,200 6,000

 Received aid 2,100 4,600 5,700 15,600 21,300 10,700 8,200

Grant status

 No grants 2,100 4,800 6,100 17,600 24,200 10,300 6,500

 Received grants 2,000 4,500 5,700 15,600 21,100 10,700 8,400

Loan status3

 No loans 2,000 4,400 5,900 15,800 22,600 8,500 6,200

 Received loans 2,300 4,900 5,800 15,900 21,300 11,100 9,300

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Full-time/full-year students represent 41 percent of all

undergraduates attending only one institution. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year profit 4-year

Private not-for-
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

77 

Table 2.2-C.—Average tuition and fees for part-time or part-year undergraduates, by type of institution and

Table 2.2-C.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $800 $1,900 $2,900 $6,500 $10,000 $6,100 $2,400

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 800 1,900 2,900 6,400 9,800 6,000 2,400

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year † † † † † † †

 Full-time/part-year 1,000 2,200 3,100 8,900 12,500 6,500 4,100

 Part-time/full-year 1,000 2,400 3,600 7,300 10,900 7,300 2,600

 Part-time/part-year 400 1,200 1,600 2,800 4,600 3,700 1,000

Housing

 On campus 800 2,500 4,100 13,800 13,900 6,400 6,700

 Off campus 700 1,800 2,600 5,000 7,800 5,900 2,100

 Living with parents 800 2,000 2,800 6,700 9,100 6,700 2,000

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 400 800 800 900 1,200 1,200 500

 $4,000–7,999 900 1,700 2,000 2,300 2,700 2,900 1,300

 $8,000–11,999 1,500 2,600 3,200 4,800 5,000 5,000 3,100

 $12,000–15,999 1,900 3,400 4,400 7,000 6,600 7,500 5,800

 $16,000 or more 1,800 4,300 7,400 14,600 16,900 9,200 11,800

Gender

 Male 800 1,900 3,000 6,700 9,800 6,100 2,400

 Female 800 2,000 2,800 6,100 9,700 6,000 2,300

Race/ethnicity2

 White 800 2,000 2,900 6,800 10,100 5,800 2,400

 Black 800 1,900 3,000 5,600 8,500 5,800 2,500

 Hispanic 600 1,700 2,300 5,300 6,800 6,500 2,100

 Asian 700 2,100 3,500 8,400 13,500 7,200 2,500

 American Indian 700 ‡ 1,600 ‡ ‡ 5,600 1,400

 Pacific Islander 500 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 7,900 1,900

 Multiple races 700 1,900 2,900 6,900 ‡ 6,800 2,400

 Other 900 2,100 2,800 8,200 ‡ 6,500 2,800

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 900 2,300 4,000 10,500 13,800 7,200 2,900

 19–23 years 900 2,200 3,300 10,000 12,100 6,500 3,000

 24–29 years 700 1,800 2,400 5,100 6,800 6,000 2,200

 30–39 years 700 1,800 2,000 4,400 6,100 5,700 2,000

 40 years or older 600 1,700 2,000 3,900 5,900 5,400 1,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 900 2,200 3,500 10,900 12,800 7,000 3,100

 Independent 700 1,800 2,300 4,600 6,400 5,800 2,000

 Unmarried, no dependents 700 1,800 2,400 5,500 6,900 6,000 2,200

 Married, no dependents 700 1,800 2,200 4,300 6,000 5,800 1,800

 Single parent 700 1,700 2,300 4,500 6,300 5,900 2,100

 Married parents 700 1,700 2,000 4,100 6,000 5,400 1,800

See notes at end of table.

Private not-forPublic 4-year profit 4-year
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance

78 

Table 2.2-C.—Average tuition and fees for part-time or part-year undergraduates, by type of institution and

Table 2.2-C.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $800 $2,000 $3,000 $7,700 $12,400 $6,500 $2,700

 $20,000–39,999 900 2,100 3,400 9,900 11,900 7,100 2,900

 $40,000–59,999 900 2,300 3,200 9,700 12,600 6,900 2,800

 $60,000–79,999 900 2,300 3,400 9,900 10,900 7,400 2,700

 $80,000–99,999 900 2,600 3,900 14,100 14,000 7,600 3,700

 $100,000 or more 800 2,200 3,900 14,100 13,900 7,100 3,900

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 700 1,800 2,600 6,100 6,700 5,900 2,300

 $10,000–19,999 700 1,900 2,300 5,300 7,200 6,100 2,200

 $20,000–29,999 800 1,700 2,200 4,500 5,900 5,900 2,000

 $30,000–49,999 700 1,700 2,300 4,400 6,200 5,900 1,900

 $50,000 or more 600 1,700 1,900 3,900 6,200 5,000 1,700

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 800 1,900 2,900 7,200 9,600 6,200 2,500

 Middle 50 percent 800 2,000 2,800 6,200 9,200 6,200 2,300

 Highest 25 percent 700 1,900 3,000 6,200 10,600 5,300 2,300

Aid status

 No aid 700 1,700 2,600 5,300 8,500 5,300 1,400

 Received aid 900 2,100 3,100 6,700 10,200 6,200 3,200

Grant status

 No grants 700 1,900 2,800 5,400 8,500 5,800 1,800

 Received grants 900 2,000 3,000 7,000 10,500 6,200 3,100

Loan status3

 No loans 700 1,800 2,700 5,300 8,600 5,000 1,600

 Received loans 1,200 2,400 3,200 7,800 11,400 6,500 4,600

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Includes full-time/part-year, part-time/full-year, and parttime/part-year students. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year,

including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” 

categories. Part-time or part-year students represent 59 percent of all undergraduates attending only one institution. Standard

error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year profit 4-year

Private not-for-
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance 

79 

Table 2.2-D.—Percentage distribution of all undergraduates, by tuition and fees and selected institutional

Table 2.2-D.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Institutional and Less than $500– $1,000– $2,000– $4,000– $8,000

student characteristics $500 999 1,999 3,999 7,999 or more

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 16.9 13.4 16.6 19.5 17.4 16.3

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 16.7 13.4 16.6 19.5 17.7 16.1

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 31.6 15.9 19.5 14.0 18.6 0.4

 2-year 36.0 25.6 25.1 11.6 1.8 0.1

 4-year 2.2 5.3 14.4 35.6 35.0 7.6

 Non-doctorate-granting 3.0 7.3 19.2 35.7 31.4 3.5

 Doctorate-granting 1.8 4.2 11.7 35.5 37.0 9.9

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 1.6 1.5 9.2 23.9 37.2 26.5

 4-year 0.9 2.4 4.1 9.4 16.8 66.4

 Non-doctorate-granting 1.3 3.3 5.1 10.2 21.0 59.2

 Doctorate-granting 0.4 0.9 2.4 8.2 9.9 78.2

 Private for-profit 0.4 1.2 3.3 16.0 33.7 45.4

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 1.2 3.8 10.6 25.4 29.1 29.9

 Full-time/part-year 8.3 15.5 22.9 18.8 18.3 16.3

 Part-time/full-year 16.9 18.3 27.3 20.2 10.8 6.5

 Part-time/part-year 49.5 24.4 12.8 8.6 3.8 1.0

Housing

 On campus 1.8 1.8 5.0 17.7 30.1 43.6

 Off campus 20.1 15.2 17.4 19.4 16.3 11.7

 Living with parents 17.6 16.1 21.5 20.8 13.7 10.3

Gender

 Male 16.2 12.6 16.1 20.0 18.2 16.9

 Female 17.1 14.0 17.0 19.1 17.3 15.6

Race/ethnicity1

 White 14.3 13.0 16.9 20.8 18.4 16.6

 Black 13.9 16.4 19.6 16.9 16.6 16.6

 Hispanic 27.2 13.9 14.2 16.8 14.9 13.0

 Asian 24.0 8.6 11.5 16.7 21.2 18.0

 American Indian 25.0 18.0 17.9 23.1 6.8 9.2

 Pacific Islander 40.3 4.8 13.4 15.1 15.3 11.1

 Multiple races 19.2 14.1 14.1 21.0 15.0 16.7

 Other 15.4 11.8 17.3 20.4 18.3 17.0

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 10.8 10.6 15.3 21.0 20.2 22.0

 19–23 years 10.4 10.0 15.0 21.9 21.5 21.3

 24–29 years 19.2 16.2 19.0 19.4 15.2 11.1

 30–39 years 25.1 17.4 19.3 16.3 12.8 9.2

 40 years or older 32.7 20.2 17.4 13.0 10.0 6.7

See notes at end of table.

Tuition and fees
Section 2: Tuition and Price of Attendance

80 

Table 2.2-D.—Percentage distribution of all undergraduates, by tuition and fees and selected institutional

Table 2.2-D.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Institutional and Less than $500– $1,000– $2,000– $4,000– $8,000

student characteristics $500 999 1,999 3,999 7,999 or more

Dependency status

 Dependent 9.4 9.1 14.5 22.0 22.3 22.6

 Independent 23.9 17.6 18.7 17.0 13.1 9.8

 Unmarried, no dependents 21.4 15.4 17.9 18.8 14.6 12.0

 Married, no dependents 28.3 17.3 17.6 17.6 12.0 7.3

 Single parent 21.9 18.1 19.5 16.2 13.1 11.2

 Married parents 26.3 19.7 19.3 15.4 11.9 7.3

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 11.8 10.6 17.8 20.6 21.0 18.1

 $20,000–39,999 10.6 10.5 16.7 21.7 20.6 19.9

 $40,000–59,999 9.2 9.4 17.1 23.8 21.0 19.4

 $60,000–79,999 8.8 9.7 14.0 22.9 23.5 21.1

 $80,000–99,999 7.9 7.2 11.2 22.0 25.9 25.9

 $100,000 or more 8.3 7.4 10.4 21.0 23.0 30.0

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 18.8 15.5 17.4 20.0 15.5 12.8

 $10,000–19,999 19.6 16.5 19.3 18.6 14.0 12.1

 $20,000–29,999 21.0 18.6 19.8 17.7 12.5 10.4

 $30,000–49,999 26.0 17.5 20.5 15.4 12.3 8.3

 $50,000 or more 32.1 19.8 17.1 13.8 11.1 6.2

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 15.1 13.1 17.7 20.5 17.9 15.7

 Middle 50 percent 15.8 13.5 17.4 20.1 17.7 15.5

 Highest 25 percent 20.2 13.6 13.8 17.2 17.3 17.8

Aid status

 No aid 30.8 18.4 18.5 15.6 10.5 6.3

 Received aid 8.4 10.5 15.5 21.8 21.9 22.0

Grant status

 No grants 24.6 16.0 17.7 18.0 14.7 8.9

 Received grants 9.1 10.9 15.6 20.9 20.5 23.1

Loan status2

 No loans 24.6 18.0 19.6 17.4 12.2 8.2

 Received loans 1.7 4.5 11.0 23.4 28.1 31.3

1

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

2

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. This table excludes students attending more than one institution.

Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Tuition and fees
81 

Section 3: Financial Aid 

NOTE: None of the financial aid totals in this section include the estimated amounts of federal 

education tax benefits. 

All Types of Aid 

• Sixty-three percent of all undergraduates in 2003–04 received some type of financial 

aid (table 3.1-A). About one-half (51 percent) received grants, about one-third (35 

percent) took out a student loan, 8 percent received work-study awards, and 7 percent 

received other types of aid (such as Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students [PLUS] 

loans, veterans benefits, and job training grants). 

• Undergraduates who received any type of financial aid in 2003–04 received an average 

total amount of $7,400 (table 3.1-B). Those who took out student loans borrowed an 

average of $5,800 for the 2003–04 academic year, grant recipients received an average 

of $4,000, and those with work-study jobs were awarded an average of $2,000. 

• The likelihood of receiving aid varied by the type of institution students attended (table 

3.1-C). About 9 out of 10 (89 percent) undergraduates enrolled at private for-profit 

institutions received some type of financial aid. The percentage of students receiving 

financial aid was 80 percent at private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting 

institutions, 69 percent at public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions, and 47 percent 

at public 2-year institutions. 

• The average amount of total financial aid students received in 2003–04 also varied by 

the type of institution they attended (table 3.1-D). Undergraduates enrolled at private 

not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions received, on average, a total of 

$15,000 in aid. Those attending private for-profit institutions received an average of 

$8,800, students enrolled at public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions received 

$8,100, and those attending public 2-year institutions received $3,200. 

Federal Aid 

• Forty-six percent of undergraduates received some type of federal aid in 2003–04 

(table 3.2-A). About one-third (34 percent) took out federal student loans (primarily 

subsidized and/or unsubsidized Stafford loans), 28 percent received federal grants 

(primarily Federal Pell Grants and/or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity 

Grants), and 6 percent of all students received federal work-study aid. Seven percent of 

dependent students’ parents took out federal PLUS loans. 
Section 3: Financial Aid

82 

• The average amount of total federal aid received by undergraduates in 2003–04 was 

$6,100 (table 3.2-B). Students who took out federal loans borrowed an average of 

$5,100. Federal grant recipients received an average of $2,600 in federal grants, and 

students with federal work-study jobs were awarded an average of $1,800 in workstudy support. Parents of dependent students who took out federal PLUS loans 

borrowed an average of $9,000. 

• In 2003–04, about four-fifths (81 percent) of undergraduates enrolled at private forprofit institutions and about three-fifths (59 percent) of those enrolled at private notfor-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions received some type of federal aid (table 

3.2-C). About one-half (51 percent) of those at public 4-year doctorate-granting 

institutions and 29 percent of those at public 2-year institutions received federal aid. 

• Undergraduates enrolled at private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions 

received an average of $8,300 in total federal aid, compared with an average of $7,500 

for those enrolled at private for-profit institutions, $7,000 for those enrolled at public 

4-year doctorate-granting institutions, and $3,300 among those attending public 2-year 

institutions (table 3.2-D). 

State Aid 

• Sixteen percent of all undergraduates received some type of state-funded financial aid 

in 2003–04 (table 3.3-A). State aid was awarded primarily as grants, with 15 percent of 

students receiving state-funded grants. This included 3 percent who received statefunded grants based only on merit. Less than 1 percent of undergraduates received 

loans through state programs or state-funded work-study aid. 

• About one-fourth (24 percent) of all full-time/full-year undergraduates received statefunded financial aid in 2003–04 (table 3.3-A). Twenty-three percent received state 

grants and 5 percent received merit-based grants funded through state sources. 

• Undergraduates who were recipients of state-funded aid received an average of $2,100 

in state aid in 2003–04 (table 3.3-B). Those who received state grants were awarded an 

average of $2,000. Recipients of state-funded merit-based grants were awarded an 

average of $1,800. 

• About one-fifth (19 and 20 percent) of undergraduates attending either public or 

private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions received state-funded aid, 

while 10 and 12 percent of those at public 2-year and private for-profit institutions did 

so (table 3.3-C). Undergraduates attending public 2-year institutions who received aid 

were awarded an average of $1,100 in total state aid, compared with those attending 

public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions ($2,500), those enrolled at private forprofit institutions ($2,900), and those enrolled at private not-for-profit 4-year 

doctorate-granting institutions ($3,200) (table 3.3-D). 
Section 3: Financial Aid 

83 

Institutional Aid 

• About one in five (19 percent) undergraduates received some type of aid from the 

funds of the institution attended in 2003–04 (table 3.4-A). Institutional aid was 

awarded primarily as grants, with 18 percent of students receiving institutional grants. 

Eight percent received grants based only on merit (academic, athletic, or other talents), 

2 percent received institutional work-study awards, and less than 1 percent received 

institutional loans. 

• Undergraduates who received institutional aid were awarded, on average, a total of 

$4,300 in institutional aid in 2003–04 (table 3.4-B). Those receiving institutional 

grants based only on merit also received an average of $4,300. Recipients of any 

institutional grants were awarded an average of $4,200, those with institutional loans 

received $2,800, and those with institutional work-study awards received $2,200. 

• About one-half (55 percent) of undergraduates enrolled at private not-for-profit 4-year 

doctorate-granting institutions received some type of institutional aid, compared with 

about one-fourth (25 percent) of those attending public 4-year doctorate-granting 

institutions (table 3.4-C). Eight percent of undergraduates at both public 2-year and 

private for-profit institutions received institutional aid. 

• Undergraduates enrolled in private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions 

received the highest average amount of institutional aid ($8,300) in 2003–04 (table 

3.4-D). Those enrolled at public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions received $3,200 

on average, those at private for-profit institutions received an average of $2,400, and 

those at public 2-year institutions received an average of $1,300. 

Aid Packages 

• Over one-third (37 percent) of all undergraduates received only grants in their aid 

packages in 2003–04 (table 3.5-A). Twenty-nine percent received both grants and 

loans, 13 percent received only loans, and 6 percent received grants, loans, and workstudy. 

• In 2003–04, undergraduates who received grants, loans, and work-study in their aid 

packages were awarded an average of $16,600 in total aid (table 3.5-B). Those with 

grants and loans received an average of $9,900, those with only loans received $5,900, 

and those with only grants received $3,100. 

Aid by Institution Type 

• At public 4-year institutions, 69 percent of undergraduates received an average of 

$7,600 in total financial aid in 2003–04 (tables 3.6-A and 3.6-B). About one-half (52 

percent) received an average of $4,000 in grants, and 45 percent took out an average of 

$5,600 in student loans. 
Section 3: Financial Aid

84 

• At public 2-year institutions, 47 percent of undergraduates received an average of 

$3,200 in total financial aid in 2003–04 (tables 3.7-A and 3.7-B). Forty percent 

received grants averaging $2,200 each, and 12 percent took out loans averaging 

$3,600. 

• At private not-for-profit 4-year institutions in 2003–04, 83 percent of undergraduates 

received some type of financial aid, averaging $13,100 in total aid received (tables 3.8-

A and 3.8-B). About three-fourths (73 percent) received an average of $7,700 in grant 

aid, and more than one-half (56 percent) took out an average of $6,900 in student 

loans. About one-half (51 percent) received institutional aid averaging $7,200. 
Section 3: Financial Aid 

85 

Table 3.1-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving aid, by type of aid and selected institutional and student

Table 3.1-A.—characteristics: 2003–04

Institutional and Any Any Any Any Any other

student characteristics aid grants work-study loan1 type of aid

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 63.0 50.4 7.5 35.1 7.0

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 63.2 50.7 7.5 35.0 6.9

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 49.7 37.5 3.0 12.2 11.3

 2-year 46.8 39.8 3.5 12.1 4.1

 4-year 68.6 51.7 8.5 44.5 7.7

 Non-doctorate-granting 67.6 50.8 8.7 42.3 6.8

 Doctorate-granting 69.2 52.2 8.3 45.7 8.3

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 84.2 71.1 6.6 48.5 10.3

 4-year 83.3 73.5 21.1 56.3 10.7

 Non-doctorate-granting 85.1 74.8 20.1 57.9 11.0

 Doctorate-granting 80.4 71.4 22.8 53.6 10.1

 Private for-profit 89.2 65.7 2.3 73.4 10.1

 More than one institution 66.3 47.6 7.0 42.7 8.2

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 76.2 62.2 13.5 49.5 9.4

 Full-time/part-year 66.2 49.4 4.6 39.8 7.7

 Part-time/full-year 60.5 49.1 4.2 27.9 4.5

 Part-time/part-year 40.5 31.9 1.9 12.7 4.3

Housing2

 On campus 79.2 66.3 22.6 56.3 12.9

 Off campus 62.9 49.9 5.1 33.6 6.2

 Living with parents 53.6 44.4 4.7 23.3 4.6

Price of attendance2

 Less than $4,000 29.5 25.5 1.0 2.1 2.9

 $4,000–7,999 53.0 44.4 2.8 15.6 3.8

 $8,000–11,999 70.5 55.1 5.7 38.6 5.5

 $12,000–15,999 78.1 60.1 9.2 53.4 8.6

 $16,000 or more 85.3 70.0 19.7 65.9 13.7

Gender

 Male 60.6 46.5 7.4 33.4 8.9

 Female 65.2 53.7 7.6 36.2 5.4

Race/ethnicity3

 White 61.5 47.8 7.3 35.2 7.3

 Black 75.8 64.3 8.5 43.1 7.5

 Hispanic 63.2 53.4 6.8 29.8 5.3

 Asian 51.6 41.5 9.5 24.8 4.1

 American Indian 67.4 59.1 5.1 32.4 3.6

 Pacific Islander 51.3 37.5 4.2 26.8 10.2

 Multiple races 61.9 49.9 8.3 34.9 9.1

 Other 66.4 53.8 8.5 35.6 7.5

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 65.5 57.2 11.1 34.0 8.8

 19–23 years 63.9 50.3 10.6 38.1 7.6

 24–29 years 66.8 52.7 4.1 39.5 5.8

 30–39 years 63.3 51.4 3.3 31.5 6.4

 40 years or older 53.9 43.3 2.8 21.3 4.8

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

86 

Table 3.1-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving aid, by type of aid and selected institutional and student

Table 3.1-A.—characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Institutional and Any Any Any Any Any other

student characteristics aid grants work-study loan1 type of aid

Dependency status

 Dependent 63.8 50.4 11.2 38.1 8.2

 Independent 62.7 51.0 4.0 32.0 5.6

 Unmarried, no dependents 62.1 47.1 4.9 37.1 5.5

 Married, no dependents 52.1 36.5 2.9 23.5 4.9

 Single parent 71.8 66.6 4.6 35.5 4.5

 Married parents 60.3 48.3 2.9 27.3 7.1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 77.8 75.3 14.2 36.1 4.5

 $20,000–39,999 76.2 69.6 15.0 42.8 6.3

 $40,000–59,999 63.2 48.4 12.2 41.0 8.4

 $60,000–79,999 58.7 40.6 10.2 39.2 9.9

 $80,000–99,999 60.5 39.9 9.6 40.2 10.8

 $100,000 or more 50.1 32.4 6.5 30.3 9.4

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 70.5 65.7 8.0 37.8 4.2

 $10,000–19,999 73.3 63.4 5.2 40.7 5.9

 $20,000–29,999 68.4 53.8 3.2 38.1 6.1

 $30,000–49,999 60.6 46.3 2.6 29.6 6.4

 $50,000 or more 45.6 30.1 0.9 18.1 5.7

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 74.6 70.2 11.5 38.5 4.8

 Middle 50 percent 64.6 49.9 7.3 38.3 7.6

 Highest 25 percent 48.6 32.0 3.9 24.8 7.6

Aid status

 No aid † † † † †

 Received aid 100.0 80.1 11.9 55.4 10.9

Grant status

 No grants 25.5 † 2.4 20.9 6.2

 Received grants 100.0 100.0 12.5 48.8 7.6

Loan status1

 No loans 43.4 39.9 4.0 † 4.1

 Received loans 100.0 70.6 14.2 100.0 12.1

† Not applicable.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). PLUS loans are included

in “any other type of aid.”

2

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

3

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. “Any aid”

excludes federal education tax benefits. “Any other type of aid” includes PLUS loans, veterans benefits, and WIA job training funds.

Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid 

87 

Table 3.1-B.—Average amount of aid received by aided undergraduates, by type of aid and selected institutional

Table 3.1-B.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Total Total Total Total Total

aid grant work-study loan other

Institutional and student characteristics amount amount amount amount1 type of aid

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $7,400 $4,000 $2,000 $5,800 $6,200

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 7,400 4,000 2,000 5,800 6,200

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 3,800 2,200 2,600 5,400 3,000

 2-year 3,200 2,200 2,000 3,600 2,800

 4-year 7,600 4,000 2,000 5,600 6,500

 Non-doctorate-granting 6,700 3,500 2,000 5,300 5,400

 Doctorate-granting 8,100 4,200 2,100 5,800 7,100

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 7,600 4,400 1,500 5,300 5,900

 4-year 13,100 7,700 1,800 6,900 9,600

 Non-doctorate-granting 12,100 6,900 1,600 6,700 8,100

 Doctorate-granting 15,000 9,000 2,100 7,300 12,200

 Private for-profit 8,800 3,300 2,500 6,800 6,400

 More than one institution 7,200 3,500 1,900 5,800 6,200

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 9,900 5,600 1,900 6,200 7,900

 Full-time/part-year 5,900 2,900 1,800 5,100 4,800

 Part-time/full-year 5,400 2,700 2,100 5,800 4,600

 Part-time/part-year 3,000 1,600 2,000 4,500 2,700

Housing2

 On campus 12,400 7,300 1,800 5,900 9,200

 Off campus 6,400 3,200 2,100 6,100 4,800

 Living with parents 5,600 3,500 1,900 4,700 5,700

Price of attendance2

 Less than $4,000 1,000 900 1,200 1,700 800

 $4,000–7,999 2,800 1,900 1,900 3,100 2,300

 $8,000–11,999 5,400 3,100 2,000 4,600 4,000

 $12,000–15,999 7,800 3,900 2,000 5,800 5,600

 $16,000 or more 14,000 7,600 2,000 7,400 9,700

Gender

 Male 7,600 4,100 2,000 6,000 6,100

 Female 7,200 3,900 1,900 5,700 6,300

Race/ethnicity3

 White 7,500 4,000 1,900 5,900 6,600

 Black 7,200 3,800 2,000 5,700 4,900

 Hispanic 6,600 3,800 2,000 5,600 5,600

 Asian 8,000 5,200 2,200 5,900 7,400

 American Indian 6,400 3,700 1,700 6,000 3,800

 Pacific Islander 7,400 4,100 ‡ 6,300 4,200

 Multiple races 8,000 4,200 2,000 6,100 6,100

 Other 7,200 3,800 2,200 5,900 5,500

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 8,300 5,200 1,700 4,400 9,100

 19–23 years 8,300 4,900 2,000 5,500 7,400

 24–29 years 6,800 3,000 2,100 6,600 4,000

 30–39 years 5,800 2,600 2,100 6,500 3,300

 40 years or older 5,000 2,500 2,400 6,500 3,200

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

88 

Table 3.1-B.—Average amount of aid received by aided undergraduates, by type of aid and selected institutional

Table 3.1-B.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Total Total Total Total Total

aid grant work-study loan other

Institutional and student characteristics amount amount amount amount1 type of aid

Dependency status

 Dependent $8,600 $5,200 $1,900 $5,300 $8,000

 Independent 6,100 2,900 2,100 6,400 3,600

 Unmarried, no dependents 7,000 3,100 2,100 6,900 4,100

 Married, no dependents 5,300 2,500 2,000 6,900 3,500

 Single parent 6,100 3,200 1,900 5,700 3,100

 Married parents 5,400 2,600 2,400 6,400 3,300

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 8,400 5,600 1,900 4,900 5,900

 $20,000–39,999 8,500 5,200 1,900 5,100 6,300

 $40,000–59,999 8,300 4,700 1,900 5,300 6,800

 $60,000–79,999 8,600 4,900 1,900 5,300 7,800

 $80,000–99,999 9,000 5,100 1,800 5,500 8,900

 $100,000 or more 9,100 5,400 2,100 5,600 10,300

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 7,300 3,800 2,000 6,200 3,900

 $10,000–19,999 6,500 3,000 2,400 6,300 3,800

 $20,000–29,999 6,100 2,800 1,800 6,200 3,600

 $30,000–49,999 5,400 2,200 2,400 6,600 3,200

 $50,000 or more 4,700 2,000 2,500 7,200 3,300

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 7,900 4,600 1,900 5,600 5,000

 Middle 50 percent 7,200 3,700 2,000 5,800 5,900

 Highest 25 percent 7,000 3,800 2,100 6,200 7,600

Aid status

 No aid † † † † †

 Received aid 7,400 4,000 2,000 5,800 6,200

Grant status

 No grants 6,400 † 2,200 5,800 5,800

 Received grants 7,600 4,000 1,900 5,800 6,600

Loan status3

 No loans 3,500 3,200 2,100 † 3,900

 Received loans 10,400 4,800 1,900 5,800 7,700

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS). PLUS loans are included

in “other type of aid.”

2

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

3

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Total aid

excludes the federal education tax credit and tax deduction benefits. Standard error tables are available at

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid 

89 

Table 3.1-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving any aid, by type of institution and selected institutional

Table 3.1-C.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 46.8 67.5 69.1 85.1 80.1 89.2 63.0

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 46.8 67.6 69.2 85.1 80.4 89.2 63.2

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 61.3 77.4 75.8 92.0 84.2 92.3 76.2

 Full-time/part-year 49.7 62.0 61.2 84.0 74.3 88.1 66.2

 Part-time/full-year 51.8 62.8 68.1 84.2 80.5 88.8 60.5

 Part-time/part-year 32.4 41.8 42.9 62.4 61.7 85.5 40.5

Housing2

 On campus 68.2 77.6 74.5 91.0 81.9 72.0 79.2

 Off campus 49.0 67.4 68.6 81.6 77.2 90.1 62.9

 Living with parents 41.6 59.9 62.1 84.2 83.3 87.6 53.6

Tuition and fees2

 Less than $500 31.5 34.0 28.3 60.2 ‡ ‡ 31.7

 $500–999 49.4 42.8 45.4 61.8 36.0 76.7 49.2

 $1,000–1,999 58.7 59.1 58.3 51.4 65.1 75.1 58.8

 $2,000–3,999 62.2 71.7 71.4 79.2 73.1 83.9 70.5

 $4,000–7,999 54.1 76.1 75.1 85.1 77.4 90.0 78.0

 $8,000 or more ‡ 77.1 69.3 90.9 82.7 91.9 85.7

Price of attendance2

 Less than $4,000 28.7 26.9 30.5 44.5 39.3 66.3 29.5

 $4,000–7,999 50.8 56.4 48.5 67.8 59.8 75.1 53.0

 $8,000–11,999 63.6 73.7 69.9 82.1 79.4 89.1 70.5

 $12,000–15,999 69.5 76.4 76.9 90.6 79.3 89.9 78.1

 $16,000 or more 67.1 82.6 77.3 91.1 83.0 94.3 85.3

Gender

 Male 42.3 66.1 67.2 82.3 78.9 90.7 60.6

 Female 50.0 68.8 70.9 87.4 81.5 88.3 65.2

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

90 

Table 3.1-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving any aid, by type of institution and selected institutional

Table 3.1-C.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Race/ethnicity3

 White 44.5 66.5 66.6 84.5 78.5 87.4 61.5

 Black 64.6 73.4 82.8 88.8 89.1 92.1 75.8

 Hispanic 43.1 73.8 76.0 85.8 87.0 90.9 63.2

 Asian 32.5 56.0 65.2 72.6 74.0 84.2 51.6

 American Indian 54.3 71.5 76.6 97.9 ‡ 88.2 67.4

 Pacific Islander 31.1 ‡ 71.8 ‡ ‡ 93.2 51.3

 Multiple races 42.9 68.9 69.7 85.9 84.0 88.6 61.9

 Other 52.3 74.8 70.1 78.6 80.2 90.7 66.4

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 46.4 73.9 74.0 91.8 83.1 88.3 65.5

 19–23 years 44.9 68.4 67.9 86.9 80.6 86.7 63.9

 24–29 years 52.2 67.3 74.0 83.4 81.6 91.2 66.8

 30–39 years 50.1 66.8 68.1 84.2 76.8 90.8 63.3

 40 years or older 42.4 57.8 59.9 76.3 70.4 88.8 53.9

Dependency status

 Dependent 42.7 69.3 69.1 88.4 81.2 85.2 63.8

 Independent 49.5 65.3 69.3 81.3 77.5 90.5 62.7

 Unmarried, no dependents 45.4 66.2 70.9 80.2 76.5 89.8 62.1

 Married, no dependents 39.2 54.7 60.3 75.4 76.9 83.0 52.1

 Single parent 61.1 75.3 76.2 84.9 80.3 93.7 71.8

 Married parents 47.4 63.2 68.1 82.1 77.8 89.5 60.3

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $10,000 62.2 83.8 84.3 93.6 94.5 93.9 77.8

 $20,000–39,999 60.5 83.3 82.5 92.8 90.4 91.7 76.2

 $40,000–59,999 40.2 71.2 71.8 89.6 87.8 81.9 63.2

 $60,000–79,999 32.3 65.0 67.2 89.0 80.3 79.2 58.7

 $80,000–99,999 31.8 63.4 67.7 90.7 77.0 72.5 60.5

 $100,000 or more 20.9 50.6 54.3 79.0 72.3 65.1 50.1

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 58.1 76.4 74.2 83.3 80.7 91.4 70.5

 $10,000–19,999 62.9 74.2 79.8 84.9 83.1 93.9 73.3

 $20,000–29,999 56.2 70.9 73.5 84.7 80.5 93.0 68.4

 $30,000–49,999 47.9 63.9 66.9 81.4 76.8 90.0 60.6

 $50,000 or more 31.2 44.7 50.1 76.1 70.3 83.5 45.6

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid 

91 

Table 3.1-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving any aid, by type of institution and selected institutional

Table 3.1-C.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 61.0 80.1 80.8 89.6 88.6 91.9 74.6

 Middle 50 percent 48.2 69.7 70.8 86.4 83.4 90.6 64.6

 Highest 25 percent 28.4 48.4 55.4 78.9 71.8 80.2 48.6

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Grant status

 No grants 11.6 34.3 35.5 41.0 31.5 68.6 25.5

 Received grants 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Loan status4

 No loans 39.5 43.9 43.2 64.7 57.7 59.5 43.4

 Received loans 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

3

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

4

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Federal aid

excludes veterans benefits and the education tax credit and tax deduction benefits. Standard error tables are available at

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

92 

Table 3.1-D.—Average amount of total aid received by undergraduates who received any aid, by type of institution

Table 3.1-D.—and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $3,200 $6,800 $8,100 $12,500 $15,300 $8,900 $7,400

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 3,200 6,700 8,100 12,100 15,000 8,800 7,400

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 4,900 8,000 9,100 15,400 17,600 11,100 9,900

 Full-time/part-year 2,700 4,300 5,200 8,300 10,300 7,800 5,900

 Part-time/full-year 3,000 5,700 7,500 8,500 10,600 8,900 5,400

 Part-time/part-year 1,500 2,900 3,800 4,900 6,100 5,500 3,000

Housing2

 On campus 4,800 8,100 9,100 17,300 18,100 12,800 12,400

 Off campus 3,200 6,700 8,100 9,100 11,800 8,600 6,400

 Living with parents 3,000 5,300 6,200 9,900 11,900 9,100 5,600

Price of attendance2

 Less than $4,000 1,000 1,100 1,200 1,200 2,000 1,500 1,000

 $4,000–7,999 2,500 3,300 3,400 3,200 3,500 3,600 2,800

 $8,000–11,999 4,600 5,800 6,000 5,500 5,400 6,400 5,400

 $12,000–15,999 6,000 8,300 8,000 8,200 7,000 8,200 7,800

 $16,000 or more 11,100 11,200 11,800 15,700 17,400 11,700 14,000

Gender

 Male 3,100 6,700 8,100 12,100 14,700 10,000 7,600

 Female 3,200 6,800 8,100 12,100 15,200 8,000 7,200

Race/ethnicity3

 White 3,100 6,600 7,800 12,900 14,700 8,900 7,500

 Black 3,500 7,700 10,000 11,000 15,900 8,300 7,200

 Hispanic 2,900 6,400 7,600 8,500 13,700 8,400 6,600

 Asian 3,100 6,800 8,200 13,200 17,500 10,900 8,000

 American Indian 3,300 7,100 7,400 12,700 ‡ 8,800 6,400

 Pacific Islander 2,600 ‡ 6,700 ‡ ‡ 11,800 7,400

 Multiple races 3,700 5,800 7,100 13,300 12,900 10,100 7,200

 Other 3,700 7,500 8,000 13,200 17,600 9,700 8,000

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 3,400 6,800 7,900 15,000 16,900 10,400 8,300

 19–23 years 3,200 6,900 8,100 14,600 16,000 9,000 8,300

 24–29 years 3,500 6,600 8,700 9,700 11,500 8,700 6,800

 30–39 years 3,200 6,800 7,600 7,800 8,300 8,400 5,800

 40 years or older 2,600 6,000 6,600 6,600 7,800 8,300 5,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 3,200 6,800 8,000 15,000 16,400 10,000 8,600

 Independent 3,200 6,600 8,300 8,500 10,100 8,400 6,100

 Unmarried, no dependents 3,400 7,200 8,700 10,000 11,200 8,900 7,000

 Married, no dependents 2,100 5,300 7,400 7,300 9,100 8,500 5,300

 Single parent 3,600 7,900 8,500 8,700 10,300 8,000 6,100

 Married parents 2,900 5,500 7,600 7,300 8,900 8,300 5,400

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid 

93 

Table 3.1-D.—Average amount of total aid received by undergraduates who received any aid, by type of institution

Table 3.1-D.—and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $3,800 $7,700 $9,700 $13,600 $17,100 $9,400 $8,400

 $20,000–39,999 3,200 7,700 9,100 15,600 17,800 9,700 8,500

 $40,000–59,999 2,900 6,200 7,500 15,400 17,900 9,800 8,300

 $60,000–79,999 2,600 6,300 7,400 16,300 16,900 10,800 8,600

 $80,000–99,999 2,700 6,100 7,500 15,300 17,100 10,900 9,000

 $100,000 or more 2,900 6,500 7,300 13,700 13,900 12,500 9,100

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 4,000 8,700 9,700 11,400 12,600 8,200 7,300

 $10,000–19,999 3,700 7,000 9,100 9,700 10,600 8,500 6,500

 $20,000–29,999 3,100 7,100 7,500 8,600 10,800 8,700 6,100

 $30,000–49,999 2,700 4,800 7,600 7,400 9,400 8,800 5,400

 $50,000 or more 2,000 4,200 5,400 6,200 7,300 7,800 4,700

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 3,800 8,100 9,600 13,200 16,400 8,700 7,900

 Middle 50 percent 3,100 6,400 7,700 12,500 15,600 9,000 7,200

 Highest 25 percent 2,200 5,400 7,000 10,300 13,100 8,400 7,000

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 3,200 6,700 8,100 12,100 15,000 8,800 7,400

Grant status

 No grants 3,200 6,300 7,100 7,300 10,600 8,400 6,400

 Received grants 3,200 6,900 8,400 12,800 15,500 8,900 7,600

Loan status4

 No loans 2,300 3,800 4,800 6,000 8,000 3,500 3,500

 Received loans 5,800 8,500 9,800 15,000 18,500 9,900 10,400

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

3

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

4

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Federal aid

excludes veterans benefits and the education tax credit and tax deduction benefits. Standard error tables are available at

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

94 

Table 3.2-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving federal aid, by type of aid and selected institutional

Table 3.2-A.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Any Federal

federal Federal Federal Federal PLUS

Institutional and student characteristics aid1 grants work-study loans loans2

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 46.1 27.1 5.6 33.8 3.4

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 46.4 27.6 5.6 33.7 3.3

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 27.0 21.5 1.1 10.8 0.1

 2-year 29.2 23.1 2.4 11.3 0.2

 4-year 51.9 26.6 6.1 42.8 4.9

 Non-doctorate-granting 52.8 29.5 6.5 40.8 3.4

 Doctorate-granting 51.3 24.9 5.9 43.9 5.7

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 70.6 49.1 5.4 45.1 5.4

 4-year 62.8 28.2 16.3 54.4 7.8

 Non-doctorate-granting 65.1 31.6 15.4 56.4 7.3

 Doctorate-granting 59.0 22.5 17.8 51.1 8.7

 Private for-profit 81.4 52.8 1.8 71.8 4.9

 More than one institution 50.6 27.3 5.2 41.1 4.1

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 60.8 33.3 10.3 47.9 6.3

 Full-time/part-year 50.4 30.3 3.3 37.9 2.8

 Part-time/full-year 43.3 29.5 2.7 26.9 1.1

 Part-time/part-year 20.6 13.5 1.1 11.9 0.5

Housing3

 On campus 61.7 25.7 17.2 54.5 11.2

 Off campus 45.3 28.8 3.6 32.4 1.6

 Living with parents 38.5 25.8 3.5 21.9 2.6

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 9.4 8.1 0.4 1.8 #

 $4,000–7,999 33.9 27.0 1.7 14.5 0.3

 $8,000–11,999 55.0 35.8 4.1 37.1 1.6

 $12,000–15,999 63.2 35.9 6.7 51.7 4.6

 $16,000 or more 70.6 31.0 15.4 64.0 10.3

Gender

 Male 42.0 22.8 5.3 32.0 3.6

 Female 49.6 31.1 5.7 34.9 3.1

Race/ethnicity4

 White 42.9 21.3 5.2 33.9 3.8

 Black 62.1 47.7 6.6 41.9 2.4

 Hispanic 50.4 37.7 5.4 28.5 2.3

 Asian 37.0 22.9 7.4 23.0 2.5

 American Indian 48.7 35.8 3.9 31.4 0.3

 Pacific Islander 36.2 20.8 3.0 25.8 3.8

 Multiple races 45.5 28.3 6.1 33.5 4.4

 Other 50.7 33.6 5.7 33.8 3.5

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

95 

Table 3.2-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving federal aid, by type of aid and selected institutional

Table 3.2-A.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any Federal

federal Federal Federal Federal PLUS

Institutional and student characteristics aid1 grants work-study loans loans2

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 48.1 27.4 8.8 32.8 8.1

 19–23 years 48.6 25.4 7.9 36.4 5.4

 24–29 years 52.3 36.9 2.7 38.3 †

 30–39 years 44.7 30.9 2.3 30.6 †

 40 years or older 30.2 19.2 1.8 20.5 †

Dependency status

 Dependent 47.8 22.8 8.5 36.4 6.7

 Independent 45.0 32.3 2.7 31.0 †

 Unmarried, no dependents 46.4 28.3 3.4 36.0 †

 Married, no dependents 28.1 10.7 1.7 22.5 †

 Single parent 59.6 55.2 3.5 34.5 †

 Married parents 38.5 26.7 1.7 26.4 †

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 66.8 63.7 12.0 34.8 2.9

 $20,000–39,999 64.8 53.6 12.2 41.4 4.6

 $40,000–59,999 47.2 18.0 9.7 39.3 6.6

 $60,000–79,999 40.2 3.3 7.5 37.2 8.4

 $80,000–99,999 40.6 0.9 6.3 38.0 9.3

 $100,000 or more 31.1 0.9 3.7 28.7 8.1

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 60.5 56.2 6.1 36.6 †

 $10,000–19,999 60.5 49.3 3.7 39.5 †

 $20,000–29,999 53.9 37.2 1.9 37.2 †

 $30,000–49,999 38.8 23.2 1.4 28.8 †

 $50,000 or more 18.2 1.8 0.4 17.2 †

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 64.0 59.1 9.3 37.2 1.8

 Middle 50 percent 47.8 24.4 5.3 36.9 3.7

 Highest 25 percent 25.2 1.3 2.3 23.4 4.2

Aid status

 No aid † † † † †

 Received aid 73.3 43.6 8.8 53.2 5.3

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

96 

Table 3.2-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving federal aid, by type of aid and selected institutional

Table 3.2-A.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any Federal

federal Federal Federal Federal PLUS

Institutional and student characteristics aid1 grants work-study loans loans2

Grant status

 No grants 20.5 † 1.5 19.4 2.5

 Received grants 71.6 54.4 9.5 47.6 4.1

Loan status5

 No loans 19.1 17.6 2.4 † 0.4

 Received loans 97.0 46.0 11.4 96.2 8.8

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

1

 Includes all federal grants, loans, college work study awards, and parent PLUS loans. Excludes veterans benefits and education

tax credit and tax deduction benefits.

2

 “PLUS” loans are federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students.

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

5

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid 

97 

Table 3.2-B.—Average amount of federal aid received by undergraduates who received federal aid, by type of

Table 3.2-B.—aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Total Total Total Total Federal

federal federal federal federal PLUS

Institutional and student characteristics aid1 grants work-study loans loans2

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $6,100 $2,600 $1,800 $5,100 $9,000

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 6,100 2,600 1,800 5,100 9,000

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 3,800 2,100 2,600 4,900 ‡

 2-year 3,300 2,300 2,000 3,400 5,600

 4-year 6,600 2,800 1,900 5,100 7,800

 Non-doctorate-granting 5,900 2,800 1,800 4,800 6,600

 Doctorate-granting 7,000 2,800 1,900 5,200 8,100

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 5,600 2,800 1,400 4,700 6,600

 4-year 7,800 3,000 1,700 5,300 11,400

 Non-doctorate-granting 7,600 2,900 1,500 5,400 10,400

 Doctorate-granting 8,300 3,200 2,000 5,300 12,800

 Private for-profit 7,500 2,600 2,500 5,900 8,800

 More than one institution 6,500 2,600 1,700 5,200 8,400

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 7,200 3,200 1,800 5,300 9,400

 Full-time/part-year 5,000 2,100 1,700 4,300 7,600

 Part-time/full-year 5,200 2,200 2,100 5,400 8,000

 Part-time/part-year 3,500 1,300 2,000 4,100 8,200

Housing3

 On campus 7,400 3,000 1,600 4,500 9,800

 Off campus 6,000 2,500 2,100 5,500 8,700

 Living with parents 4,800 2,600 1,800 4,100 7,900

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 1,300 1,100 1,300 1,700 ‡

 $4,000–7,999 2,900 1,900 1,700 3,000 3,300

 $8,000–11,999 5,000 2,700 1,900 4,400 4,800

 $12,000–15,999 6,800 3,000 1,900 5,400 6,500

 $16,000 or more 8,700 3,300 1,800 5,800 10,900

Gender

 Male 6,300 2,600 1,800 5,100 9,400

 Female 5,900 2,600 1,800 5,000 8,700

Race/ethnicity4

 White 6,200 2,500 1,800 5,000 9,100

 Black 6,100 2,700 1,800 5,300 8,600

 Hispanic 5,400 2,700 1,900 4,900 8,600

 Asian 6,000 3,000 2,000 5,000 9,300

 American Indian 5,800 2,900 1,500 5,400 ‡

 Pacific Islander 6,200 2,600 ‡ 5,300 ‡

 Multiple races 6,400 2,500 1,900 5,000 9,300

 Other 5,900 2,700 2,000 5,100 7,400

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

98 

Table 3.2-B.—Average amount of federal aid received by undergraduates who received federal aid, by type of

Table 3.2-B.—aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Total Total Total Total Federal

federal federal federal federal PLUS

Institutional and student characteristics aid1 grants work-study loans loans2

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger $5,700 $2,800 $1,600 $3,300 $9,400

 19–23 years 6,100 2,700 1,800 4,500 8,900

 24–29 years 6,400 2,500 2,100 6,100 †

 30–39 years 6,000 2,400 2,100 6,200 †

 40 years or older 5,900 2,500 2,200 6,200 †

Dependency status

 Dependent 6,100 2,700 1,800 4,200 9,000

 Independent 6,100 2,500 2,000 6,100 †

 Unmarried, no dependents 6,600 2,500 2,000 6,300 †

 Married, no dependents 6,200 2,200 1,900 6,500 †

 Single parent 5,800 2,700 1,800 5,500 †

 Married parents 5,900 2,300 2,500 6,100 †

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 6,200 3,500 1,700 4,300 7,000

 $20,000–39,999 5,800 2,600 1,800 4,300 7,300

 $40,000–59,999 5,500 1,600 1,700 4,200 7,700

 $60,000–79,999 6,000 1,400 1,700 4,100 8,500

 $80,000–99,999 6,400 2,000 1,700 4,100 9,600

 $100,000 or more 7,000 1,500 1,800 4,100 11,300

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 6,500 3,000 1,800 5,800 †

 $10,000–19,999 6,000 2,400 2,300 5,900 †

 $20,000–29,999 5,900 2,500 1,800 5,900 †

 $30,000–49,999 5,600 1,600 2,400 6,200 †

 $50,000 or more 6,600 1,200 2,400 6,800 †

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 6,200 3,000 1,800 5,100 6,900

 Middle 50 percent 5,800 2,100 1,800 5,000 8,400

 Highest 25 percent 6,800 1,300 1,800 5,100 11,100

Aid status

 No aid † † † † †

 Received aid 6,100 2,600 1,800 5,100 9,000

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

99 

Table 3.2-B.—Average amount of federal aid received by undergraduates who received federal aid, by type of

Table 3.2-B.—aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Total Total Total Total Federal

federal federal federal federal PLUS

Institutional and student characteristics aid1 grants work-study loans loans2

Grant status

 No grants $6,100 † $2,000 $5,000 $9,500

 Received grants 6,100 2,600 1,800 5,100 8,700

Loan status5

 No loans 2,600 2,400 2,000 † 10,400

 Received loans 7,300 2,800 1,800 5,100 8,900

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 Includes all federal grants, loans, college work study awards, and parent PLUS loans. Excludes veterans benefits and education

tax credit and tax deduction benefits.

2

 “PLUS” loans are federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students.

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

5

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

100 

Table 3.2-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving federal aid, by type of institution and selected

Table 3.2-C.—institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 29.2 52.6 51.2 64.3 58.1 81.2 46.1

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 29.2 52.8 51.3 65.1 59.0 81.4 46.4

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 46.2 63.4 57.6 78.0 66.3 86.3 60.8

 Full-time/part-year 32.2 49.7 44.6 62.9 48.2 80.2 50.4

 Part-time/full-year 33.9 47.5 51.7 60.4 52.1 80.1 43.3

 Part-time/part-year 13.3 23.3 23.5 25.3 32.4 73.8 20.6

Housing

 On campus 55.6 63.2 55.4 74.3 62.1 65.5 61.7

 Off campus 30.0 52.3 51.2 58.8 52.7 81.6 45.3

 Living with parents 26.3 45.3 44.9 66.1 64.3 81.9 38.5

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 9.6 6.8 7.5 5.4 10.9 35.8 9.4

 $4,000–7,999 32.7 38.1 30.7 27.1 28.1 58.9 33.9

 $8,000–11,999 48.7 58.4 53.5 59.0 55.3 80.3 55.0

 $12,000–15,999 54.5 65.4 59.1 72.9 50.0 83.7 63.2

 $16,000 or more 53.6 69.0 59.5 76.4 63.6 89.5 70.6

Gender

 Male 22.5 49.7 49.2 59.1 55.8 81.3 42.0

 Female 33.9 55.2 53.1 69.8 61.5 81.4 49.6

Race/ethnicity2

 White 25.3 50.4 47.5 62.4 54.7 78.9 42.9

 Black 47.8 62.9 71.8 73.9 73.0 85.2 62.1

 Hispanic 28.8 63.0 61.2 72.9 73.7 84.5 50.4

 Asian 19.6 46.0 46.5 49.6 54.4 72.3 37.0

 American Indian 33.9 47.0 62.5 59.4 ‡ 82.7 48.7

 Pacific Islander 14.7 ‡ 52.2 ‡ ‡ 83.4 36.2

 Multiple races 28.9 51.1 49.4 63.5 64.1 78.0 45.5

 Other 40.2 51.7 49.2 56.4 57.5 83.6 50.7

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 30.1 58.1 51.7 72.7 61.8 85.8 48.1

 19–23 years 30.3 54.9 50.1 70.4 60.4 81.6 48.6

 24–29 years 34.6 54.8 61.2 68.2 61.5 85.5 52.3

 30–39 years 30.7 47.6 50.1 62.2 48.5 80.0 44.7

 40 years or older 19.3 36.6 35.9 39.4 36.8 73.8 30.2

Dependency status

 Dependent 28.0 55.1 50.4 71.5 60.8 80.0 47.8

 Independent 30.0 49.7 53.6 57.7 52.9 81.8 45.0

 Unmarried, no dependents 27.2 52.4 56.8 63.0 52.2 82.5 46.4

 Married, no dependents 10.9 39.4 43.5 45.1 52.3 65.8 28.1

 Single parent 47.9 65.1 61.2 65.4 63.0 89.5 59.6

 Married parents 25.2 40.7 49.0 52.0 47.5 75.9 38.5

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid 

101 

Table 3.2-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving federal aid, by type of institution and selected

Table 3.2-C.—institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 51.9 75.2 69.3 81.7 75.1 92.0 66.8

 $20,000–39,999 47.7 72.8 70.5 82.7 75.5 87.8 64.8

 $40,000–59,999 24.3 53.8 54.6 74.4 72.6 74.1 47.2

 $60,000–79,999 14.0 49.1 44.8 72.4 61.2 72.9 40.2

 $80,000–99,999 13.0 45.7 45.3 68.4 57.8 64.3 40.6

 $100,000 or more 6.9 36.4 33.1 55.5 45.6 55.6 31.1

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 45.6 69.9 64.1 73.8 65.5 87.1 60.5

 $10,000–19,999 46.8 64.3 69.7 69.7 69.9 89.1 60.5

 $20,000–29,999 38.5 59.7 57.9 71.5 59.0 88.0 53.9

 $30,000–49,999 25.0 43.0 47.8 54.1 46.2 80.2 38.8

 $50,000 or more 5.8 16.3 23.1 34.6 32.4 61.8 18.2

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 49.1 71.7 68.5 78.8 72.4 88.3 64.0

 Middle 50 percent 29.8 54.0 53.0 69.1 64.7 83.8 47.8

 Highest 25 percent 6.2 28.4 32.2 46.2 43.7 60.8 25.2

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 62.4 78.1 74.2 76.5 73.3 91.2 73.3

Grant status

 No grants 6.9 30.3 31.3 31.8 25.6 62.1 20.5

 Received grants 62.9 74.7 69.6 76.3 72.3 91.4 71.6

Loan status3

 No loans 20.1 20.4 13.1 19.9 15.5 34.1 19.1

 Received loans 95.5 97.1 96.7 97.9 96.6 98.5 97.0

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of

time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the

“part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Federal aid excludes veterans benefits and the education tax credit and

tax deduction benefits. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

102 

Table 3.2-D.—Average amount of federal aid received by undergraduates who received federal aid, by type of

Table 3.2-D.—institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $3,300 $5,900 $7,000 $7,800 $8,400 $7,500 $6,100

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 3,300 5,900 7,000 7,600 8,300 7,500 6,100

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 4,500 6,500 7,500 8,300 8,900 9,100 7,200

 Full-time/part-year 2,700 3,800 4,500 5,900 5,900 6,600 5,000

 Part-time/full-year 3,100 5,700 7,000 6,900 8,000 8,000 5,200

 Part-time/part-year 1,800 3,200 4,000 5,300 5,000 4,900 3,500

Housing

 On campus 4,200 6,300 7,100 8,300 8,900 8,200 7,400

 Off campus 3,500 6,300 7,400 7,300 7,800 7,400 6,000

 Living with parents 2,900 4,400 5,200 6,800 7,100 7,500 4,800

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 1,300 1,200 1,300 ‡ ‡ 1,600 1,300

 $4,000–7,999 2,600 3,300 3,600 3,300 3,200 3,400 2,900

 $8,000–11,999 4,300 5,000 5,600 5,200 5,200 6,000 5,000

 $12,000–15,999 5,000 6,900 7,200 6,600 5,800 7,200 6,800

 $16,000 or more 6,400 8,300 8,700 8,500 8,900 9,200 8,700

Gender

 Male 3,300 5,800 7,000 7,800 8,000 8,100 6,300

 Female 3,300 6,000 7,000 7,400 8,500 7,000 5,900

Race/ethnicity2

 White 3,400 5,900 6,900 7,800 8,500 7,600 6,200

 Black 3,400 6,700 8,100 8,000 9,100 7,300 6,100

 Hispanic 3,000 5,200 6,200 5,700 7,200 7,000 5,400

 Asian 3,200 5,400 6,200 7,900 7,900 8,800 6,000

 American Indian 3,800 ‡ 6,200 ‡ ‡ 7,700 5,800

 Pacific Islander 3,400 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 8,400 6,200

 Multiple races 3,600 6,200 7,400 8,600 8,600 7,600 6,400

 Other 3,300 5,200 6,500 8,800 7,300 8,600 5,900

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 2,900 5,000 6,000 7,500 8,600 8,300 5,700

 19–23 years 3,100 5,600 6,600 7,800 8,300 7,400 6,100

 24–29 years 3,700 6,400 8,200 7,800 8,300 7,400 6,400

 30–39 years 3,600 7,100 8,100 6,900 7,600 7,300 6,000

 40 years or older 3,400 7,100 8,400 7,000 8,300 7,500 5,900

Dependency status

 Dependent 2,900 5,400 6,400 7,700 8,400 8,000 6,100

 Independent 3,600 6,600 8,200 7,400 8,000 7,300 6,100

 Unmarried, no dependents 3,700 6,700 8,200 7,700 8,900 7,200 6,600

 Married, no dependents 3,100 5,600 7,500 7,300 6,200 7,300 6,200

 Single parent 3,600 7,400 8,600 7,600 8,200 7,200 5,800

 Married parents 3,400 6,200 8,000 7,000 7,500 7,600 5,900

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid 

103 

Table 3.2-D.—Average amount of federal aid received by undergraduates who received federal aid, by type of

Table 3.2-D.—institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $3,400 $5,800 $7,200 $8,400 $10,000 $7,500 $6,200

 $20,000–39,999 2,700 5,700 6,600 8,000 8,700 7,800 5,800

 $40,000–59,999 2,500 4,900 5,800 7,100 7,900 7,700 5,500

 $60,000–79,999 2,600 5,100 6,100 7,800 7,100 8,800 6,000

 $80,000–99,999 3,000 5,500 6,400 7,500 8,000 8,200 6,400

 $100,000 or more 3,500 5,400 6,700 7,400 8,600 9,800 7,000

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 3,900 7,500 8,700 8,500 8,800 7,100 6,500

 $10,000–19,999 3,700 6,400 8,200 7,500 7,500 7,200 6,000

 $20,000–29,999 3,200 6,700 7,600 7,300 7,500 7,600 5,900

 $30,000–49,999 3,100 5,200 7,800 6,400 8,100 7,500 5,600

 $50,000 or more 3,700 6,400 7,700 7,000 7,400 7,400 6,600

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 3,500 6,400 7,600 8,300 9,400 7,300 6,200

 Middle 50 percent 3,200 5,600 6,600 7,300 7,600 7,500 5,800

 Highest 25 percent 3,600 5,600 6,900 7,200 8,500 7,700 6,800

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 3,300 5,900 7,000 7,600 8,300 7,500 6,100

Grant status

 No grants 3,200 5,600 6,600 7,000 8,700 7,300 6,100

 Received grants 3,300 6,000 7,100 7,700 8,200 7,500 6,100

Loan status3

 No loans 2,300 2,900 3,400 3,200 4,500 2,200 2,600

 Received loans 4,900 6,800 7,600 8,200 8,800 8,100 7,300

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of

time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the

“part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Federal aid excludes veterans benefits and the education tax credit 

and tax deduction benefits. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

104 

Table 3.3-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving state aid, by type of aid and selected institutional and

Table 3.3-A.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Any State

Institutional and state State State State merit-only

student characteristics aid grants loans work-study grants

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 15.6 14.6 0.3 0.3 3.2

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 15.7 14.7 0.3 0.3 3.2

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 13.8 3.8 # 0.7 0.4

 2-year 12.3 11.3 0.1 0.3 3.0

 4-year 19.7 18.6 0.6 0.2 4.6

 Non-doctorate-granting 21.0 19.5 0.9 0.3 3.4

 Doctorate-granting 19.0 18.1 0.4 0.2 5.3

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 25.2 22.2 0.2 # 1.7

 4-year 22.8 22.1 0.5 0.4 2.5

 Non-doctorate-granting 24.6 24.0 0.5 0.4 2.8

 Doctorate-granting 19.7 19.1 0.5 0.5 2.1

 Private for-profit 9.8 8.3 0.1 0.1 0.4

 More than one institution 10.9 10.3 0.2 0.2 2.4

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 23.7 22.6 0.5 0.4 4.6

 Full-time/part-year 12.4 10.7 0.3 0.2 2.3

 Part-time/full-year 13.1 12.2 0.1 0.2 2.6

 Part-time/part-year 5.6 5.1 # 0.1 1.6

Housing1

 On campus 24.5 23.5 0.7 0.5 6.0

 Off campus 13.8 12.5 0.3 0.2 2.4

 Living with parents 16.5 15.9 0.2 0.2 3.5

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 4.7 4.3 # 0.1 1.8

 $4,000–7,999 11.2 10.3 # 0.2 2.7

 $8,000–11,999 19.2 17.9 0.3 0.3 3.9

 $12,000–15,999 23.0 21.5 0.6 0.4 4.8

 $16,000 or more 23.4 22.3 0.7 0.4 3.1

Gender

 Male 13.9 12.9 0.3 0.3 3.0

 Female 17.0 15.9 0.3 0.3 3.3

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

105 

Table 3.3-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving state aid, by type of aid and selected institutional and

Table 3.3-A.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any State

Institutional and state State State State merit-only

student characteristics aid grants loans work-study grants

 

Race/ethnicity2

 White 15.0 13.8 0.4 0.3 3.5

 Black 19.1 18.2 0.2 0.2 3.8

 Hispanic 15.5 14.8 0.1 0.2 1.5

 Asian 15.7 15.1 0.2 0.2 2.1

 American Indian 17.9 15.8 0.6 0.5 0.9

 Pacific Islander 10.8 10.7 0.2 # 1.4

 Multiple races 14.7 13.5 0.5 0.3 3.3

 Other 17.6 16.3 0.1 0.7 2.7

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 22.0 21.4 0.5 0.3 6.6

 19–23 years 17.6 16.8 0.4 0.3 4.1

 24–29 years 12.9 11.9 0.2 0.3 1.3

 30–39 years 12.8 11.3 0.1 0.1 1.5

 40 years or older 10.5 8.7 0.1 0.1 1.4

Dependency status

 Dependent 18.7 17.9 0.5 0.3 4.7

 Independent 12.7 11.5 0.1 0.2 1.7

 Unmarried, no dependents 12.5 11.4 0.2 0.3 1.3

 Married, no dependents 7.8 6.6 0.1 0.2 2.1

 Single parent 17.2 15.9 0.1 0.2 1.8

 Married parents 11.4 9.9 0.1 0.1 1.7

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 28.0 27.4 0.3 0.4 3.9

 $20,000–39,999 28.8 27.9 0.5 0.7 4.5

 $40,000–59,999 21.6 20.8 0.5 0.4 4.7

 $60,000–79,999 15.6 14.7 0.6 0.3 5.1

 $80,000–99,999 11.5 10.8 0.5 0.1 5.4

 $100,000 or more 7.6 6.8 0.4 0.1 4.6

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 17.8 16.5 0.1 0.4 1.5

 $10,000–19,999 18.0 16.5 0.1 0.4 2.1

 $20,000–29,999 14.1 12.5 0.2 0.1 2.0

 $30,000–49,999 10.7 9.6 0.2 0.2 2.0

 $50,000 or more 4.9 3.9 0.1 # 1.0

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 23.6 22.6 0.2 0.4 2.9

 Middle 50 percent 16.2 15.0 0.4 0.3 3.4

 Highest 25 percent 6.5 5.7 0.3 0.1 2.9

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

106 

Table 3.3-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving state aid, by type of aid and selected institutional and

Table 3.3-A.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any State

Institutional and state State State State merit-only

student characteristics aid grants loans work-study grants

 

Aid status

 No aid † † † † †

 Received aid 24.8 23.2 0.5 0.4 5.0

Grant status

 No grants 0.9 † 0.2 # #

 Received grants 30.1 28.9 0.4 0.5 6.2

Loan status3

 No loans 11.3 10.5 † 0.2 3.4

 Received loans 23.8 22.4 0.8 0.4 2.7

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid 

107 

Table 3.3-B.—Average amount of state aid received by undergraduates who received state aid, by type of aid and

Table 3.3-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

State State State State State

Institutional and aid grant loan work-study merit-only

student characteristics total total total total grants

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $2,100 $2,000 $4,300 $2,100 $1,800

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 2,100 2,000 4,300 2,100 1,800

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 2,300 1,200 ‡ ‡ ‡

 2-year 1,100 1,000 3,200 1,900 1,000

 4-year 2,400 2,200 4,600 2,600 2,400

 Non-doctorate-granting 2,200 2,000 4,800 ‡ 2,000

 Doctorate-granting 2,500 2,400 4,300 ‡ 2,600

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 2,800 2,400 ‡ ‡ 2,500

 4-year 2,900 2,800 4,000 1,900 2,300

 Non-doctorate-granting 2,700 2,700 3,800 1,400 2,200

 Doctorate-granting 3,200 3,000 4,400 2,500 2,600

 Private for-profit 2,900 2,500 ‡ ‡ 2,000

 More than one institution 1,900 1,800 ‡ ‡ 1,600

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 2,500 2,400 4,400 2,300 2,300

 Full-time/part-year 1,700 1,400 4,100 1,500 1,000

 Part-time/full-year 1,400 1,400 ‡ 1,900 1,500

 Part-time/part-year 900 800 ‡ ‡ 600

Housing1

 On campus 2,800 2,700 4,400 2,000 2,400

 Off campus 1,900 1,700 4,100 2,000 1,700

 Living with parents 1,900 1,800 4,700 2,400 1,500

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 600 600 ‡ ‡ 600

 $4,000–7,999 1,000 900 ‡ 1,600 1,000

 $8,000–11,999 1,600 1,500 3,200 2,200 1,600

 $12,000–15,999 2,300 2,100 3,900 2,400 2,500

 $16,000 or more 3,200 3,000 5,000 2,100 2,700

Gender

 Male 2,100 2,000 4,200 2,300 1,900

 Female 2,000 1,900 4,300 1,900 1,800

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

108 

Table 3.3-B.—Average amount of state aid received by undergraduates who received state aid, by type of aid and

Table 3.3-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

State State State State State

Institutional and aid grant loan work-study merit-only

student characteristics total total total total grants

Race/ethnicity2

 White $2,000 $1,900 $4,000 $2,100 $1,900

 Black 1,900 1,800 ‡ ‡ 1,400

 Hispanic 2,200 2,100 ‡ ‡ 2,000

 Asian 2,800 2,600 ‡ ‡ 2,000

 American Indian 1,700 1,600 ‡ ‡ ‡

 Pacific Islander 3,000 3,000 ‡ ‡ ‡

 Multiple races 2,300 2,100 ‡ ‡ 1,900

 Other 2,300 2,100 ‡ ‡ ‡

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 2,300 2,200 4,200 1,400 2,000

 19–23 years 2,300 2,200 4,400 2,300 2,000

 24–29 years 1,700 1,600 ‡ 2,000 1,100

 30–39 years 1,500 1,300 ‡ ‡ 1,100

 40 years or older 1,700 1,400 ‡ ‡ 1,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 2,300 2,200 4,400 2,100 2,000

 Independent 1,700 1,500 3,600 2,000 1,200

 Unmarried, no dependents 1,800 1,600 ‡ 1,900 1,300

 Married, no dependents 1,900 1,600 ‡ ‡ 1,500

 Single parent 1,600 1,500 ‡ ‡ 1,000

 Married parents 1,500 1,300 ‡ ‡ 1,100

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 2,600 2,500 ‡ ‡ 1,900

 $20,000–39,999 2,400 2,400 3,400 2,200 1,900

 $40,000–59,999 2,200 2,100 4,100 2,200 1,800

 $60,000–79,999 2,100 1,900 4,600 ‡ 2,000

 $80,000–99,999 2,100 2,000 5,500 ‡ 2,300

 $100,000 or more 2,400 2,200 5,500 ‡ 2,400

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 1,800 1,700 ‡ 2,100 1,300

 $10,000–19,999 1,600 1,500 ‡ ‡ 1,100

 $20,000–29,999 1,600 1,400 ‡ ‡ 1,200

 $30,000–49,999 1,600 1,400 ‡ ‡ 1,200

 $50,000 or more 1,500 1,100 ‡ ‡ 1,200

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 2,200 2,200 3,200 2,000 1,800

 Middle 50 percent 1,900 1,800 4,300 2,200 1,700

 Highest 25 percent 2,100 1,800 5,200 ‡ 2,200

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

109 

Table 3.3-B.—Average amount of state aid received by undergraduates who received state aid, by type of aid and

Table 3.3-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

State State State State State

Institutional and aid grant loan work-study merit-only

student characteristics total total total total grants

Aid status

 No aid † † † † †

 Received aid $2,100 $2,000 $4,300 $2,100 $1,800

Grant status

 No grants 3,300 † 5,100 ‡ ‡

 Received grants 2,000 2,000 3,900 2,100 1,800

Loan status3

 No loans 1,800 1,700 † 2,100 1,700

 Received loans 2,300 2,200 4,300 2,100 2,000

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

110 

Table 3.3-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving state aid, by type of institution and selected institutional

Table 3.3-C.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 12.3 20.9 18.9 25.3 19.6 9.4 15.6

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 12.3 21.0 19.0 24.6 19.7 9.8 15.7

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 20.6 29.5 24.0 33.6 23.9 15.0 23.7

 Full-time/part-year 13.8 13.2 12.0 17.9 14.1 6.9 12.4

 Part-time/full-year 13.0 12.6 14.8 17.8 15.1 11.7 13.1

 Part-time/part-year 5.9 6.3 4.5 5.9 5.3 3.5 5.6

Housing2

 On campus 16.3 28.3 24.0 29.4 20.2 10.0 24.5

 Off campus 12.1 16.8 16.3 20.2 14.7 8.7 13.8

 Living with parents 12.5 24.1 19.5 28.6 31.7 14.0 16.5

Price of attendance2

 Less than $4,000 5.1 3.7 2.7 1.0 1.0 3.0 4.7

 $4,000–7,999 12.6 10.7 8.7 5.5 4.8 3.7 11.2

 $8,000–11,999 21.0 25.0 17.6 13.8 12.6 6.9 19.2

 $12,000–15,999 22.8 27.8 25.1 22.3 14.5 8.7 23.0

 $16,000 or more 18.8 24.2 20.3 32.6 22.5 14.0 23.4

Gender

 Male 10.1 18.6 17.3 19.9 17.5 10.5 13.9

 Female 13.8 22.8 20.4 28.3 21.5 9.4 17.0

Race/ethnicity3

 White 11.9 19.7 16.8 24.1 16.3 8.9 15.0

 Black 17.9 22.8 21.7 28.9 31.8 9.0 19.1

 Hispanic 9.5 27.2 27.9 22.9 27.4 11.1 15.5

 Asian 8.2 26.5 26.3 19.6 20.8 13.1 15.7

 American Indian 16.2 18.2 17.1 39.8 ‡ 19.3 17.9

 Pacific Islander 6.5 ‡ 20.7 ‡ ‡ 21.6 10.8

 Multiple races 10.1 17.5 18.5 24.4 24.3 11.1 14.7

 Other 15.1 21.0 22.2 17.6 28.6 15.5 17.6

Age as of 12/31/03 15.7 30.4 28.1 31.7 21.2 15.7 22.0

 18 years or younger 12.7 23.7 19.7 27.7 20.6 10.8 17.6

 19–23 years 11.9 14.4 13.3 22.5 20.5 8.8 12.9

 24–29 years 12.1 16.1 14.0 20.2 10.3 9.8 12.8

 30–39 years 10.0 12.9 10.3 15.0 12.4 7.6 10.5

 40 years or older

Dependency status

 Dependent 13.0 25.0 21.1 28.9 20.7 12.4 18.7

 Independent 11.8 15.6 14.0 19.6 16.6 9.0 12.7

 Unmarried, no dependents 10.5 16.2 14.7 17.1 15.7 10.1 12.5

 Married, no dependents 6.6 10.8 7.9 10.4 10.4 7.2 7.8

 Single parent 16.6 21.8 19.4 30.9 27.7 9.4 17.2

 Married parents 11.1 13.1 13.3 16.7 15.3 7.8 11.4

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid 

111 

Table 3.3-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving state aid, by type of institution and selected institutional

Table 3.3-C.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 18.3 42.1 39.8 32.1 43.8 15.4 28.0

 $20,000–39,999 20.8 40.1 35.8 42.6 31.9 14.6 28.8

 $40,000–59,999 12.6 30.2 23.6 39.7 32.3 12.9 21.6

 $60,000–79,999 9.5 18.7 16.5 31.4 18.8 11.5 15.6

 $80,000–99,999 7.2 11.1 13.5 19.5 13.3 4.5 11.5

 $100,000 or more 5.1 7.0 9.3 11.0 7.4 3.4 7.6

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 15.9 27.1 20.7 24.3 22.2 12.2 17.8

 $10,000–19,999 18.2 18.5 19.8 28.7 21.3 11.7 18.0

 $20,000–29,999 14.2 14.7 10.6 25.7 19.8 8.4 14.1

 $30,000–49,999 10.7 12.4 9.1 17.0 11.3 6.9 10.7

 $50,000 or more 4.0 4.9 5.4 9.6 10.6 3.9 4.9

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 18.1 34.5 32.3 31.4 34.3 13.0 23.6

 Middle 50 percent 12.9 20.8 17.6 29.0 22.3 9.7 16.2

 Highest 25 percent 4.5 6.1 9.4 10.8 7.9 3.8 6.5

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 26.2 31.0 27.4 28.9 24.6 11.0 24.8

Grant status

 No grants 0.7 1.2 0.6 0.1 0.3 2.1 0.9

 Received grants 29.7 40.2 35.7 32.9 27.6 13.8 30.1

Loan status4

 No loans 10.8 15.0 13.4 11.2 7.6 10.0 11.3

 Received loans 23.3 29.2 25.5 34.3 30.2 9.7 23.8

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

3

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

4

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

112 

Table 3.3-D.—Average amount of state aid received by undergraduates who received state aid, by type of

Table 3.3-D.—institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $1,100 $2,200 $2,500 $2,800 $3,200 $3,000 $2,100

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 1,100 2,200 2,500 2,700 3,200 2,900 2,100

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 1,400 2,400 2,600 3,000 3,300 3,200 2,500

 Full-time/part-year 1,000 1,500 1,700 1,900 2,300 2,900 1,700

 Part-time/full-year 1,000 1,600 2,100 2,200 2,800 2,000 1,400

 Part-time/part-year 600 1,100 1,400 1,500 1,900 2,300 900

Housing2

 On campus 1,200 2,300 2,600 3,200 3,500 2,900 2,800

 Off campus 1,100 2,100 2,400 2,200 2,900 2,900 1,900

 Living with parents 1,100 2,200 2,400 2,800 2,700 2,900 1,900

Price of attendance2

 Less than $4,000 600 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 600

 $4,000–7,999 900 1,200 1,200 1,100 ‡ 1,600 1,000

 $8,000–11,999 1,300 2,100 1,900 1,300 900 1,600 1,600

 $12,000–15,999 1,600 2,300 2,500 1,900 2,200 2,700 2,300

 $16,000 or more 2,400 3,300 3,100 3,000 3,400 3,400 3,200

Gender

 Male 1,100 2,300 2,500 2,700 3,100 3,000 2,100

 Female 1,100 2,200 2,500 2,700 3,200 2,800 2,000

Race/ethnicity3

 White 1,100 2,100 2,300 2,600 3,000 2,700 2,000

 Black 1,000 2,300 2,500 2,800 3,100 2,900 1,900

 Hispanic 1,100 2,300 2,600 2,800 3,200 2,800 2,200

 Asian 1,400 2,500 3,200 3,600 3,800 3,700 2,800

 American Indian 700 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 1,700

 Pacific Islander ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 3,000

 Multiple races 1,400 ‡ 2,400 2,700 ‡ ‡ 2,300

 Other 1,200 ‡ 2,400 ‡ ‡ ‡ 2,300

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 1,300 2,400 2,600 3,100 3,000 2,800 2,300

 19–23 years 1,200 2,300 2,600 3,000 3,300 2,900 2,300

 24–29 years 1,100 1,900 1,900 2,400 2,500 2,300 1,700

 30–39 years 900 1,800 1,800 1,900 ‡ 3,000 1,500

 40 years or older 1,100 2,100 1,700 2,200 ‡ 4,000 1,700

Dependency status

 Dependent 1,200 2,300 2,600 3,000 3,300 3,000 2,300

 Independent 1,100 1,900 2,000 2,300 2,500 2,800 1,700

 Unmarried, no dependents 1,100 2,000 2,100 2,300 2,600 2,500 1,800

 Married, no dependents 1,100 2,100 2,300 2,500 ‡ 4,000 1,900

 Single parent 1,000 2,100 1,800 2,500 2,800 2,700 1,600

 Married parents 1,000 1,700 1,800 2,000 2,100 3,000 1,500

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid 

113 

Table 3.3-D.—Average amount of state aid received by undergraduates who received state aid, by type of

Table 3.3-D.—institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $1,400 $2,500 $3,000 $3,300 $3,800 $2,800 $2,600

 $20,000–39,999 1,200 2,700 2,600 3,300 3,900 3,500 2,400

 $40,000–59,999 1,100 1,900 2,300 3,100 3,500 2,900 2,200

 $60,000–79,999 1,200 1,800 2,300 2,800 2,600 2,000 2,100

 $80,000–99,999 1,200 2,500 2,400 2,100 2,300 ‡ 2,100

 $100,000 or more 1,000 3,000 2,900 2,400 2,600 ‡ 2,400

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 1,100 2,100 2,100 2,800 2,700 2,700 1,800

 $10,000–19,999 1,000 1,800 1,800 2,600 2,700 2,400 1,600

 $20,000–29,999 1,000 2,000 1,900 2,100 ‡ 2,700 1,600

 $30,000–49,999 1,000 1,800 2,100 2,400 ‡ 3,300 1,600

 $50,000 or more 1,000 1,500 ‡ 1,300 ‡ 4,100 1,500

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 1,200 2,400 2,600 3,100 3,600 2,900 2,200

 Middle 50 percent 1,000 2,000 2,300 2,700 3,000 2,700 1,900

 Highest 25 percent 1,100 2,400 2,600 1,800 2,400 4,200 2,100

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 1,100 2,200 2,500 2,700 3,200 2,900 2,100

Grant status

 No grants 2,100 4,900 3,400 ‡ ‡ 5,400 3,300

 Received grants 1,100 2,100 2,400 2,700 3,100 2,700 2,000

Loan status4

 No loans 1,100 2,200 2,700 2,600 2,600 3,400 1,800

 Received loans 1,200 2,200 2,300 2,800 3,300 2,700 2,300

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

3

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

4

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

114 

Table 3.4-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving institutional aid, by type of aid and selected institutional

Table 3.4-A.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Any Institutional

institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional merit-only

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants loans work-study grants

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 18.9 17.6 0.7 1.9 7.9

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 18.8 17.6 0.7 1.9 7.9

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 4.9 3.5 0.2 1.4 0.8

 2-year 8.3 7.5 0.1 0.9 1.7

 4-year 22.6 20.8 0.6 2.2 9.1

 Non-doctorate-granting 17.4 15.8 0.4 2.0 8.0

 Doctorate-granting 25.5 23.6 0.8 2.4 9.8

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 28.5 26.0 3.2 1.3 13.0

 4-year 51.2 49.6 2.4 4.9 28.2

 Non-doctorate-granting 48.8 47.1 2.1 4.8 28.0

 Doctorate-granting 55.2 53.6 2.9 4.9 28.4

 Private for-profit 8.2 6.9 1.0 0.5 2.5

 More than one institution 13.6 12.3 0.3 1.6 5.5

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 31.4 29.6 1.1 3.1 15.4

 Full-time/part-year 14.1 12.9 0.8 1.2 5.2

 Part-time/full-year 12.3 11.2 0.4 1.3 2.7

 Part-time/part-year 5.4 4.8 0.1 0.7 1.0

Housing1

 On campus 46.9 44.8 2.1 5.4 25.5

 Off campus 14.0 12.7 0.5 1.3 4.5

 Living with parents 15.5 14.6 0.4 1.1 6.2

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 3.5 3.0 # 0.5 0.3

 $4,000–7,999 9.0 8.1 0.1 0.9 1.7

 $8,000–11,999 15.3 14.1 0.4 1.3 5.4

 $12,000–15,999 23.6 21.5 0.9 2.3 9.6

 $16,000 or more 46.0 44.1 2.0 4.4 24.1

Gender

 Male 18.5 17.2 0.7 1.9 7.9

 Female 19.1 17.9 0.6 1.8 7.9

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

115 

Table 3.4-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving institutional aid, by type of aid and selected institutional

Table 3.4-A.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any Institutional

institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional merit-only

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants loans work-study grants

Race/ethnicity2

 White 19.6 18.4 0.7 1.9 9.5

 Black 16.7 15.0 0.8 1.8 5.8

 Hispanic 17.3 16.1 0.6 1.4 4.2

 Asian 19.8 18.7 0.7 2.1 5.6

 American Indian 17.0 16.1 0.3 0.7 5.0

 Pacific Islander 13.7 13.4 0.4 1.2 3.6

 Multiple races 18.5 17.1 0.4 2.3 6.8

 Other 19.9 18.1 0.4 2.4 5.9

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 30.3 29.2 0.9 2.2 15.4

 19–23 years 24.4 22.9 0.9 2.5 11.7

 24–29 years 11.7 10.4 0.4 1.2 2.5

 30–39 years 10.0 8.9 0.4 0.9 2.0

 40 years or older 8.6 7.6 0.2 1.0 1.5

Dependency status

 Dependent 26.9 25.5 0.9 2.6 13.4

 Independent 10.9 9.7 0.4 1.1 2.5

 Unmarried, no dependents 13.4 12.2 0.6 1.3 3.2

 Married, no dependents 9.5 8.6 0.4 1.1 3.1

 Single parent 10.5 9.3 0.4 1.0 2.0

 Married parents 9.1 7.9 0.3 1.1 1.9

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 28.5 27.2 0.8 2.2 10.7

 $20,000–39,999 30.6 29.2 1.2 2.4 12.3

 $40,000–59,999 26.0 24.8 1.0 2.2 12.6

 $60,000–79,999 27.2 25.6 1.0 2.7 15.0

 $80,000–99,999 26.3 25.0 1.0 3.3 15.5

 $100,000 or more 23.2 21.7 0.6 2.8 14.2

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 15.6 14.2 0.6 1.6 3.7

 $10,000–19,999 14.0 12.6 0.7 1.2 3.1

 $20,000–29,999 11.4 10.1 0.4 1.3 2.3

 $30,000–49,999 9.1 8.0 0.3 1.1 2.2

 $50,000 or more 5.3 4.6 0.2 0.6 1.3

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 22.5 21.0 0.8 2.0 7.6

 Middle 50 percent 19.1 17.8 0.7 1.9 8.1

 Highest 25 percent 14.5 13.4 0.4 1.7 7.8

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

116 

Table 3.4-A.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving institutional aid, by type of aid and selected institutional

Table 3.4-A.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any Institutional

institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional merit-only

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants loans work-study grants

Aid status

 No aid † † † † †

 Received aid 29.8 27.8 1.1 2.9 12.5

Grant status

 No grants 1.2 † 0.3 0.9 †

 Received grants 36.0 34.7 1.0 2.8 15.6

Loan status3

 No loans 12.8 11.9 † 1.4 5.4

 Received loans 30.1 28.0 1.9 2.7 12.6

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid 

117 

Table 3.4-B.—Average amount of institutional aid received by undergraduates who received institutional aid,

Table 3.4-B.—by type of aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional

aid grant loan work-study merit-only

Institutional and student characteristics total amount amount amount grants

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $4,300 $4,200 $2,800 $2,200 $4,300

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 4,300 4,200 2,800 2,200 4,300

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 1,500 1,000 ‡ 2,900 ‡

 2-year 1,300 1,200 ‡ 2,100 1,800

 4-year 3,000 2,900 2,700 2,300 3,300

 Non-doctorate-granting 2,400 2,300 ‡ 2,300 2,700

 Doctorate-granting 3,200 3,100 2,800 2,300 3,500

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 3,500 3,300 3,900 2,100 3,000

 4-year 7,200 7,100 3,100 2,100 5,600

 Non-doctorate-granting 6,400 6,300 2,900 2,000 5,300

 Doctorate-granting 8,300 8,200 3,400 2,400 6,100

 Private for-profit 2,400 2,300 2,300 2,600 2,100

 More than one institution 3,700 3,700 2,600 2,500 4,000

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 5,100 5,000 3,000 2,300 4,600

 Full-time/part-year 3,100 3,100 2,000 2,000 3,100

 Part-time/full-year 2,300 2,100 2,700 2,300 3,000

 Part-time/part-year 1,700 1,600 ‡ 2,000 2,600

Housing1

 On campus 6,700 6,600 3,300 2,300 5,200

 Off campus 2,900 2,900 2,500 2,200 3,600

 Living with parents 2,900 2,800 2,200 2,000 3,400

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 600 500 ‡ 1,000 600

 $4,000–7,999 1,000 900 ‡ 2,300 1,100

 $8,000–11,999 1,700 1,600 2,100 2,300 2,000

 $12,000–15,999 2,500 2,300 2,600 2,300 2,600

 $16,000 or more 6,900 6,800 3,200 2,300 5,700

Gender

 Male 4,400 4,400 3,100 2,400 4,200

 Female 4,100 4,100 2,600 2,100 4,300

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

118 

Table 3.4-B.—Average amount of institutional aid received by undergraduates who received institutional aid,

Table 3.4-B.—by type of aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional

aid grant loan work-study merit-only

Institutional and student characteristics total amount amount amount grants

Race/ethnicity2

 White $4,600 $4,500 $2,900 $2,200 $4,400

 Black 4,000 3,900 3,400 2,400 4,200

 Hispanic 3,000 2,900 1,600 2,200 3,500

 Asian 4,600 4,500 2,600 2,400 4,600

 American Indian 2,900 2,900 ‡ ‡ 2,700

 Pacific Islander 4,500 4,100 ‡ ‡ ‡

 Multiple races 4,300 4,400 ‡ 1,900 3,800

 Other 3,200 3,200 ‡ 2,400 3,900

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 5,000 4,900 3,800 1,800 4,400

 19–23 years 5,000 4,900 2,800 2,300 4,600

 24–29 years 2,300 2,200 2,600 2,200 2,800

 30–39 years 1,600 1,500 2,300 2,100 1,700

 40 years or older 1,700 1,500 2,300 2,800 1,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 5,100 5,100 3,100 2,200 4,600

 Independent 2,100 2,000 2,300 2,300 2,500

 Unmarried, no dependents 2,400 2,300 2,100 2,600 2,900

 Married, no dependents 2,400 2,300 3,000 2,000 2,900

 Single parent 1,700 1,600 2,600 2,200 1,900

 Married parents 1,800 1,700 1,800 2,300 2,000

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 4,200 4,100 2,700 2,200 4,500

 $20,000–39,999 4,500 4,400 2,600 2,100 4,100

 $40,000–59,999 5,100 5,100 3,200 2,300 4,300

 $60,000–79,999 5,300 5,300 2,900 2,100 4,500

 $80,000–99,999 6,000 5,900 3,700 1,900 5,000

 $100,000 or more 5,900 6,000 3,400 2,400 5,100

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 2,300 2,200 2,000 2,400 2,900

 $10,000–19,999 2,000 1,900 2,200 2,600 2,300

 $20,000–29,999 1,700 1,700 2,000 1,800 2,400

 $30,000–49,999 2,100 1,900 2,800 2,300 2,200

 $50,000 or more 2,200 2,100 3,500 2,400 2,200

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 3,600 3,600 2,400 2,300 4,000

 Middle 50 percent 4,200 4,200 2,900 2,100 4,100

 Highest 25 percent 5,300 5,300 3,700 2,300 5,000

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

119 

Table 3.4-B.—Average amount of institutional aid received by undergraduates who received institutional aid,

Table 3.4-B.—by type of aid and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional Institutional

aid grant loan work-study merit-only

Institutional and student characteristics total amount amount amount grants

Aid status

 No aid † † † † †

 Received aid $4,300 $4,200 $2,800 $2,200 $4,300

Grant status

 No grants 2,600 † 3,500 2,300 †

 Received grants 4,300 4,200 2,600 2,200 4,300

Loan status3

 No loans 3,500 3,500 † 2,200 4,400

 Received loans 4,800 4,800 2,800 2,200 4,200

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

120 

Table 3.4-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving institutional aid, by type of institution and selected

Table 3.4-C.—institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 8.2 17.6 25.5 50.3 56.4 8.2 18.9

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 8.3 17.4 25.5 48.8 55.2 8.2 18.8

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 15.2 24.3 32.2 67.7 64.0 11.2 31.4

 Full-time/part-year 5.4 10.9 16.0 41.3 52.6 7.2 14.1

 Part-time/full-year 9.7 10.6 17.4 23.9 37.2 7.3 12.3

 Part-time/part-year 3.5 6.0 10.1 12.5 23.3 4.5 5.4

Housing2

 On campus 22.6 25.3 35.1 78.3 66.3 13.2 46.9

 Off campus 7.2 16.0 21.9 30.2 42.4 6.8 14.0

 Living with parents 9.6 14.1 21.0 47.2 49.9 13.0 15.5

Price of attendance2

 Less than $4,000 3.2 3.1 5.8 3.8 12.7 8.6 3.5

 $4,000–7,999 8.8 8.9 10.7 11.1 13.3 4.7 9.0

 $8,000–11,999 12.9 16.1 20.1 23.7 21.8 5.7 15.3

 $12,000–15,999 17.3 23.6 27.4 35.6 42.6 7.1 23.6

 $16,000 or more 19.7 32.2 38.9 66.8 63.7 11.1 46.0

Gender

 Male 7.5 17.3 23.9 46.3 55.2 8.7 18.5

 Female 8.8 17.5 26.8 50.7 55.2 7.8 19.1

Race/ethnicity3

 White 7.5 16.4 24.4 53.9 56.8 7.7 19.6

 Black 9.2 17.2 28.1 36.9 54.5 7.1 16.7

 Hispanic 10.9 21.5 28.3 32.9 44.6 9.5 17.3

 Asian 7.9 18.9 30.2 55.0 55.2 13.2 19.8

 American Indian 5.7 21.3 31.9 71.4 ‡ 4.9 17.0

 Pacific Islander 6.3 ‡ 20.7 ‡ ‡ 4.3 13.7

 Multiple races 6.5 29.4 20.1 53.0 62.3 7.9 18.5

 Other 11.4 21.5 25.3 42.4 59.1 11.2 19.9

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 14.6 26.8 35.8 74.3 64.9 17.5 30.3

 19–23 years 8.8 18.9 26.9 65.6 62.2 10.7 24.4

 24–29 years 6.5 12.6 19.0 29.5 31.8 6.5 11.7

 30–39 years 7.2 13.6 15.9 20.6 19.5 6.7 10.0

 40 years or older 6.5 12.2 13.2 18.2 17.6 4.7 8.6

Dependency status

 Dependent 10.1 20.6 28.7 69.0 63.6 14.5 26.9

 Independent 7.1 13.2 17.9 25.6 27.6 6.2 10.9

 Unmarried, no dependents 7.5 16.6 19.6 33.6 31.2 8.2 13.4

 Married, no dependents 5.1 9.1 14.2 27.8 29.6 7.3 9.5

 Single parent 8.4 13.3 16.0 26.1 25.4 4.9 10.5

 Married parents 6.4 11.0 19.1 16.4 21.4 5.3 9.1

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid 

121 

Table 3.4-C.—Percentage of undergraduates receiving institutional aid, by type of institution and selected

Table 3.4-C.—institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 15.5 25.6 38.8 58.1 67.9 13.9 28.5

 $20,000–39,999 14.3 28.6 39.6 66.2 71.7 15.5 30.6

 $40,000–59,999 9.8 17.9 29.0 71.8 71.1 13.8 26.0

 $60,000–79,999 8.7 20.9 29.0 74.9 66.3 18.3 27.2

 $80,000–99,999 6.2 16.6 24.3 76.9 61.9 6.3 26.3

 $100,000 or more 3.8 13.7 19.1 65.7 54.9 15.1 23.2

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 9.7 19.6 25.1 43.4 35.6 6.4 15.6

 $10,000–19,999 9.5 18.7 20.2 33.2 37.0 8.2 14.0

 $20,000–29,999 9.0 10.3 17.9 23.2 27.0 6.0 11.4

 $30,000–49,999 6.2 10.6 13.8 19.2 30.4 5.6 9.1

 $50,000 or more 3.0 6.3 8.7 14.8 12.9 4.4 5.3

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 12.0 23.5 34.1 53.5 58.3 9.3 22.5

 Middle 50 percent 8.6 17.5 25.5 50.2 60.4 8.2 19.1

 Highest 25 percent 3.4 10.3 17.4 42.2 47.0 6.0 14.5

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 17.6 25.8 36.8 57.3 68.7 9.2 29.8

Grant status

 No grants 0.5 1.3 1.8 2.5 3.4 1.6 1.2

 Received grants 19.9 33.1 47.1 64.4 76.0 11.6 36.0

Loan status4

 No loans 7.7 13.9 20.3 31.0 37.1 5.6 12.8

 Received loans 12.2 22.2 31.6 61.7 71.0 9.1 30.1

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

3

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

4

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

122 

Table 3.4-D.—Average amount of institutional aid received by undergraduates who received institutional aid, by

Table 3.4-D.—type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $1,300 $2,400 $3,200 $6,500 $8,400 $2,400 $4,300

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 1,300 2,400 3,200 6,400 8,300 2,400 4,300

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 1,900 2,600 3,400 7,300 9,200 3,100 5,100

 Full-time/part-year 1,200 1,500 2,100 3,700 6,200 1,800 3,100

 Part-time/full-year 900 1,900 2,600 4,600 5,800 1,900 2,300

 Part-time/part-year 800 1,500 2,400 2,700 3,500 1,200 1,700

Housing2

 On campus 2,200 2,900 3,700 8,400 9,800 2,100 6,700

 Off campus 1,100 2,200 3,000 4,100 6,500 2,300 2,900

 Living with parents 1,500 2,200 2,900 4,500 5,900 2,400 2,900

Price of attendance2

 Less than $4,000 600 ‡ 900 ‡ ‡ ‡ 600

 $4,000–7,999 900 1,300 1,200 1,500 1,800 800 1,000

 $8,000–11,999 1,500 2,000 1,800 2,000 2,000 1,400 1,700

 $12,000–15,999 1,800 2,300 2,600 2,800 3,100 1,500 2,500

 $16,000 or more 6,700 3,900 4,700 7,300 9,100 3,200 6,900

Gender

 Male 1,500 2,500 3,400 6,500 8,100 2,800 4,400

 Female 1,200 2,300 3,100 6,400 8,500 2,100 4,100

Race/ethnicity3

 White 1,500 2,400 3,100 6,800 8,100 2,600 4,600

 Black 1,400 3,100 4,400 5,300 8,500 2,200 4,000

 Hispanic 900 1,800 2,600 4,400 8,300 1,800 3,000

 Asian 1,300 2,200 3,200 6,800 10,500 2,400 4,600

 American Indian ‡ ‡ 2,200 ‡ ‡ ‡ 2,864

 Pacific Islander ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 4,454

 Multiple races 1,200 2,200 3,000 5,800 9,500 ‡ 4,326

 Other 800 ‡ 2,900 5,200 6,100 ‡ 3,204

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 2,100 2,300 3,500 7,600 9,700 2,600 5,000

 19–23 years 1,300 2,800 3,500 7,100 8,500 2,800 5,000

 24–29 years 1,000 1,600 2,000 3,700 5,000 1,900 2,300

 30–39 years 800 1,600 1,500 2,500 4,500 2,000 1,600

 40 years or older 1,100 1,800 1,400 3,000 3,800 2,000 1,700

Dependency status

 Dependent 1,700 2,700 3,500 7,400 8,800 3,000 5,100

 Independent 1,000 1,800 2,100 3,300 5,100 1,900 2,100

 Unmarried, no dependents 1,000 1,800 2,200 4,300 5,200 1,800 2,400

 Married, no dependents 900 2,400 2,700 2,800 5,400 2,000 2,400

 Single parent 1,000 1,500 1,900 2,700 4,500 1,800 1,700

 Married parents 1,000 1,700 1,700 2,800 4,700 2,000 1,800

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid 

123 

Table 3.4-D.—Average amount of institutional aid received by undergraduates who received institutional aid, by

Table 3.4-D.—type of institution and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $1,200 $2,600 $3,600 $6,300 $8,900 $3,000 $4,200

 $20,000–39,999 1,400 2,500 3,100 7,500 8,800 3,100 4,500

 $40,000–59,999 2,100 2,900 3,100 7,400 9,600 3,300 5,100

 $60,000–79,999 2,000 2,500 3,500 7,800 9,500 2,400 5,300

 $80,000–99,999 1,900 2,400 3,600 8,000 9,300 ‡ 6,000

 $100,000 or more 2,500 3,300 4,300 7,100 7,700 2,900 5,900

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 900 1,800 2,400 3,900 5,500 1,500 2,300

 $10,000–19,999 1,000 1,600 2,100 3,600 4,300 1,900 2,000

 $20,000–29,999 800 2,400 1,700 2,400 4,600 1,800 1,700

 $30,000–49,999 1,100 1,500 2,200 2,700 5,200 2,500 2,100

 $50,000 or more 1,300 1,800 1,500 3,200 5,300 1,900 2,200

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 1,100 2,300 3,100 5,900 8,200 2,400 3,600

 Middle 50 percent 1,400 2,300 3,100 6,500 8,700 2,300 4,200

 Highest 25 percent 1,600 2,800 3,900 6,700 7,800 2,300 5,300

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 1,300 2,400 3,200 6,400 8,300 2,400 4,300

Grant status

 No grants 2,100 2,100 3,000 2,200 3,300 2,700 2,600

 Received grants 1,300 2,400 3,200 6,500 8,400 2,300 4,300

Loan status4

 No loans 1,200 2,700 3,900 6,000 7,600 1,800 3,500

 Received loans 1,600 2,100 2,700 6,600 8,700 2,500 4,800

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

3

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

4

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 3: Financial Aid

124 

Table 3.5-A.—Percentage distribution of aided undergraduates, by combination of financial aid received and

Table 3.5-A.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Grant Grant, Loan

and loan, and Grant and Other

Institutional and Grant work- work- and Loan work- combistudent characteristics only study study1 loan1 only1 study nations2

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 36.2 2.8 6.2 28.7 13.5 0.7 12.0

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 36.6 2.9 6.1 28.5 13.4 0.7 11.9

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 50.7 2.8 0.4 11.6 9.7 # 24.7

 2-year 61.4 4.1 1.3 14.7 8.1 0.2 10.2

 4-year 29.0 2.5 6.7 31.0 17.6 1.0 12.2

 Non-doctorate-granting 31.0 2.6 6.9 29.0 18.5 1.2 10.8

 Doctorate-granting 27.9 2.4 6.7 32.0 17.2 0.9 12.9

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 34.5 2.7 3.4 35.8 10.4 0.5 12.7

 4-year 25.4 3.6 16.7 32.6 7.4 0.7 13.5

 Non-doctorate-granting 25.0 3.4 15.9 34.0 7.8 0.6 13.4

 Doctorate-granting 26.3 4.1 18.1 30.1 6.8 1.0 13.7

 Private for-profit 14.9 0.2 1.5 50.9 20.8 0.3 11.5

 More than one institution 28.0 1.9 5.1 30.8 19.3 1.2 13.7

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 27.9 3.4 10.2 32.0 12.1 1.0 13.3

 Full-time/part-year 31.9 1.8 3.0 32.5 17.8 0.6 12.4

 Part-time/full-year 45.9 2.8 2.3 26.3 14.0 0.3 8.4

 Part-time/part-year 57.0 2.1 0.9 15.9 12.3 0.2 11.8

Housing3

 On campus 21.5 4.1 17.8 28.6 9.5 1.2 17.3

 Off campus 38.2 2.2 3.8 30.3 14.3 0.5 10.8

 Living with parents 48.3 3.9 3.0 22.9 11.9 0.4 9.7

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 79.8 1.7 # 3.0 4.1 # 11.5

 $4,000–7,999 59.9 3.2 0.6 17.4 10.4 0.1 8.4

 $8,000–11,999 36.9 3.5 3.0 30.7 17.0 0.5 8.5

 $12,000–15,999 24.7 2.7 6.4 37.0 16.4 0.8 11.9

 $16,000 or more 17.1 2.9 14.8 35.8 11.4 1.1 16.9

Gender

 Male 34.4 2.8 6.0 25.8 14.3 0.7 15.9

 Female 38.0 2.9 6.2 30.4 12.7 0.6 9.2

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

125 

Table 3.5-A.—Percentage distribution of aided undergraduates, by combination of financial aid received and

Table 3.5-A.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Grant Grant, Loan

and loan, and Grant and Other

Institutional and Grant work- work- and Loan work- combistudent characteristics only study study1 loan1 only1 study nations2

Race/ethnicity4

 White 35.2 2.3 6.3 27.4 15.2 0.8 12.8

 Black 34.7 3.0 6.2 35.3 9.9 0.5 10.4

 Hispanic 44.2 3.9 4.8 27.0 10.3 0.4 9.3

 Asian 40.2 6.3 8.3 21.9 12.2 0.5 10.6

 American Indian 43.7 2.4 3.1 36.5 7.7 # 6.7

 Pacific Islander 32.8 2.9 3.0 24.9 16.3 0.3 19.8

 Multiple races 34.0 2.1 6.4 29.4 10.8 1.1 16.2

 Other 36.6 5.2 4.0 28.1 12.8 0.8 12.6

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 41.8 4.2 8.6 23.3 7.5 0.8 13.9

 19–23 years 32.5 3.6 9.0 26.8 14.1 1.0 13.2

 24–29 years 33.1 1.7 3.2 37.1 15.3 0.3 9.3

 30–39 years 41.0 1.9 1.8 31.3 12.8 0.2 11.0

 40 years or older 50.6 1.7 1.8 22.8 13.1 0.2 9.9

Dependency status

 Dependent 33.1 3.7 9.5 24.7 13.9 1.1 14.0

 Independent 40.0 2.1 2.7 32.4 12.8 0.3 9.8

 Unmarried, no dependents 31.9 2.2 3.9 33.6 18.2 0.6 9.7

 Married, no dependents 44.3 2.1 1.5 19.9 21.1 0.3 10.8

 Single parent 43.1 2.5 2.7 40.4 4.1 0.1 7.1

 Married parents 43.8 1.5 1.9 27.5 12.6 0.1 12.6

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 46.1 5.2 11.1 29.4 1.8 0.1 6.4

 $20,000–39,999 36.7 4.6 12.3 31.1 5.8 0.5 9.1

 $40,000–59,999 28.5 3.2 10.7 25.7 16.0 1.7 14.2

 $60,000–79,999 26.8 3.0 8.2 21.6 20.7 1.8 18.1

 $80,000–99,999 26.5 2.3 8.7 18.5 23.8 1.1 19.1

 $100,000 or more 31.1 2.9 4.6 17.5 21.8 1.4 20.7

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 38.3 3.7 6.0 41.1 4.0 0.2 6.8

 $10,000–19,999 35.9 2.5 2.9 40.8 8.8 0.3 9.0

 $20,000–29,999 36.6 1.4 1.7 34.2 15.8 0.4 9.8

 $30,000–49,999 41.3 1.5 1.4 28.0 16.2 0.3 11.4

 $50,000 or more 49.2 0.6 0.3 12.7 23.7 0.2 13.5

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 40.5 4.4 9.0 35.3 3.4 0.2 7.3

 Middle 50 percent 33.1 2.4 5.6 29.5 15.8 0.9 12.8

 Highest 25 percent 39.6 1.7 3.0 15.1 22.7 0.8 17.0

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

126 

Table 3.5-A.—Percentage distribution of aided undergraduates, by combination of financial aid received and

Table 3.5-A.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Grant Grant, Loan

and loan, and Grant and Other

Institutional and Grant work- work- and Loan work- combistudent characteristics only study study1 loan1 only1 study nations2

Grant status

 No grants † † † † 67.2 3.3 29.5

 Received grants 45.6 3.6 7.7 35.6 † † 7.6

Loan status1

 No loans 81.9 6.4 † † † † 11.7

 Received loans † † 11.1 51.6 24.1 1.2 12.1

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

2

 Includes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the

9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” 

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid 

127 

Table 3.5-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by undergraduates who received various combinations of

Table 3.5-B.—financial aid, by selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

 Grant Grant, Loan

and loan, and Grant and Other

Institutional and Grant work- work- and Loan work- combi- Total

student characteristics only study study1 loan1 only1 study nations2 aid

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $3,100 $7,400 $16,700 $9,900 $6,000 $8,800 $11,200 $7,400

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 3,100 7,300 16,600 9,900 5,900 8,800 11,200 7,400

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 2,000 5,700 ‡ 6,900 5,800 ‡ 4,900 3,800

 2-year 1,900 4,800 9,100 6,400 3,500 7,400 4,200 3,200

 4-year 3,900 7,900 12,700 9,400 5,900 8,400 11,300 7,600

 Non-doctorate-granting 3,400 6,800 11,600 8,700 5,500 8,700 9,900 6,700

 Doctorate-granting 4,300 8,500 13,400 9,800 6,000 8,200 12,000 8,100

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 3,900 6,000 12,900 9,900 5,700 ‡ 12,100 7,600

 4-year 5,900 11,400 21,100 13,600 7,500 10,500 19,700 13,100

 Non-doctorate-granting 5,300 11,000 20,100 12,600 6,900 11,500 17,300 12,100

 Doctorate-granting 6,800 12,100 22,500 15,600 8,700 9,500 23,600 15,000

 Private for-profit 3,000 5,300 15,100 9,800 7,900 ‡ 12,300 8,800

 More than one institution 2,800 7,400 13,200 9,400 5,900 8,500 10,400 7,200

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 4,800 8,800 17,500 11,300 6,600 8,800 14,800 9,900

 Full-time/part-year 2,500 6,100 12,600 8,100 5,300 8,300 8,200 5,900

 Part-time/full-year 2,300 5,300 13,700 8,800 6,000 9,000 7,700 5,400

 Part-time/part-year 1,400 4,300 9,900 6,300 4,800 ‡ 3,800 3,000

Housing3

 On campus 6,200 10,700 19,200 12,000 6,200 9,500 17,600 12,400

 Off campus 2,500 6,200 14,400 9,600 6,400 8,500 8,600 6,400

 Living with parents 3,100 5,900 13,600 8,700 4,300 8,100 9,500 5,600

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 900 1,900 ‡ 2,500 1,900 ‡ 1,100 1,000

 $4,000–7,999 2,000 4,200 5,700 4,600 3,600 ‡ 3,100 2,800

 $8,000–11,999 3,400 5,900 8,500 7,300 5,000 7,000 6,700 5,400

 $12,000–15,999 4,100 7,300 11,500 9,700 6,400 8,100 9,800 7,800

 $16,000 or more 7,500 12,100 20,400 14,100 8,600 10,300 19,000 14,000

Gender

 Male 3,200 7,600 16,700 10,200 6,100 9,200 10,700 7,600

 Female 3,000 7,100 16,600 9,700 5,800 8,400 11,700 7,200

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid

128 

Table 3.5-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by undergraduates who received various combinations of

Table 3.5-B.—financial aid, by selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

 Grant Grant, Loan

and loan, and Grant and Other

Institutional and Grant work- work- and Loan work- combi- Total

student characteristics only study study1 loan1 only1 study nations2 aid

Race/ethnicity4

 White $3,000 $7,700 $16,800 $10,000 $5,900 $8,400 $11,800 $7,500

 Black 3,100 7,100 15,800 9,400 6,000 10,300 9,400 7,200

 Hispanic 3,000 6,100 16,500 9,800 5,800 ‡ 9,700 6,600

 Asian 3,900 8,200 18,000 11,300 6,500 ‡ 11,100 8,000

 American Indian 2,900 ‡ ‡ 10,400 5,400 ‡ 5,200 6,400

 Pacific Islander 2,800 ‡ ‡ 11,000 7,000 ‡ 8,400 7,400

 Multiple races 3,200 ‡ 16,400 10,000 7,200 ‡ 11,200 8,000

 Other 3,100 6,500 14,600 10,200 6,000 ‡ 11,500 7,200

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 4,000 8,100 16,500 9,700 4,100 7,700 16,300 8,300

 19–23 years 3,800 8,100 17,300 10,100 5,200 8,500 13,100 8,300

 24–29 years 2,300 5,300 14,700 9,900 7,000 ‡ 7,400 6,800

 30–39 years 2,100 4,800 13,100 9,400 7,200 ‡ 6,800 5,800

 40 years or older 2,000 5,400 12,600 9,800 6,700 ‡ 5,400 5,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 4,000 8,300 17,300 10,100 5,100 8,400 14,300 8,600

 Independent 2,200 5,500 14,300 9,700 6,900 10,400 6,600 6,100

 Unmarried, no dependents 2,300 5,700 15,800 10,200 7,200 11,100 7,500 7,000

 Married, no dependents 1,900 6,500 14,400 10,000 6,900 ‡ 5,400 5,300

 Single parent 2,500 5,200 13,300 9,400 5,900 ‡ 6,800 6,100

 Married parents 2,100 5,200 12,000 9,300 6,900 ‡ 6,200 5,400

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 4,300 8,600 17,000 10,500 4,400 ‡ 13,800 8,400

 $20,000–39,999 3,900 8,200 17,300 9,800 4,700 ‡ 13,600 8,500

 $40,000–59,999 3,400 7,900 16,900 9,400 4,800 8,200 13,400 8,300

 $60,000–79,999 3,800 7,600 17,600 9,800 4,800 9,600 14,400 8,600

 $80,000–99,999 4,100 9,500 18,200 10,600 5,100 7,400 14,700 9,000

 $100,000 or more 4,700 8,700 17,300 11,600 5,700 8,400 15,300 9,100

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 2,900 6,200 15,100 10,200 7,300 ‡ 8,300 7,300

 $10,000–19,999 2,400 5,300 13,800 9,600 6,800 ‡ 6,900 6,500

 $20,000–29,999 2,200 3,800 12,600 9,400 6,800 ‡ 6,900 6,100

 $30,000–49,999 1,800 5,300 13,300 9,200 6,800 ‡ 5,900 5,400

 $50,000 or more 1,900 ‡ ‡ 9,900 7,100 ‡ 5,500 4,700

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 3,600 7,300 16,600 10,200 6,000 9,000 11,000 7,900

 Middle 50 percent 2,700 7,000 16,600 9,500 5,800 8,900 11,000 7,200

 Highest 25 percent 3,000 8,400 16,900 11,000 6,300 8,500 11,700 7,000

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

129 

Table 3.5-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by undergraduates who received various combinations of

Table 3.5-B.—financial aid, by selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

 Grant Grant, Loan

and loan, and Grant and Other

Institutional and Grant work- work- and Loan work- combi- Total

student characteristics only study study1 loan1 only1 study nations2 aid

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † † †

 Received aid $3,100 $7,300 $16,600 $9,900 $5,900 $8,800 $11,200 $7,400

Grant status

 No grants † † † † 5,900 8,800 7,100 6,400

 Received grants 3,100 7,300 16,600 9,900 † † 15,100 7,600

Loan status1

 No loans 3,100 7,314 † † † † 4,700 3,500

 Received loans † † 16,600 9,900 5,900 8,800 16,200 10,400

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

2

 Includes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Averages are for those who received the specified combinations. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of

time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the

“part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

130 

Table 3.6-A.—Percentage of undergraduates in public 4-year institutions receiving financial aid, by type and

Table 3.6-A.—source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

Any Any Any Any

Any Any work- Any federal state institution

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants study loans1 aid2 aid aid

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 68.5 51.5 8.4 44.8 51.7 19.6 22.7

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 68.6 51.7 8.5 44.5 51.9 19.7 22.6

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 76.3 59.1 11.6 51.4 59.5 25.8 29.5

 Full-time/part-year 61.5 39.5 4.9 41.4 46.3 12.4 14.3

 Part-time/full-year 65.9 48.4 4.6 42.3 49.9 13.9 14.6

 Part-time/part-year 42.5 31.9 2.1 17.7 23.4 5.3 8.3

Housing3

 On campus 75.4 58.2 13.5 52.1 57.7 25.2 32.3

 Off campus 68.2 50.2 7.4 45.6 51.6 16.5 19.8

 Living with parents 61.1 47.5 4.8 31.5 45.1 21.5 17.9

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 28.8 25.4 0.7 2.5 7.2 3.2 4.5

 $4,000–7,999 52.1 39.2 2.5 25.1 34.1 9.6 9.9

 $8,000–11,999 71.6 52.6 6.1 45.1 55.7 21.0 18.3

 $12,000–15,999 76.7 58.0 10.5 54.5 61.2 26.0 26.2

 $16,000 or more 78.3 58.9 15.0 56.6 61.1 21.0 37.7

Gender

 Male 66.8 48.7 7.9 43.4 49.4 17.7 21.6

 Female 70.1 54.3 8.9 45.4 53.9 21.3 23.4

Race/ethnicity4

 White 66.5 48.3 7.3 44.0 48.6 17.8 21.5

 Black 79.3 64.8 13.8 57.5 68.5 22.1 24.1

 Hispanic 75.1 62.0 10.1 41.3 61.9 27.6 25.6

 Asian 62.8 50.3 11.3 33.1 46.3 26.4 27.2

 American Indian 75.1 64.9 2.5 48.2 57.7 17.4 28.6

 Pacific Islander 64.9 47.1 7.0 39.1 50.1 14.6 20.6

 Multiple races 69.5 54.6 9.0 43.4 50.0 18.2 23.1

 Other 71.8 52.7 10.3 40.8 50.1 21.8 23.9

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 74.0 61.8 10.6 41.8 53.8 28.9 32.9

 19–23 years 68.1 49.5 9.8 44.9 51.6 21.0 24.3

 24–29 years 71.3 54.4 5.7 50.9 58.6 13.7 16.4

 30–39 years 67.5 53.3 4.3 42.6 48.9 15.0 14.8

 40 years or older 58.8 46.7 3.9 30.8 36.3 11.7 12.7

Dependency status

 Dependent 69.2 50.8 10.0 44.7 51.9 22.3 26.1

 Independent 67.5 53.5 5.6 44.1 51.9 14.7 15.8

 Unmarried, no dependents 69.0 52.5 6.5 48.7 55.1 15.3 18.4

 Married, no dependents 57.9 37.7 4.3 36.5 41.7 9.1 12.0

 Single parent 75.8 70.0 6.6 50.0 63.1 20.6 14.7

 Married parents 65.6 53.8 4.1 36.9 44.8 13.2 15.0

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

131 

Table 3.6-A.—Percentage of undergraduates in public 4-year institutions receiving financial aid, by type and

Table 3.6-A.—source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any Any Any Any

Any Any work- Any federal state institution

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants study loans1 aid2 aid aid

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 84.1 81.2 16.8 45.0 71.4 40.6 34.1

 $20,000–39,999 82.8 75.2 16.8 52.9 71.3 37.3 35.7

 $40,000–59,999 71.6 53.3 11.7 49.2 54.3 25.9 25.2

 $60,000–79,999 66.5 42.0 8.1 46.1 46.2 17.1 26.4

 $80,000–99,999 66.4 38.8 6.1 44.9 45.4 12.8 22.0

 $100,000 or more 53.4 29.5 3.8 33.4 33.9 8.8 17.8

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 75.0 70.4 10.7 53.1 66.4 23.2 22.9

 $10,000–19,999 77.3 64.4 7.1 55.6 67.3 19.2 19.5

 $20,000–29,999 72.3 51.0 4.1 50.7 58.7 12.4 14.5

 $30,000–49,999 65.6 45.8 3.4 40.1 45.7 10.6 12.4

 $50,000 or more 47.4 30.6 0.6 20.8 19.7 5.1 7.5

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 80.5 76.3 14.6 50.1 69.7 33.1 30.1

 Middle 50 percent 70.4 49.9 8.1 48.4 53.4 18.7 22.6

 Highest 25 percent 53.1 31.0 3.1 30.8 31.0 8.3 15.1

Undergraduate class level

 First year 69.7 56.9 7.8 40.2 51.7 24.2 24.2

 Second year 69.3 53.3 9.0 42.4 51.0 22.5 22.0

 Third year 69.7 50.7 8.5 47.2 53.5 20.4 22.7

 Fourth year or more 68.8 49.8 8.9 48.5 53.9 16.2 22.8

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 100.0 75.4 12.3 64.8 75.6 28.7 32.9

Grant status

 No grants 35.0 † 3.2 31.7 30.9 0.9 1.7

 Received grants 100.0 100.0 13.3 56.5 71.4 37.3 42.2

Loan status1

 No loans 43.5 40.6 4.4 † 15.8 14.0 17.9

 Received loans 100.0 65.6 13.5 100.0 96.8 26.8 28.4

† Not applicable.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

2

 Includes all federal grants, loans, college work study awards, and parent PLUS loans. Excludes veterans benefits and education

tax credit and tax deduction benefits.

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

132 

Table 3.6-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in public 4-year institutions,

Table 3.6-B.—by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

 Total Total Total Total

Total Total work- Total federal state institution

Institutional and aid grant study loan aid aid aid

student characteristics amount amount amount amount1 amount2 amount amount

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $7,600 $4,000 $2,000 $5,600 $6,600 $2,400 $3,000

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 7,600 4,000 2,000 5,600 6,600 2,400 3,000

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 8,700 4,600 2,000 5,800 7,200 2,600 3,200

 Full-time/part-year 4,900 2,500 1,700 4,100 4,300 1,600 2,000

 Part-time/full-year 6,800 3,100 2,300 6,200 6,500 1,900 2,400

 Part-time/part-year 3,400 1,800 2,200 4,000 3,600 1,200 2,200

Housing3

 On campus 8,800 4,700 1,900 5,200 6,800 2,500 3,500

 Off campus 7,600 3,700 2,100 6,100 7,000 2,300 2,700

 Living with parents 5,800 3,800 2,100 4,500 4,900 2,300 2,600

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 1,200 1,000 ‡ ‡ 1,300 900 800

 $4,000–7,999 3,300 1,900 1,600 3,300 3,400 1,200 1,200

 $8,000–11,999 5,900 3,300 1,900 4,700 5,300 2,000 1,900

 $12,000–15,999 8,100 4,100 2,000 5,800 7,100 2,400 2,500

 $16,000 or more 11,700 6,000 2,200 6,900 8,700 3,100 4,600

Gender

 Male 7,600 4,000 2,100 5,600 6,600 2,400 3,100

 Female 7,600 4,000 2,000 5,600 6,600 2,300 2,900

Race/ethnicity4

 White 7,400 3,700 2,000 5,600 6,600 2,200 2,900

 Black 9,200 4,800 2,000 6,000 7,600 2,400 4,100

 Hispanic 7,100 4,300 2,000 5,100 5,800 2,500 2,300

 Asian 7,900 5,400 2,000 5,100 6,000 3,000 3,100

 American Indian 7,300 3,900 ‡ 5,700 6,200 2,100 2,300

 Pacific Islander 6,900 3,700 ‡ ‡ 5,900 ‡ ‡

 Multiple races 7,800 3,800 2,100 5,600 7,000 2,700 2,600

 Other 6,600 3,600 2,500 5,500 6,000 2,500 2,700

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 7,500 4,600 1,700 4,000 5,700 2,500 3,200

 19–23 years 7,700 4,300 2,100 5,200 6,300 2,500 3,300

 24–29 years 7,900 3,300 2,000 6,800 7,500 1,900 1,900

 30–39 years 7,200 2,900 2,200 7,000 7,700 1,800 1,500

 40 years or older 6,300 2,700 2,300 7,100 7,700 1,900 1,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 7,600 4,400 2,000 5,000 6,100 2,500 3,300

 Independent 7,600 3,300 2,100 6,800 7,500 2,000 2,000

 Unmarried, no dependents 8,100 3,400 2,200 7,000 7,700 2,000 2,000

 Married, no dependents 6,500 2,800 2,200 6,900 6,700 2,200 2,600

 Single parent 8,200 3,800 1,800 6,500 8,000 2,000 1,700

 Married parents 6,600 2,900 2,000 6,600 7,200 1,700 1,700

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

133 

Table 3.6-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in public 4-year institutions,

Table 3.6-B.—by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

 Total Total Total Total

Total Total work- Total federal state institution

Institutional and aid grant study loan aid aid aid

student characteristics amount amount amount amount1 amount2 amount amount

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $8,900 $6,100 $1,900 $4,500 $6,700 $2,800 $3,300

 $20,000–39,999 8,600 5,100 2,100 4,900 6,300 2,700 3,000

 $40,000–59,999 7,100 3,400 1,900 5,000 5,500 2,200 3,000

 $60,000–79,999 7,100 3,400 2,100 5,000 5,800 2,100 3,300

 $80,000–99,999 7,100 3,400 1,900 5,200 6,100 2,400 3,400

 $100,000 or more 7,100 3,900 2,500 5,000 6,300 2,900 4,100

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 9,300 4,400 2,000 6,500 8,200 2,100 2,200

 $10,000–19,999 8,200 3,100 2,300 6,900 7,500 1,800 1,900

 $20,000–29,999 7,300 3,000 1,800 6,700 7,200 2,000 1,900

 $30,000–49,999 6,400 2,400 2,100 7,100 6,700 2,000 1,900

 $50,000 or more 4,800 1,900 ‡ 7,200 7,100 1,800 1,600

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 9,000 5,200 2,000 5,500 7,200 2,500 2,900

 Middle 50 percent 7,200 3,300 2,000 5,700 6,200 2,200 2,900

 Highest 25 percent 6,500 3,200 2,400 5,500 6,500 2,600 3,600

Undergraduate class level

 First year 6,900 4,100 1,700 4,000 5,500 2,300 3,000

 Second year 7,200 4,200 2,100 4,700 5,900 2,400 3,300

 Third year 8,100 4,100 2,100 6,100 7,000 2,400 3,200

 Fourth year or more 8,100 3,800 2,100 6,500 7,200 2,300 2,700

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 7,600 4,000 2,000 5,600 6,600 2,400 3,000

Grant status

 No grants 6,800 † 2,200 5,700 6,300 4,200 2,800

 Received grants 7,900 4,000 2,000 5,600 6,700 2,300 3,000

Loan status1

 No loans 4,400 4,100 2,300 † 3,200 2,500 3,600

 Received loans 9,300 3,900 2,000 5,600 7,300 2,300 2,500

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

2

 Includes all federal grants, loans, college work study awards, and parent PLUS loans. Excludes veterans benefits and education

tax credit and tax deduction benefits.

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

134 

Table 3.7-A.—Percentage of undergraduates in public 2-year institutions receiving financial aid, by type and

Table 3.7-A.—source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

Any Any Any Any

Any Any work- Any federal state institution

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants study loans1 aid2 aid aid

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 46.8 39.8 3.5 12.1 29.2 12.3 8.2

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 46.8 39.8 3.5 12.1 29.2 12.3 8.3

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 61.3 52.7 6.7 22.8 46.2 20.6 15.2

 Full-time/part-year 49.7 39.8 2.3 13.7 32.2 13.8 5.4

 Part-time/full-year 51.8 45.1 3.8 12.5 33.9 13.0 9.7

 Part-time/part-year 32.4 27.1 1.6 4.5 13.3 5.9 3.5

Housing3

 On campus 68.2 53.6 10.9 43.7 55.6 16.3 22.6

 Off campus 49.0 41.8 3.2 12.7 30.0 12.1 7.2

 Living with parents 41.6 35.4 3.7 9.3 26.3 12.5 9.6

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 28.7 24.9 1.0 2.0 9.6 5.1 3.2

 $4,000–7,999 50.8 44.1 3.0 10.6 32.7 12.6 8.8

 $8,000–11,999 63.6 52.8 6.5 26.2 48.7 21.0 12.9

 $12,000–15,999 69.5 55.6 9.9 30.0 54.5 22.8 17.3

 $16,000 or more 67.1 52.0 13.1 43.2 53.6 18.8 19.7

Gender

 Male 42.3 33.7 3.5 9.9 22.5 10.1 7.5

 Female 50.0 44.1 3.5 13.6 33.9 13.8 8.8

Race/ethnicity4

 White 44.5 37.1 2.8 12.7 25.3 11.9 7.5

 Black 64.6 57.0 4.9 17.0 47.8 17.9 9.2

 Hispanic 43.1 37.6 4.1 7.1 28.8 9.5 10.9

 Asian 32.5 27.8 5.3 4.4 19.6 8.2 7.9

 American Indian 54.3 48.8 5.9 12.6 33.9 16.2 5.7

 Pacific Islander 31.1 25.3 0.6 4.9 14.7 6.5 6.3

 Multiple races 42.9 36.1 3.6 12.3 28.9 10.1 6.5

 Other 52.3 45.4 6.5 14.4 40.2 15.1 11.4

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 46.4 41.9 4.1 10.8 30.1 15.7 14.6

 19–23 years 44.9 37.0 4.0 12.8 30.3 12.7 8.8

 24–29 years 52.2 43.7 3.2 15.6 34.6 11.9 6.5

 30–39 years 50.1 43.9 3.2 12.0 30.7 12.1 7.2

 40 years or older 42.4 36.8 2.8 7.5 19.3 10.0 6.5

Dependency status

 Dependent 42.7 35.4 3.7 12.3 28.0 13.0 10.1

 Independent 49.5 42.7 3.4 11.9 30.0 11.8 7.1

 Unmarried, no dependents 45.4 36.9 3.4 13.8 27.2 10.5 7.5

 Married, no dependents 39.2 30.3 2.1 6.7 10.9 6.6 5.1

 Single parent 61.1 57.2 4.8 14.4 47.9 16.6 8.4

 Married parents 47.4 40.5 2.7 10.5 25.2 11.1 6.4

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

135 

Table 3.7-A.—Percentage of undergraduates in public 2-year institutions receiving financial aid, by type and

Table 3.7-A.—source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any Any Any Any

Any Any work- Any federal state institution

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants study loans1 aid2 aid aid

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 62.2 60.2 7.0 9.6 51.9 18.3 15.5

 $20,000–39,999 60.5 55.4 5.8 14.8 47.7 20.8 14.3

 $40,000–59,999 40.2 30.1 3.1 15.8 24.3 12.6 9.8

 $60,000–79,999 32.3 23.2 2.4 11.9 14.0 9.5 8.7

 $80,000–99,999 31.8 20.6 1.6 13.2 13.0 7.2 6.2

 $100,000 or more 20.9 13.0 1.0 7.4 6.9 5.1 3.8

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 58.1 54.4 6.2 14.2 45.6 15.9 9.7

 $10,000–19,999 62.9 55.9 4.9 17.9 46.8 18.2 9.5

 $20,000–29,999 56.2 47.9 3.3 14.5 38.5 14.2 9.0

 $30,000–49,999 47.9 40.0 2.2 12.0 25.0 10.7 6.2

 $50,000 or more 31.2 23.9 1.2 4.7 5.8 4.0 3.0

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 61.0 57.3 6.5 13.5 49.1 18.1 12.0

 Middle 50 percent 48.2 39.8 3.1 14.4 29.8 12.9 8.6

 Highest 25 percent 28.4 20.9 1.2 5.6 6.2 4.5 3.4

Undergraduate class level

 First year 51.2 43.8 3.2 12.0 33.1 13.6 8.7

 Second year 51.7 43.8 4.9 15.3 33.4 15.0 9.5

 Third year 47.6 39.1 4.5 17.3 33.2 12.4 9.6

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 100.0 85.0 7.5 25.8 62.4 26.2 17.6

Grant status

 No grants 11.6 † 1.4 6.8 6.9 0.7 0.5

 Received grants 100.0 100.0 6.6 20.1 62.9 29.7 19.9

Loan status1

 No loans 39.5 36.2 3.1 † 20.1 10.8 7.7

 Received loans 100.0 66.2 6.3 100.0 95.5 23.3 12.2

† Not applicable.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

2

 Includes all federal grants, loans, college work study awards, and parent PLUS loans. Excludes veterans benefits and education

tax credit and tax deduction benefits.

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

136 

Table 3.7-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in public 2-year institutions,

Table 3.7-B.—by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

 Total Total Total Total

Total Total work- Total federal state institution

Institutional and aid grant study loan aid aid aid

student characteristics amount amount amount amount1 amount2 amount amount

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $3,200 $2,200 $2,100 $3,600 $3,300 $1,100 $1,300

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 3,200 2,200 2,000 3,600 3,300 1,100 1,300

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 4,900 3,400 2,000 4,100 4,500 1,400 1,900

 Full-time/part-year 2,700 1,800 1,800 3,000 2,700 1,000 1,200

 Part-time/full-year 3,000 2,000 2,200 3,700 3,100 1,000 900

 Part-time/part-year 1,500 1,000 2,000 2,800 1,800 600 800

Housing3

 On campus 4,800 3,000 1,400 3,000 4,200 1,200 2,200

 Off campus 3,200 2,000 2,200 4,000 3,500 1,100 1,100

 Living with parents 3,000 2,400 1,800 2,800 2,900 1,100 1,500

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 1,000 800 1,200 1,700 1,300 600 600

 $4,000–7,999 2,500 1,900 2,000 2,700 2,600 900 900

 $8,000–11,999 4,600 3,000 2,200 3,900 4,300 1,300 1,500

 $12,000–15,999 6,000 3,600 2,200 5,000 5,000 1,600 1,800

 $16,000 or more 11,100 6,000 2,900 6,700 6,400 2,400 6,700

Gender

 Male 3,100 2,100 2,100 3,600 3,300 1,100 1,500

 Female 3,200 2,200 2,000 3,600 3,300 1,100 1,200

Race/ethnicity4

 White 3,100 2,000 2,000 3,700 3,400 1,100 1,500

 Black 3,500 2,400 2,000 3,500 3,400 1,000 1,400

 Hispanic 2,900 2,300 2,000 3,200 3,000 1,100 900

 Asian 3,100 2,400 2,500 3,900 3,200 1,400 1,300

 American Indian 3,300 2,100 ‡ 4,500 3,800 700 ‡

 Pacific Islander 2,600 2,000 ‡ ‡ 3,400 ‡ ‡

 Multiple races 3,700 2,400 ‡ 4,300 3,600 1,400 1,200

 Other 3,700 2,500 ‡ 3,700 3,300 1,200 800

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 3,400 2,800 1,800 2,600 2,900 1,300 2,100

 19–23 years 3,200 2,300 1,900 3,100 3,100 1,200 1,300

 24–29 years 3,500 2,100 2,200 4,300 3,700 1,100 1,000

 30–39 years 3,200 2,000 2,100 4,300 3,600 900 800

 40 years or older 2,600 1,800 2,400 3,900 3,400 1,100 1,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 3,200 2,400 1,900 2,900 2,900 1,200 1,700

 Independent 3,200 2,000 2,100 4,200 3,600 1,100 1,000

 Unmarried, no dependents 3,400 1,900 2,200 4,400 3,700 1,100 1,000

 Married, no dependents 2,100 1,400 1,700 4,200 3,100 1,100 900

 Single parent 3,600 2,500 2,000 4,000 3,600 1,000 1,000

 Married parents 2,900 1,800 2,500 4,000 3,400 1,000 1,000

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

137 

Table 3.7-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in public 2-year institutions,

Table 3.7-B.—by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

 Total Total Total Total

Total Total work- Total federal state institution

Institutional and aid grant study loan aid aid aid

student characteristics amount amount amount amount1 amount2 amount amount

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $3,800 $3,200 $1,600 $2,600 $3,400 $1,400 $1,200

 $20,000–39,999 3,200 2,500 2,000 2,600 2,700 1,200 1,400

 $40,000–59,999 2,900 1,900 2,000 2,900 2,500 1,100 2,100

 $60,000–79,999 2,600 1,800 1,800 2,600 2,600 1,200 2,000

 $80,000–99,999 2,700 1,500 ‡ 3,100 3,000 1,200 1,900

 $100,000 or more 2,900 1,700 ‡ 3,800 3,500 1,000 2,500

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 4,000 2,700 2,000 4,200 3,900 1,100 900

 $10,000–19,999 3,700 2,300 2,500 4,100 3,700 1,000 1,000

 $20,000–29,999 3,100 2,000 1,500 3,800 3,200 1,000 800

 $30,000–49,999 2,700 1,500 2,300 4,300 3,100 1,000 1,100

 $50,000 or more 2,000 1,100 2,300 4,400 3,700 1,000 1,300

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 3,800 2,800 1,900 3,500 3,500 1,200 1,100

 Middle 50 percent 3,100 1,900 2,100 3,600 3,200 1,000 1,400

 Highest 25 percent 2,200 1,200 2,400 4,100 3,600 1,100 1,600

Undergraduate class level

 First year 2,900 2,100 1,800 3,200 2,900 1,100 1,300

 Second year 3,600 2,300 2,200 3,800 3,700 1,200 1,300

 Third year 4,000 2,200 2,600 4,400 3,900 1,100 1,200

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 3,200 2,200 2,000 3,600 3,300 1,100 1,300

Grant status

 No grants 3,200 † 2,200 3,500 3,200 2,100 2,100

 Received grants 3,200 2,200 2,000 3,700 3,300 1,100 1,300

Loan status1

 No loans 2,300 2,000 2,000 † 2,300 1,100 1,200

 Received loans 5,800 2,700 2,100 3,600 4,900 1,200 1,600

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

2

 Includes all federal grants, loans, college work study awards, and parent PLUS loans. Excludes veterans benefits and education

tax credit and tax deduction benefits.

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

138 

Table 3.8-A.—Percentage of undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions receiving financial aid,

Table 3.8-A.—by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

Any Any Any Any

Any Any work- Any federal state institution

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants study loans1 aid2 aid aid

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 83.2 73.1 21.7 57.4 61.9 23.1 52.6

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 83.3 73.5 21.1 56.3 62.8 22.8 51.2

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 88.7 81.5 30.1 65.8 73.0 29.5 66.1

 Full-time/part-year 80.9 68.6 13.0 51.2 58.3 16.7 44.9

 Part-time/full-year 82.9 67.4 8.5 51.2 57.5 16.8 28.6

 Part-time/part-year 62.2 49.5 3.7 24.3 27.3 5.7 15.5

Housing3

 On campus 86.7 80.3 37.9 64.4 68.4 25.0 72.6

 Off campus 80.2 66.9 9.9 50.3 56.9 18.5 33.9

 Living with parents 83.9 75.6 11.8 53.4 65.5 29.6 48.1

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 43.6 32.3 1.1 3.3 6.3 1.0 5.3

 $4,000–7,999 65.8 55.1 2.2 19.2 27.4 5.3 11.7

 $8,000–11,999 81.4 65.9 4.4 44.0 58.1 13.5 23.2

 $12,000–15,999 87.0 72.9 9.2 57.0 65.6 19.8 37.8

 $16,000 or more 87.6 79.5 29.2 65.9 70.8 28.2 65.5

Gender

 Male 81.0 71.0 19.9 52.0 57.9 19.0 49.7

 Female 85.1 75.5 22.1 59.7 66.6 25.7 52.4

Race/ethnicity4

 White 82.3 72.6 22.2 55.8 59.5 21.1 55.0

 Black 88.9 76.1 18.6 66.3 73.7 29.6 41.4

 Hispanic 86.2 77.7 16.0 50.0 73.2 24.6 37.4

 Asian 73.6 66.4 26.9 49.2 52.9 20.4 55.2

 American Indian 98.6 97.1 12.7 62.9 63.5 35.5 69.6

 Pacific Islander ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Multiple races 85.1 71.9 26.3 59.6 63.8 24.4 57.0

 Other 79.3 71.5 13.6 50.5 56.9 22.9 50.4

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 87.5 82.0 31.4 59.2 67.4 26.6 69.7

 19–23 years 84.1 76.5 28.9 59.6 65.9 24.5 64.1

 24–29 years 82.9 67.1 6.7 58.6 66.2 21.9 30.2

 30–39 years 82.8 65.8 3.5 52.6 59.6 18.3 20.4

 40 years or older 75.2 63.1 2.8 35.8 39.0 14.5 18.1

Dependency status

 Dependent 85.1 77.7 30.3 60.3 66.5 25.1 66.5

 Independent 80.5 66.5 6.0 49.7 56.6 18.9 26.0

 Unmarried, no dependents 79.1 64.2 9.5 54.6 59.7 16.6 32.8

 Married, no dependents 75.8 60.3 6.0 40.8 47.1 10.4 28.3

 Single parent 84.1 76.8 5.4 53.2 65.0 30.4 26.0

 Married parents 81.3 63.6 2.6 46.1 51.2 16.4 17.4

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

139 

Table 3.8-A.—Percentage of undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions receiving financial aid,

Table 3.8-A.—by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Any Any Any Any

Any Any work- Any federal state institution

Institutional and student characteristics aid grants study loans1 aid2 aid aid

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 94.0 92.2 33.5 60.0 78.9 37.0 62.2

 $20,000–39,999 91.8 88.8 37.3 67.4 79.6 38.0 68.6

 $40,000–59,999 88.9 82.4 37.4 66.6 73.6 36.7 71.5

 $60,000–79,999 85.2 76.7 33.8 66.4 67.6 26.0 71.1

 $80,000–99,999 84.3 74.7 31.1 62.2 63.4 16.6 69.9

 $100,000 or more 75.2 64.2 18.0 47.6 49.9 9.0 59.6

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 82.6 78.2 16.8 57.3 71.5 23.7 41.2

 $10,000–19,999 84.5 74.4 6.5 57.7 69.7 26.9 34.1

 $20,000–29,999 83.9 66.6 3.8 61.3 69.0 24.6 24.0

 $30,000–49,999 80.4 64.7 3.3 47.0 52.4 15.8 21.6

 $50,000 or more 74.8 54.4 0.6 35.0 34.1 9.8 14.3

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 89.3 85.7 28.3 60.9 76.5 32.5 55.2

 Middle 50 percent 85.4 75.3 22.9 61.9 67.6 26.6 53.8

 Highest 25 percent 75.8 61.6 13.0 44.1 45.1 9.6 44.3

Undergraduate class level

 First year 82.8 75.6 22.6 54.1 63.3 22.2 55.4

 Second year 84.0 76.7 23.4 56.2 64.6 26.2 54.5

 Third year 85.7 73.5 21.9 60.0 65.8 23.3 51.8

 Fourth year or more 84.0 72.1 19.7 59.6 63.9 22.3 48.8

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 100.0 88.2 25.3 67.5 75.3 27.3 61.5

Grant status

 No grants 37.1 † 5.4 29.8 29.2 0.2 2.8

 Received grants 100.0 100.0 26.8 65.8 74.9 30.9 68.7

Loan status1

 No loans 61.9 57.4 8.7 † 18.1 9.8 33.5

 Received loans 100.0 86.0 30.8 100.0 97.4 32.9 65.0

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

2

 Includes all federal grants, loans, college work study awards, and parent PLUS loans. Excludes veterans benefits and education

tax credit and tax deduction benefits.

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 3: Financial Aid

140 

Table 3.8-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year

Table 3.8-B.—institutions, by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04

 Total Total Total Total

Total Total work- Total federal state institution

Institutional and aid grant study loan aid aid aid

student characteristics amount amount amount amount1 amount2 amount amount

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $13,500 $7,900 $1,800 $7,000 $8,000 $2,900 $7,300

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 13,100 7,700 1,800 6,900 7,800 2,900 7,200

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 16,300 9,400 1,800 7,200 8,600 3,100 8,100

 Full-time/part-year 8,800 5,000 1,800 5,500 5,900 2,000 4,600

 Part-time/full-year 9,200 4,800 2,000 7,400 7,300 2,400 5,200

 Part-time/part-year 5,300 3,200 1,600 5,900 5,200 1,600 3,100

Housing3

 On campus 17,700 10,500 1,800 7,000 8,600 3,300 9,000

 Off campus 9,900 5,300 2,000 7,300 7,500 2,400 5,000

 Living with parents 10,600 6,200 1,800 5,800 6,900 2,800 5,000

Price of attendance3

 Less than $4,000 1,300 1,300 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 $4,000–7,999 3,300 2,500 ‡ 3,300 3,300 1,100 1,600

 $8,000–11,999 5,500 3,200 1,500 4,700 5,200 1,200 2,000

 $12,000–15,999 7,800 4,000 1,600 6,000 6,400 2,000 2,900

 $16,000 or more 16,400 9,400 1,800 7,500 8,600 3,100 8,000

Gender

 Male 13,100 7,600 1,900 7,100 7,900 2,800 7,200

 Female 13,200 7,700 1,800 6,800 7,800 2,900 7,200

Race/ethnicity4

 White 13,600 7,800 1,800 7,100 8,000 2,700 7,300

 Black 12,300 6,900 1,900 6,600 8,300 2,900 6,400

 Hispanic 10,500 6,600 1,900 6,300 6,300 3,000 6,200

 Asian 16,200 10,800 2,100 7,200 7,900 3,700 9,300

 American Indian 14,900 9,000 ‡ 9,100 9,500 ‡ 5,900

 Pacific Islander ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 Multiple races 15,100 8,900 1,600 7,800 8,600 3,100 7,500

 Other 13,100 7,100 ‡ 8,100 8,100 3,600 5,700

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 15,900 9,800 1,600 5,500 8,000 3,100 8,500

 19–23 years 15,200 8,900 1,900 7,000 8,000 3,100 7,700

 24–29 years 10,300 5,200 1,900 7,800 7,900 2,400 4,100

 30–39 years 7,900 3,800 1,700 7,100 7,100 2,000 2,900

 40 years or older 6,800 3,900 2,600 6,900 7,200 2,200 3,100

Dependency status

 Dependent 15,600 9,200 1,800 6,700 8,000 3,100 8,000

 Independent 8,800 4,700 2,000 7,400 7,500 2,400 3,800

 Unmarried, no dependents 10,400 5,400 2,000 8,100 8,000 2,400 4,500

 Married, no dependents 7,900 4,200 1,900 7,500 6,900 2,500 3,600

 Single parent 8,900 4,800 1,900 6,600 7,700 2,500 3,000

 Married parents 7,600 4,000 2,100 7,100 7,000 2,000 3,300

See notes at end of table.
Section 3: Financial Aid 

141 

Table 3.8-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by aided undergraduates in private not-for-profit 4-year

Table 3.8-B.—institutions, by type and source of aid and selected student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

 Total Total Total Total

Total Total work- Total federal state institution

Institutional and aid grant study loan aid aid aid

student characteristics amount amount amount amount1 amount2 amount amount

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $2,000 $5,900 $9,100 $3,500 $7,500

 $20,000–39,999 16,500 10,300 1,800 6,600 8,300 3,500 8,000

 $40,000–59,999 16,400 9,500 1,900 7,000 7,400 3,200 8,300

 $60,000–79,999 16,500 9,500 1,700 6,900 7,600 2,800 8,400

 $80,000–99,999 16,100 8,900 1,800 7,000 7,700 2,200 8,600

 $100,000 or more 13,800 7,700 1,800 6,700 8,000 2,500 7,400

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 11,700 6,300 1,900 7,600 8,600 2,700 4,300

 $10,000–19,999 9,900 5,100 1,900 7,400 7,500 2,600 3,800

 $20,000–29,999 9,100 4,400 ‡ 7,000 7,400 2,200 2,900

 $30,000–49,999 7,800 3,800 2,300 7,100 6,700 2,500 3,500

 $50,000 or more 6,400 3,500 ‡ 7,500 7,100 1,400 3,700

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 14,300 8,800 1,800 6,900 8,700 3,300 6,700

 Middle 50 percent 13,500 7,700 1,800 7,000 7,400 2,800 7,400

 Highest 25 percent 11,500 6,600 1,800 7,000 7,800 2,000 7,200

Undergraduate class level

 First year 13,100 8,100 1,700 5,400 7,200 2,900 7,600

 Second year 13,500 8,100 1,800 6,400 7,500 3,000 7,500

 Third year 13,600 7,900 1,900 7,500 8,200 2,800 7,400

 Fourth year or more 13,100 7,200 1,900 7,900 8,300 2,800 6,600

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 13,100 7,700 1,800 6,900 7,800 2,900 7,200

Grant status

 No grants 8,400 † 2,000 7,400 7,600 ‡ 2,700

 Received grants 13,800 7,700 1,800 6,900 7,900 2,900 7,300

Loan status1

 No loans 6,700 6,300 1,900 † 3,600 2,600 6,700

 Received loans 16,200 8,400 1,800 6,900 8,400 2,900 7,400

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

2

 Includes all federal grants, loans, college work study awards, and parent PLUS loans. Excludes veterans benefits and education

tax credit and tax deduction benefits.

3

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

4

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

NOTE: Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
143 

Section 4: Net Price and Need 

NOTE: None of the net price and need amounts in this section include the estimated amounts of 

federal education tax benefits. 

Net Price 

• Among all undergraduates enrolled in any type of institution in 2003–04, the average 

out-of-pocket net price (total price of attendance minus total financial aid received) 

was $6,600 (table 4.1-A). This net price was related to several factors, including 

attendance status, the type of institution attended, and income level. Undergraduates 

who were enrolled part time for only part of the academic year had an average out-ofpocket net price of $3,000 while those attending full time for 9 months or more had an 

average net price of $9,500. When analyzed by institution type, those attending private 

not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions had the highest average out-ofpocket net price of attendance ($14,700), while the lowest average was found among 

those attending public 2-year institutions ($4,700). Students in the lowest 25 percent of 

the income range, who were more likely to receive grant aid, had an average out-ofpocket net price of $5,300, while the average out-of-pocket net price was $8,300 

among those in the highest 25 percent. 

• Using a more restrictive definition of net total price (price minus grants only), the 

average net price among all undergraduates was $9,200 in 2003–04, and it varied by 

the type of institution students attended and their income level (table 4.1-B). Those 

attending public 2-year institutions had an average net price less grants of $5,300, 

while those at public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions averaged $10,900 and those 

at private for-profit institutions averaged $12,700. Undergraduates enrolled in private 

not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions had the highest average net price 

less grants ($20,400). Differences were also observed by students’ income. 

Undergraduates in the lowest 25 percent of the income range had an average net price 

less grants of $7,800, while those in the highest 25 percent averaged $10,500. 

• Using an even more restrictive definition of net price (price minus federal grants only), 

the average net price also varied by the type of institution students attended. The 

average net price among all undergraduates was $10,500 in 2003–04 (table 4.1-C), 

ranging from $5,600 among those in public 2-year institutions to $26,100 among those 

in private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions. 

• The average net tuition (tuition minus all grants) was $2,900 among all undergraduates 

in 2003–04 (table 4.1-D). Undergraduates in the highest 25 percent of the income 

range had an average net tuition of $4,000, while those in the middle 50 percent had an 
Section 4: Net Price and Need

144 

average of $2,900 and those in the lowest 25 percent had an average of $2,000. 

Average net tuition ranged from $11,400 among those in private not-for-profit 4-year 

doctorate-granting institutions to $700 among those in public 2-year institutions. 

• Among dependent undergraduates, the average out-of-pocket net price (price minus 

total aid) was $8,200 in 2003–04 (table 4.1-E). The average out-of-pocket net price 

increased as income increased, ranging from $5,500 among those with annual incomes 

of less than $20,000 to $11,500 among those with incomes of $100,000 or more. 

• Among independent undergraduates, the average out-of-pocket net price (price minus 

total aid) was $5,100 in 2003–04, with some variation by students’ income level (table 

4.1-F). Those with incomes higher than $50,000 had an average out-of-pocket net price 

of $5,400, while those with incomes of less than $10,000 averaged $4,900. 

• Among undergraduates enrolled full time for a full academic year (9 or more months), 

the average out-of-pocket net price (price minus total aid) was $9,500 in 2003–04 

(table 4.1-G). Undergraduates who were enrolled full time for the full year in public 2-

year institutions had an average out-of-pocket net price of $7,400, compared with 

$8,900 for those in public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions and $10,100 for those 

in private for-profit institutions. Those enrolled in private not-for-profit 4-year 

doctorate-granting institutions had the highest average out-of-pocket net price 

($17,500). 

• Average net tuition (tuition and fees minus total grants) among full-time/full-year 

undergraduates was $4,800 in 2003–04 (table 4.1-H). The average net tuition was 

$1,200 among those attending public 2-year institutions; $3,800 among those enrolled 

in public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions; $7,800 at private for-profit institutions; 

and $14,000 at private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions. 

Financial Aid Need 

• Dependent students from families with incomes of less than $20,000 had an average 

expected family contribution (EFC)1 of $600 while those from families with incomes 

of $100,000 or more were expected to pay $33,300 in 2003–04 (table 4.2). Similarly, 

independent students with incomes of less than $10,000 had an average EFC of $300 

while those with incomes of $50,000 or more were expected to contribute $19,500. 

• In 2003–04, 68 percent of all undergraduates were determined by federal need analysis 

to have some financial need (table 4.3-A).2 Among undergraduates with family 

incomes in the lowest 25 percent of the income range, nearly all of them (98 percent) 

had some financial need while about three-fourths (74 percent) of those with incomes 

 

1 The federal expected family contribution (EFC) is an estimate of the amount that students and families can contribute toward 

the financing of a postsecondary education and is used to determine eligibility for need-based financial aid. The EFC is based on 

annual income and other factors affecting a family’s ability to pay. There can be large differences in the average EFC depending 

upon income level. 

2 The level of financial need is determined by subtracting the EFC from the student budget (price of attendance). Those with a 

negative or zero balance after subtraction are considered to have “zero need.” All others are considered to have financial need. 
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

145 

in the middle and about one-fourth (26 percent) of those in the highest 25 percent had 

some financial need. 

• The likelihood of an undergraduate having any financial need also varied by the type of 

institution attended because both the average EFC and the average price of attendance 

vary by institution type (table 4.3-A). Undergraduates enrolled in private for-profit 

institutions were the most likely to have financial need (91 percent). Eighty-two 

percent of those enrolled in private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions 

had financial need, while 69 percent of those at public 4-year doctorate-granting and 58 

percent of those at public 2-year institutions did so. 

• Among all undergraduates with financial need in 2003–04, their total need averaged 

$9,200 (table 4.3-B). The average amount of financial need was related to family 

income. Undergraduates in the lowest 25 percent of the income range had an average 

financial need of $10,600 while middle-income students had an average of $8,600 in 

financial need, and those in the highest 25 percent had an average of $7,500 in 

financial need. Average financial need also varied by institution type. Those enrolled in 

private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions had the greatest need, with 

an average of $19,100. Those enrolled in private for-profit institutions averaged 

$12,000 in financial need, compared with $9,300 for those in public 4-year doctorategranting institutions and $5,300 for those in public 2-year institutions. 

• In 2003–04, one-half (50 percent) of all undergraduates had some remaining need 

whether or not they had received any financial aid (table 4.4-A).3 The proportion of 

those having any remaining need varied by income level, ranging from 82 percent of 

those in the lowest 25 percent of the income range to 13 percent among those in the 

highest 25 percent. 

• Among all undergraduates with remaining financial need, the average amount of 

remaining need after financial aid was $5,300 in 2003–04 (table 4.4-B). Among those 

with remaining need, the average varied by the type of institution attended, reflecting 

differences in tuition. Those enrolled in public 2-year institutions had an average 

remaining need of $3,800; those in public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions 

averaged $5,600 in remaining need; those attending private for-profit institutions 

averaged $6,600; and those enrolled in private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting 

institutions averaged $10,900 in remaining need. 

• Among all undergraduates who had any financial need in 2003–04, three-fourths (75 

percent) received some financial aid (table 4.5-A). The likelihood of receiving 

financial aid among those with need varied by institution type. Among those enrolled 

in private for-profit institutions, about 9 out of 10 (92 percent) undergraduates with 

financial need had received some type of aid. The likelihood of having received aid for 

those with need was 84 percent among those who attended private not-for-profit 4-year 

doctorate-granting institutions, 78 percent among those at public 4-year doctorategranting institutions, and 62 percent among those at public 2-year institutions. 

 

3 The price of attendance less the EFC less total financial aid is a student’s “remaining” (also known as “unmet”) financial need. 

This is the amount of a student’s financial need that is not covered by any type of financial aid (including loans and work-study). 
Section 4: Net Price and Need

146 

• Aided undergraduates with financial need in 2003–04 received an average of $8,100 in 

financial aid (table 4.5-B). Those attending private not-for-profit 4-year doctorategranting institutions received the most aid, an average of $15,900. Those at private forprofit institutions and public 4-year doctorate-granting institutions received an average 

of about $8,800 in aid, while those attending public 2-year institutions received an 

average of $3,600. 
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

147 

Table 4.1-A.—Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary education

Table 4.1-A.—among undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics:

Table 4.1-A.—2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $4,700 $6,300 $7,500 $9,100 $15,000 $7,100 $6,600

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 4,700 6,300 7,500 9,100 14,700 7,000 6,600

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 7,400 7,600 8,900 11,200 17,500 10,100 9,500

 Full-time/part-year 4,400 4,800 5,900 8,600 12,600 5,900 5,900

 Part-time/full-year 4,900 5,600 6,000 7,200 10,000 5,900 5,500

 Part-time/part-year 2,700 3,200 3,600 3,600 5,000 3,800 3,000

Housing

 On campus 3,800 7,100 8,400 11,100 17,200 8,000 10,100

 Off campus 4,500 5,900 7,100 7,700 12,800 7,000 6,000

 Living with parents 5,000 6,400 7,200 9,200 11,200 7,000 6,100

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 2,600 2,900 2,800 2,800 2,600 2,400 2,600

 $4,000–7,999 4,700 4,400 4,600 3,700 3,900 3,400 4,500

 $8,000–11,999 6,700 5,900 6,000 5,600 5,800 4,400 6,100

 $12,000–15,999 9,400 7,600 7,800 6,500 8,200 6,600 7,800

 $16,000 or more 10,400 9,900 10,900 11,700 17,300 9,900 12,200

Gender

 Male 4,800 6,500 7,800 9,400 15,500 7,200 6,900

 Female 4,600 6,000 7,300 8,800 14,100 7,000 6,400

Race/ethnicity2

 White 4,800 6,500 7,900 9,600 16,000 7,300 7,000

 Black 4,100 4,600 5,100 7,000 9,400 6,500 5,100

 Hispanic 4,500 5,600 6,100 8,700 9,500 7,000 5,800

 Asian 5,600 7,300 9,200 13,200 18,300 8,300 8,200

 American Indian 4,000 5,200 5,400 6,200 ‡ 5,900 4,800

 Pacific Islander 4,100 ‡ 9,000 ‡ ‡ 6,500 5,800

 Multiple races 4,500 6,000 7,700 8,100 14,800 7,300 6,400

 Other 5,200 7,000 7,500 9,100 16,500 6,500 7,000

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 5,300 7,300 9,000 11,100 16,800 7,300 8,000

 19–23 years 5,100 7,000 8,400 10,800 16,400 7,300 7,800

 24–29 years 4,200 4,900 4,700 6,800 7,800 6,800 5,100

 30–39 years 4,300 4,600 4,600 6,300 7,700 6,900 5,000

 40 years or older 4,100 4,900 4,800 6,500 7,900 7,000 4,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 5,300 7,200 8,600 11,100 16,700 7,500 8,200

 Independent 4,200 4,900 5,000 6,800 8,300 6,900 5,100

 Unmarried, no dependents 4,300 4,900 5,100 7,600 8,600 7,300 5,300

 Married, no dependents 4,500 5,900 6,100 6,700 8,800 8,000 5,500

 Single parent 4,000 3,900 4,200 6,600 8,000 6,300 4,700

 Married parents 4,200 5,200 4,500 6,200 7,500 6,700 4,900

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

148 

Table 4.1-A.—Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary education

Table 4.1-A.—among undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics:

Table 4.1-A.—2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $4,400 $4,800 $5,500 $7,600 $10,600 $6,400 $5,500

 $20,000–39,999 4,500 5,200 6,100 8,300 11,800 6,800 6,000

 $40,000–59,999 5,700 7,300 8,100 9,200 13,200 7,900 7,500

 $60,000–79,999 6,000 7,900 9,100 10,500 16,000 8,900 8,500

 $80,000–99,999 5,800 8,800 9,300 12,200 18,200 9,000 9,400

 $100,000 or more 5,900 9,200 11,100 16,700 22,000 9,200 11,500

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 4,100 4,000 4,600 7,400 8,200 6,600 4,900

 $10,000–19,999 4,000 4,700 4,400 6,700 8,300 6,500 4,800

 $20,000–29,999 4,200 4,400 4,700 6,700 7,300 6,200 4,800

 $30,000–49,999 4,300 5,600 5,600 7,000 7,700 7,200 5,200

 $50,000 or more 4,400 5,900 6,000 6,200 9,100 8,100 5,400

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 4,200 4,500 5,100 7,500 10,100 6,600 5,300

 Middle 50 percent 4,800 6,400 7,500 8,600 13,200 6,900 6,500

 Highest 25 percent 4,900 7,800 9,700 11,300 19,400 8,300 8,300

Aid status

 No aid 5,200 8,900 11,300 15,200 25,200 11,600 7,800

 Received aid 4,000 5,000 5,800 8,000 12,200 6,500 5,900

Grant status

 No grants 5,100 7,900 9,700 12,800 22,200 8,700 7,500

 Received grants 3,900 4,700 5,500 7,800 11,700 6,200 5,700

Loan status3

 No loans 4,800 7,800 9,900 11,900 20,100 9,500 7,200

 Received loans 3,400 4,200 4,700 7,000 10,100 6,200 5,500

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. Averages include students who received no aid. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during 

the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year”

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

149 

Table 4.1-B.—Average net price (price of attendance minus all grants) among undergraduates, by type of 

Table 4.1-B.—institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $5,300 $9,100 $10,900 $14,400 $20,800 $12,800 $9,200

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 5,300 9,000 10,900 14,200 20,400 12,700 9,200

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 8,700 11,200 13,000 17,900 24,300 17,400 13,600

 Full-time/part-year 5,000 6,700 8,000 12,500 16,000 11,000 8,300

 Part-time/full-year 5,600 7,900 9,500 11,500 14,600 11,600 7,400

 Part-time/part-year 3,000 3,900 4,600 5,200 6,900 7,300 3,700

Housing

 On campus 5,500 11,100 12,300 18,200 23,800 15,200 15,000

 Off campus 5,200 8,800 10,700 12,000 17,500 12,700 8,400

 Living with parents 5,400 7,800 9,200 13,200 15,900 12,600 7,500

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 2,600 2,900 2,900 2,900 2,800 2,700 2,700

 $4,000–7,999 5,100 5,400 5,500 4,500 4,600 5,000 5,100

 $8,000–11,999 8,000 8,200 8,600 8,100 7,800 8,400 8,200

 $12,000–15,999 11,600 11,600 11,600 10,900 11,000 11,900 11,600

 $16,000 or more 14,700 16,100 16,300 18,700 24,100 18,100 18,800

Gender

 Male 5,400 9,300 11,200 14,400 21,000 14,100 9,600

 Female 5,200 8,800 10,700 14,000 19,900 11,900 8,900

Race/ethnicity2

 White 5,400 9,400 11,200 15,000 21,600 13,200 9,700

 Black 5,000 7,700 9,900 12,200 16,000 11,600 8,000

 Hispanic 4,900 7,800 9,100 12,000 14,600 12,200 7,900

 Asian 5,900 9,200 11,600 17,200 23,400 15,500 10,200

 American Indian 4,800 8,600 8,200 11,600 ‡ 11,600 7,000

 Pacific Islander 4,400 ‡ 11,900 ‡ ‡ 14,300 7,900

 Multiple races 5,200 8,700 11,400 14,100 21,900 13,400 9,200

 Other 5,900 9,400 10,700 15,100 21,100 13,200 9,700

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 5,700 9,800 11,800 17,000 22,700 13,600 10,500

 19–23 years 5,700 9,900 11,600 16,800 22,300 12,900 10,700

 24–29 years 5,200 7,800 9,200 11,600 13,300 12,600 7,900

 30–39 years 5,000 7,500 8,300 10,400 11,300 12,500 7,200

 40 years or older 4,500 7,100 7,500 9,100 10,800 12,500 6,400

Dependency status

 Dependent 5,800 10,000 11,800 17,200 22,700 13,800 11,100

 Independent 4,900 7,600 8,900 10,700 12,500 12,400 7,300

 Unmarried, no dependents 5,200 8,100 9,400 12,200 13,600 13,600 8,100

 Married, no dependents 4,900 7,900 9,400 10,100 12,400 13,600 7,300

 Single parent 4,800 7,100 8,000 10,300 12,000 11,000 6,900

 Married parents 4,900 7,200 8,000 9,800 11,200 12,300 6,900

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

150 

Table 4.1-B.—Average net price (price of attendance minus all grants) among undergraduates, by type of 

Table 4.1-B.—institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $4,800 $6,800 $8,300 $12,300 $15,900 $11,500 $7,800

 $20,000–39,999 5,100 8,200 9,600 14,000 18,200 12,900 8,900

 $40,000–59,999 6,300 10,200 11,600 15,600 20,300 14,500 10,500

 $60,000–79,999 6,400 11,100 12,500 17,700 22,300 16,500 11,500

 $80,000–99,999 6,300 11,900 12,800 19,300 24,900 16,200 12,800

 $100,000 or more 6,300 11,800 13,700 22,300 27,300 16,600 14,300

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 5,000 7,500 8,800 11,900 13,500 11,200 7,500

 $10,000–19,999 5,100 8,000 9,500 11,200 13,300 12,100 7,700

 $20,000–29,999 4,900 7,800 8,700 11,300 12,300 12,000 7,400

 $30,000–49,999 5,000 7,700 9,500 10,800 11,600 13,600 7,400

 $50,000 or more 4,800 7,300 8,000 9,100 11,900 13,500 6,800

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 4,900 7,300 8,700 12,500 15,900 11,500 7,800

 Middle 50 percent 5,500 9,500 11,200 14,200 19,300 13,100 9,300

 Highest 25 percent 5,300 9,800 12,400 15,700 24,400 13,900 10,500

Aid status

 No aid 5,200 8,900 11,300 15,200 25,200 11,600 7,800

 Received aid 5,400 9,100 10,700 14,000 19,200 12,800 10,000

Grant status

 No grants 5,500 10,000 12,200 15,800 25,500 14,500 9,100

 Received grants 4,900 8,000 9,700 13,600 18,300 11,800 9,300

Loan status3

 No loans 5,000 8,000 10,200 12,300 20,700 9,900 7,400

 Received loans 7,400 10,400 11,800 15,500 20,100 13,700 12,500

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. Averages include students who received no aid. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during 

the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year”

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

151 

Table 4.1-C.—Average net price after federal grants among undergraduates, by type of institution and selected

Table 4.1-C.—institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $5,600 $10,000 $12,500 $18,800 $26,600 $13,600 $10,600

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 5,600 10,000 12,400 18,400 26,100 13,500 10,500

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 9,400 12,600 15,000 24,100 31,400 18,500 16,100

 Full-time/part-year 5,300 7,100 8,700 14,900 19,800 11,500 9,200

 Part-time/full-year 5,900 8,500 10,500 13,600 17,900 12,400 8,100

 Part-time/part-year 3,100 4,300 5,100 6,500 8,600 7,800 4,000

Housing

 On campus 6,200 12,600 14,400 26,000 31,300 16,200 19,100

 Off campus 5,500 9,600 12,000 14,300 21,300 13,400 9,300

 Living with parents 5,800 8,700 10,500 16,500 20,000 13,500 8,400

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 2,800 3,100 3,100 3,200 3,300 3,100 2,800

 $4,000–7,999 5,400 5,800 5,900 5,600 5,600 5,500 5,500

 $8,000–11,999 8,600 9,200 9,500 9,300 9,000 8,900 9,000

 $12,000–15,999 12,400 12,800 13,100 12,900 13,200 12,400 12,800

 $16,000 or more 17,000 18,200 19,200 24,900 31,000 19,300 23,100

Gender

 Male 5,800 10,300 12,600 18,500 26,500 15,000 11,000

 Female 5,500 9,800 12,300 18,400 25,700 12,500 10,200

Race/ethnicity2

 White 5,800 10,300 12,600 19,800 27,100 14,000 11,100

 Black 5,300 8,900 11,900 15,400 22,200 12,300 9,200

 Hispanic 5,200 8,800 10,700 14,400 19,800 12,900 8,900

 Asian 6,200 10,200 13,600 21,800 30,400 16,400 11,800

 American Indian 5,100 10,000 9,700 16,900 ‡ 12,000 8,100

 Pacific Islander 4,600 ‡ 13,200 ‡ ‡ 15,900 9,000

 Multiple races 5,600 10,100 12,700 18,600 28,900 14,500 10,700

 Other 6,300 10,500 11,900 18,700 26,000 13,900 10,900

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 6,300 11,300 14,100 23,900 30,100 14,700 12,800

 19–23 years 6,000 11,000 13,300 22,500 28,600 13,700 12,500

 24–29 years 5,400 8,400 10,100 13,700 16,200 13,200 8,600

 30–39 years 5,300 8,200 9,000 12,000 13,400 13,300 7,900

 40 years or older 4,900 7,700 8,200 11,100 13,000 13,400 7,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 6,200 11,300 13,600 23,500 29,300 14,800 13,100

 Independent 5,200 8,300 9,700 12,700 15,200 13,100 8,000

 Unmarried, no dependents 5,400 8,800 10,300 14,700 16,400 14,300 8,900

 Married, no dependents 5,200 8,400 10,200 11,900 15,200 14,700 8,000

 Single parent 5,100 7,900 8,900 12,300 14,500 11,600 7,500

 Married parents 5,200 7,800 8,800 11,500 13,700 13,100 7,500

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

152 

Table 4.1-C.—Average net price after federal grants among undergraduates, by type of institution and selected

Table 4.1-C.—institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $5,300 $8,600 $11,100 $17,100 $23,700 $12,400 $9,900

 $20,000–39,999 5,600 10,000 12,000 20,600 26,200 14,100 11,200

 $40,000–59,999 6,700 11,500 13,200 22,500 28,400 15,600 12,500

 $60,000–79,999 6,800 12,000 14,100 24,900 29,500 17,400 13,500

 $80,000–99,999 6,600 12,600 14,300 26,100 31,300 16,800 15,000

 $100,000 or more 6,500 12,500 15,000 27,400 32,000 17,300 16,100

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 5,300 8,500 9,900 14,600 16,400 11,800 8,300

 $10,000–19,999 5,400 8,700 10,400 13,500 16,000 12,700 8,400

 $20,000–29,999 5,200 8,400 9,400 12,900 15,100 12,600 8,000

 $30,000–49,999 5,300 8,300 10,300 12,500 14,500 14,400 8,100

 $50,000 or more 5,000 7,800 8,600 10,900 14,200 14,500 7,400

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 5,300 8,800 10,800 16,800 22,200 12,200 9,300

 Middle 50 percent 5,800 10,400 12,600 18,700 25,700 13,800 10,600

 Highest 25 percent 5,500 10,400 13,500 19,400 28,800 14,900 11,700

Aid status

 No aid 5,200 8,900 11,300 15,200 25,200 11,600 7,800

 Received aid 6,100 10,500 12,900 19,000 26,300 13,700 12,200

Grant status

 No grants 5,500 10,000 12,200 15,800 25,500 14,500 9,100

 Received grants 5,800 10,000 12,600 19,300 26,300 12,900 11,900

Loan status3

 No loans 5,300 8,900 11,700 15,300 24,400 10,900 8,300

 Received loans 7,900 11,500 13,300 20,700 27,500 14,400 14,800

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. Averages include students who received no aid. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during 

the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year”

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

153 

Table 4.1-D.—Average net tuition (tuition and fees minus total grants) among undergraduates, by type of

Table 4.1-D.—institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $700 $2,200 $3,100 $6,900 $11,800 $5,600 $2,900

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 700 2,200 3,100 6,600 11,400 5,600 2,900

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 1,200 2,900 3,800 8,700 14,000 7,800 4,800

 Full-time/part-year 700 1,600 2,400 6,000 8,600 4,800 2,900

 Part-time/full-year 600 1,600 2,500 4,700 7,200 5,300 1,700

 Part-time/part-year 300 900 1,200 1,800 3,200 2,800 800

Housing

 On campus 700 3,400 3,800 9,500 13,500 7,400 6,500

 Off campus 600 1,800 2,900 4,900 9,500 5,400 2,300

 Living with parents 800 2,000 2,700 6,200 9,200 6,200 2,200

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 300 600 700 700 800 700 400

 $4,000–7,999 600 1,200 1,500 1,500 1,800 2,000 900

 $8,000–11,999 1,000 1,800 2,200 2,900 2,900 3,400 1,800

 $12,000–15,999 1,400 2,700 2,800 4,100 4,100 5,500 3,000

 $16,000 or more 2,700 5,100 5,700 9,300 14,000 8,000 8,700

Gender

 Male 700 2,400 3,300 7,000 12,100 6,300 3,200

 Female 600 2,000 2,900 6,400 10,900 5,200 2,700

Race/ethnicity2

 White 700 2,400 3,300 7,400 12,400 5,800 3,200

 Black 500 1,400 2,600 4,800 7,800 4,900 2,200

 Hispanic 400 1,300 1,900 4,200 7,000 5,500 2,100

 Asian 800 2,700 3,600 9,100 13,800 7,300 3,500

 American Indian 500 1,400 1,600 3,900 ‡ 5,200 1,400

 Pacific Islander 400 ‡ 3,100 ‡ ‡ 6,400 2,200

 Multiple races 600 1,700 3,200 6,900 12,400 6,000 2,900

 Other 800 2,200 3,000 7,300 12,300 5,600 3,100

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 800 2,600 3,500 8,600 12,800 6,500 3,700

 19–23 years 800 2,600 3,600 8,600 12,900 6,200 3,800

 24–29 years 500 1,500 1,900 4,500 6,400 5,400 2,000

 30–39 years 500 1,300 1,600 3,800 5,200 5,100 1,700

 40 years or older 400 1,200 1,700 3,400 4,800 5,000 1,500

Dependency status

 Dependent 900 2,800 3,600 8,900 13,100 6,900 4,000

 Independent 500 1,300 1,900 4,100 5,900 5,200 1,800

 Unmarried, no dependents 600 1,500 2,100 5,200 6,800 6,300 2,300

 Married, no dependents 600 1,700 2,300 4,100 5,600 5,800 1,900

 Single parent 400 800 1,300 3,800 5,400 4,300 1,500

 Married parents 500 1,200 1,500 3,500 4,800 4,900 1,600

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

154 

Table 4.1-D.—Average net tuition (tuition and fees minus total grants) among undergraduates, by type of 

Table 4.1-D.—institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $500 $1,000 $1,600 $4,600 $7,400 $5,100 $2,000

 $20,000–39,999 600 1,600 2,300 6,000 9,300 6,300 2,600

 $40,000–59,999 1,000 2,900 3,500 7,400 11,000 7,500 3,500

 $60,000–79,999 1,100 3,300 4,000 9,100 12,700 8,700 4,200

 $80,000–99,999 1,100 4,100 4,200 10,600 14,800 8,700 5,200

 $100,000 or more 1,200 3,800 4,900 13,500 17,100 8,800 6,400

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 400 1,000 1,600 4,500 6,300 4,700 1,800

 $10,000–19,999 400 1,400 1,800 4,500 6,300 5,300 1,900

 $20,000–29,999 500 1,200 1,800 4,200 5,600 5,200 1,800

 $30,000–49,999 500 1,400 2,200 4,300 5,300 5,700 1,800

 $50,000 or more 600 1,700 2,100 3,500 5,800 5,300 1,700

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 500 1,100 1,700 4,800 7,600 5,000 2,000

 Middle 50 percent 700 2,400 3,200 6,500 10,500 5,900 2,900

 Highest 25 percent 800 3,000 4,200 8,400 15,000 5,900 4,000

Aid status

 No aid 900 2,800 4,400 9,500 17,100 6,200 2,600

 Received aid 400 1,900 2,600 6,200 10,100 5,500 3,100

Grant status

 No grants 900 3,200 4,500 9,200 17,000 7,100 3,200

 Received grants 200 1,200 1,800 5,800 9,200 4,800 2,600

Loan status3

 No loans 600 2,000 3,300 6,400 12,700 4,500 2,200

 Received loans 800 2,400 2,900 6,900 10,400 6,000 4,300

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. If the grant amount is greater than tuition and fees, the net tuition was set to zero. Averages include students who 

received no aid. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those 

who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. 

Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

155 

Table 4.1-E.—Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary education 

Table 4.1-E.—among dependent undergraduates, by dependent student family income and selected institutional 

Table 4.1-E.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Less All

Institutional and than $20,000– $40,000– $60,000– $80,000– $100,000 dependent

student characteristics $20,000 39,999 59,999 79,999 99,999 or more students

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $5,500 $6,000 $7,500 $8,500 $9,400 $11,500 $8,200

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 5,500 6,000 7,500 8,500 9,400 11,500 8,200

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 4,600 5,500 5,300 7,400 ‡ 6,000 5,800

 2-year 4,400 4,500 5,700 6,000 5,800 5,900 5,300

 4-year 5,200 5,800 7,900 8,700 9,100 10,600 8,200

 Non-doctorate-granting 4,800 5,200 7,300 7,900 8,800 9,200 7,200

 Doctorate-granting 5,500 6,100 8,100 9,100 9,300 11,100 8,600

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 6,200 6,900 7,800 7,800 9,400 11,500 7,900

 4-year 8,900 9,800 10,800 12,800 15,000 19,700 13,700

 Non-doctorate-granting 7,600 8,300 9,200 10,500 12,200 16,700 11,100

 Doctorate-granting 10,600 11,800 13,200 16,000 18,200 22,000 16,700

 Private for-profit 6,400 6,800 7,900 8,900 9,000 9,200 7,500

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 6,600 7,300 9,300 10,400 11,100 14,100 10,100

 Full-time/part-year 5,300 5,500 6,100 6,200 8,100 9,500 6,800

 Part-time/full-year 4,400 4,800 6,100 6,500 7,400 7,900 6,100

 Part-time/part-year 2,700 2,800 3,200 3,300 3,500 3,400 3,100

Housing

 On campus 6,400 6,700 8,600 10,200 11,600 15,100 10,500

 Off campus 6,000 6,200 8,100 8,900 9,600 11,200 8,500

 Living with parents 4,900 5,500 6,500 7,100 7,200 7,700 6,400

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 2,100 2,400 2,600 2,600 2,300 2,600 2,400

 $4,000–7,999 3,800 4,100 5,000 5,300 5,300 5,500 4,700

 $8,000–11,999 5,000 5,700 7,100 7,800 7,600 8,400 6,900

 $12,000–15,999 6,100 6,200 8,500 9,400 9,700 10,600 8,600

 $16,000 or more 9,100 9,700 11,400 12,700 14,100 17,900 13,300

Gender

 Male 5,800 6,100 7,700 8,500 9,600 11,000 8,300

 Female 5,300 5,900 7,400 8,500 9,200 12,000 8,100

See notes at end of table.
Section 4: Net Price and Need

156 

Table 4.1-E.—Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary education 

Table 4.1-E.—among dependent undergraduates, by dependent student family income and selected institutional 

Table 4.1-E.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Less All

Institutional and than $20,000– $40,000– $60,000– $80,000– $100,000 dependent

student characteristics $20,000 39,999 59,999 79,999 99,999 or more students

Race/ethnicity1

 White $6,100 $6,500 $7,700 $8,500 $9,700 $11,600 $8,800

 Black 4,600 4,400 6,500 6,800 7,300 8,300 5,600

 Hispanic 5,100 5,400 6,800 7,600 7,800 9,900 6,400

 Asian 6,700 7,600 9,300 11,800 10,900 14,300 9,700

 American Indian 4,400 4,400 5,900 9,200 ‡ 6,300 6,200

 Pacific Islander ‡ 4,400 6,100 ‡ ‡ 7,200 6,700

 Multiple races 4,600 5,100 7,700 8,100 8,100 13,000 7,900

 Other 5,200 6,100 7,600 9,400 10,400 14,000 8,500

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 5,400 5,700 7,200 8,200 9,100 12,100 8,100

 19–23 years 5,600 6,100 7,600 8,600 9,500 11,300 8,200

 24–29 years † † † † † † †

 30–39 years † † † † † † †

 40 years or older † † † † † † †

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 5,500 5,600 † † † † 5,600

 Middle 50 percent † 6,700 7,500 8,500 9,100 † 8,000

 Highest 25 percent † † † † 10,100 11,500 11,300

Aid status

 No aid 7,500 8,000 8,700 9,600 10,600 12,000 9,900

 Received aid 5,000 5,400 6,800 7,800 8,600 11,000 7,200

Grant status

 No grants 7,600 7,800 8,200 9,000 9,700 11,300 9,400

 Received grants 4,900 5,300 6,800 7,800 9,000 11,800 7,000

Loan status2

 No loans 6,300 6,900 8,500 9,400 10,500 12,300 9,200

 Received loans 4,200 4,800 6,100 7,100 7,900 9,500 6,500

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

2

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. Students age 24 or older are independent. This table excludes 

students attending more than one institution. Averages include students who received no aid. Students who were enrolled part 

time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are 

included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

157 

Table 4.1-F.—Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary education

Table 4.1-F.—among independent undergraduates, by independent student income and selected institutional and

Table 4.1-F.—student characteristics: 2003–04

All

Less indepenInstitutional and than $10,000– $20,000– $30,000– $50,000 dent

student characteristics $10,000 19,999 29,999 49,999 or more students

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $4,900 $4,800 $4,800 $5,200 $5,400 $5,100

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 4,900 4,800 4,800 5,200 5,400 5,100

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 4,900 5,600 5,000 6,500 6,100 5,700

 2-year 4,100 4,000 4,200 4,300 4,400 4,200

 4-year 4,400 4,500 4,500 5,600 5,900 5,000

 Non-doctorate-granting 4,000 4,700 4,400 5,600 5,900 4,900

 Doctorate-granting 4,600 4,400 4,700 5,600 6,000 5,000

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 6,700 6,100 5,800 5,900 6,800 6,300

 4-year 7,600 7,100 6,800 7,100 6,900 7,100

 Non-doctorate-granting 7,400 6,700 6,700 7,000 6,200 6,800

 Doctorate-granting 8,200 8,300 7,300 7,700 9,100 8,300

 Private for-profit 6,600 6,500 6,200 7,200 8,100 6,900

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 6,700 6,900 8,000 9,300 11,000 7,900

 Full-time/part-year 4,700 4,800 4,600 5,600 6,100 5,100

 Part-time/full-year 4,900 4,700 4,700 5,400 6,100 5,200

 Part-time/part-year 2,700 2,800 3,000 3,100 3,200 3,000

Housing

 On campus 5,100 4,000 6,000 5,800 7,900 5,300

 Off campus 4,900 4,900 4,900 5,200 5,400 5,100

 Living with parents 5,000 4,800 4,500 5,200 5,000 4,900

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 2,500 2,600 2,600 2,600 2,800 2,700

 $4,000–7,999 3,900 3,900 4,300 4,600 5,000 4,400

 $8,000–11,999 4,600 4,600 4,900 5,800 6,700 5,300

 $12,000–15,999 5,900 5,900 5,800 7,200 8,800 6,600

 $16,000 or more 9,000 9,000 9,700 10,400 11,700 9,800

Gender

 Male 5,100 5,100 5,100 5,400 5,400 5,200

 Female 4,800 4,700 4,700 5,100 5,400 5,000

Race/ethnicity1

 White 4,800 4,800 4,800 5,200 5,300 5,000

 Black 4,600 4,600 4,600 5,100 5,500 4,800

 Hispanic 5,100 5,200 5,000 5,300 5,600 5,200

 Asian 7,300 6,200 6,000 6,100 6,000 6,400

 American Indian 3,100 3,500 4,700 4,600 4,500 4,100

 Pacific Islander 4,800 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 4,600

 Multiple races 5,100 4,600 4,900 4,900 5,100 4,900

 Other 5,400 5,200 5,500 5,600 6,200 5,600

See notes at end of table.
Section 4: Net Price and Need

158 

Table 4.1-F.—Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary education

Table 4.1-F.—among independent undergraduates, by independent student income and selected institutional and

Table 4.1-F.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

All

Less indepenInstitutional and than $10,000– $20,000– $30,000– $50,000 dent

student characteristics $10,000 19,999 29,999 49,999 or more students

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger $5,100 $6,200 ‡ ‡ ‡ $5,500

 19–23 years 5,300 5,400 5,400 6,700 7,000 5,700

 24–29 years 5,000 5,000 4,800 5,500 5,200 5,100

 30–39 years 4,900 4,600 4,800 4,900 5,400 5,000

 40 years or older 4,400 4,400 4,600 4,800 5,200 4,800

Independent students

 Unmarried, no dependents 5,000 5,200 5,600 5,900 5,600 5,300

 Married, no dependents 5,700 5,300 5,100 5,900 5,400 5,500

 Single parent 4,800 4,500 4,400 5,000 5,600 4,700

 Married parents 4,600 4,600 4,300 4,600 5,300 4,900

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 4,900 5,000 † † † 4,900

 Middle 50 percent † 4,800 4,800 5,200 † 5,000

 Highest 25 percent † † † † 5,400 5,400

Aid status

 No aid 6,700 5,900 5,600 5,600 5,500 5,800

 Received aid 4,200 4,500 4,500 5,000 5,300 4,600

Grant status

 No grants 6,500 5,600 5,600 5,600 5,500 5,700

 Received grants 4,100 4,400 4,200 4,800 5,000 4,500

Loan status2

 No loans 5,800 5,400 5,200 5,400 5,300 5,400

 Received loans 3,400 3,900 4,300 4,800 6,000 4,300

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin 

unless specified.

2

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. Averages include students who received no aid. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during 

the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/

full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

159 

Table 4.1-G.—Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary education

Table 4.1-G.—among full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and 

Table 4.1-G.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $7,500 $7,600 $9,000 $11,300 $17,900 $10,200 $9,500

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 7,400 7,600 8,900 11,200 17,500 10,100 9,500

Housing

 On campus 4,600 7,700 9,100 11,100 18,300 13,200 10,900

 Off campus 7,600 7,400 8,900 11,500 17,700 10,300 9,200

 Living with parents 7,500 7,600 8,700 11,200 13,200 9,300 8,400

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 $4,000–7,999 4,900 3,700 4,600 ‡ ‡ ‡ 4,900

 $8,000–11,999 7,100 6,100 6,600 5,600 4,900 7,300 6,700

 $12,000–15,999 9,800 7,800 7,900 6,100 7,000 8,400 8,200

 $16,000 or more 11,400 10,000 11,100 11,600 18,000 10,500 12,500

Gender

 Male 7,800 7,800 9,300 11,700 18,400 10,000 9,800

 Female 7,200 7,400 8,700 10,900 16,800 10,200 9,200

Race/ethnicity2

 White 7,600 7,900 9,400 11,600 18,900 10,400 9,900

 Black 6,100 5,200 6,100 8,600 10,300 9,600 7,000

 Hispanic 7,400 6,500 7,100 10,900 11,800 9,700 8,400

 Asian 9,200 9,300 10,600 16,200 21,100 11,300 11,800

 American Indian 6,500 ‡ 6,300 ‡ ‡ ‡ 7,000

 Pacific Islander ‡ ‡ 9,700 ‡ ‡ ‡ 8,900

 Multiple races 7,800 6,500 9,100 10,000 18,300 10,900 9,400

 Other 8,600 9,000 9,400 11,200 19,000 9,900 10,300

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 7,300 7,900 9,500 11,500 17,400 9,400 9,700

 19–23 years 7,700 7,900 9,400 11,500 18,100 10,100 10,000

 24–29 years 6,900 6,300 5,600 9,000 11,000 10,300 7,500

 30–39 years 7,200 5,600 6,300 10,300 13,400 9,900 8,000

 40 years or older 7,300 6,000 6,100 12,300 ‡ 10,500 8,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 7,700 8,000 9,500 11,500 18,100 10,000 10,100

 Independent 7,000 6,200 6,400 10,300 12,600 10,200 7,900

 Unmarried, no dependents 7,600 6,000 6,400 10,900 13,500 11,000 8,100

 Married, no dependents 9,300 8,400 8,600 11,100 13,900 10,900 9,600

 Single parent 5,900 4,300 5,000 9,700 11,100 9,300 6,900

 Married parents 7,200 7,400 5,600 10,000 11,400 10,000 8,100

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

160 

Table 4.1-G.—Average out-of-pocket net price (price of attendance minus total aid) of postsecondary education

Table 4.1-G.—among full-time/full-year undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and 

Table 4.1-G.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $6,100 $5,200 $5,800 $7,900 $10,700 $8,500 $6,600

 $20,000–39,999 6,400 5,600 6,700 8,400 12,600 9,100 7,300

 $40,000–59,999 8,000 8,100 9,200 10,000 14,000 11,100 9,300

 $60,000–79,999 9,000 8,700 10,200 11,100 17,700 10,500 10,400

 $80,000–99,999 8,400 9,800 10,100 11,800 19,600 11,800 11,100

 $100,000 or more 8,900 10,500 12,200 17,300 23,800 12,600 14,100

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 6,500 4,400 5,400 8,700 10,600 9,800 6,700

 $10,000–19,999 5,800 5,700 5,400 8,900 11,300 9,700 6,900

 $20,000–29,999 7,000 5,800 6,400 11,100 11,700 9,700 8,000

 $30,000–49,999 7,800 9,000 7,900 12,800 14,300 10,200 9,300

 $50,000 or more 9,600 10,900 10,000 12,500 20,000 11,600 11,000

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 6,200 5,000 5,700 8,100 10,900 9,500 6,700

 Middle 50 percent 7,700 7,900 9,100 10,700 15,800 10,000 9,300

 Highest 25 percent 9,100 10,500 11,700 15,800 23,500 11,800 13,300

Aid status

 No aid 10,200 13,600 15,900 29,100 35,700 18,300 15,100

 Received aid 5,700 5,800 6,700 9,700 14,100 9,400 7,800

Grant status

 No grants 9,600 10,800 12,700 22,800 30,800 12,700 12,900

 Received grants 5,500 5,400 6,300 9,200 13,300 9,000 7,500

Loan status3

 No loans 8,400 10,600 12,800 18,700 26,700 15,100 12,300

 Received loans 4,300 4,800 5,300 8,000 11,400 8,800 6,600

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. Averages include students who received no aid. Standard error tables are available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

161 

Table 4.1-H.—Average net tuition (tuition and fees minus total grants) among full-time/full-year undergraduates,

Table 4.1-H.—by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $1,200 $2,900 $3,800 $9,100 $14,400 $7,900 $4,800

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 1,200 2,900 3,800 8,700 14,000 7,800 4,800

Housing

 On campus 1,000 3,800 4,100 9,600 14,600 12,000 7,100

 Off campus 1,200 2,500 3,700 8,000 14,100 7,700 4,300

 Living with parents 1,200 2,400 3,200 7,500 11,100 7,800 3,100

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

 $4,000–7,999 700 300 400 ‡ ‡ ‡ 700

 $8,000–11,999 1,100 1,800 2,100 700 800 1,900 1,400

 $12,000–15,999 1,500 2,700 2,700 3,000 2,600 4,900 2,600

 $16,000 or more 3,000 5,200 5,700 9,200 14,500 8,400 8,800

Gender

 Male 1,400 3,100 4,000 9,100 14,900 8,900 5,100

 Female 1,100 2,600 3,600 8,400 13,400 6,900 4,500

Race/ethnicity2

 White 1,400 3,100 4,000 9,700 15,200 8,100 5,200

 Black 700 1,800 3,200 6,300 9,100 7,200 3,500

 Hispanic 800 1,500 2,200 5,000 9,000 7,200 3,400

 Asian 1,800 3,700 4,100 11,400 16,000 9,400 5,700

 American Indian 900 ‡ 2,100 ‡ ‡ ‡ 2,500

 Pacific Islander ‡ ‡ 3,300 ‡ ‡ ‡ 4,000

 Multiple races 1,100 1,900 4,000 8,700 15,200 8,000 4,700

 Other 1,400 2,900 3,600 9,100 14,900 7,600 4,800

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 1,100 2,900 3,700 9,300 13,800 8,100 4,700

 19–23 years 1,400 3,100 4,000 9,200 14,500 8,300 5,200

 24–29 years 1,000 2,000 2,500 6,200 10,100 7,600 3,600

 30–39 years 900 1,800 2,400 7,000 9,800 7,300 3,500

 40 years or older 800 1,400 2,700 7,500 ‡ 7,400 3,600

Dependency status

 Dependent 1,400 3,200 4,000 9,300 14,500 8,800 5,300

 Independent 900 1,700 2,600 6,900 10,000 7,400 3,500

 Unmarried, no dependents 1,300 2,000 2,800 7,700 11,700 9,300 4,200

 Married, no dependents 1,700 2,300 3,400 7,700 10,700 8,100 4,300

 Single parent 500 900 1,600 6,100 7,500 5,700 2,600

 Married parents 900 1,700 2,100 6,400 8,500 6,800 3,300

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

162 

Table 4.1-H.—Average net tuition (tuition and fees minus total grants) among full-time/full-year undergraduates,

Table 4.1-H.—by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $700 $1,100 $1,700 $4,600 $7,600 $6,700 $2,500

 $20,000–39,999 800 1,800 2,500 6,000 10,300 8,000 3,400

 $40,000–59,999 1,500 3,300 4,000 8,000 11,800 9,800 4,600

 $60,000–79,999 1,800 3,700 4,400 9,800 14,400 10,700 5,400

 $80,000–99,999 1,700 4,600 4,500 10,600 16,200 11,200 6,400

 $100,000 or more 2,000 4,600 5,500 14,200 18,800 11,600 8,200

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 800 1,000 1,900 5,400 8,800 6,500 2,600

 $10,000–19,999 600 1,600 2,400 6,100 8,800 7,500 3,100

 $20,000–29,999 800 1,700 2,700 6,900 9,700 7,700 3,800

 $30,000–49,999 1,100 2,300 3,600 9,300 11,600 7,500 4,400

 $50,000 or more 1,700 3,400 3,800 9,000 14,200 7,900 5,100

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 700 1,200 1,800 5,200 8,600 6,900 2,700

 Middle 50 percent 1,300 3,200 4,000 8,600 13,000 8,100 4,700

 Highest 25 percent 1,900 4,500 5,200 12,900 18,500 8,600 7,500

Aid status

 No aid 2,000 4,600 6,200 19,500 24,900 9,200 6,000

 Received aid 700 2,400 3,000 7,800 12,000 7,700 4,400

Grant status

 No grants 2,100 4,800 6,100 17,600 24,200 10,300 6,500

 Received grants 400 1,500 2,100 7,200 10,900 6,700 3,800

Loan status3

 No loans 1,200 2,900 4,200 10,500 17,500 6,400 4,400

 Received loans 1,100 2,800 3,300 7,900 11,700 8,100 5,200

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. If the grant amount is greater than tuition and fees, the net tuition was set to zero. Averages include students who 

received no aid. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

163 

Table 4.2.—Average federal expected family contribution (EFC) among undergraduates, by type of institution

Table 4.2.—and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $8,900 $9,400 $11,400 $10,500 $14,700 $5,500 $9,600

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 8,900 9,300 11,300 10,100 14,300 5,400 9,600

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 7,600 9,100 11,800 10,400 15,300 5,600 10,100

 Full-time/part-year 7,800 8,200 11,100 9,400 13,800 4,800 8,200

 Part-time/full-year 8,400 9,400 10,400 8,100 11,400 5,800 8,700

 Part-time/part-year 10,500 10,400 10,400 11,600 11,900 5,900 10,300

Housing

 On campus 9,900 10,800 13,100 12,700 16,600 8,900 13,100

 Off campus 8,300 8,900 10,600 8,600 12,800 5,400 8,600

 Living with parents 10,000 8,800 10,700 9,300 10,000 5,100 9,600

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 10,800 10,500 10,900 13,700 9,100 7,300 10,800

 $4,000–7,999 8,100 9,400 10,300 10,300 11,200 5,400 8,500

 $8,000–11,999 7,600 8,500 10,400 7,100 9,800 4,400 8,100

 $12,000–15,999 6,600 9,500 11,200 7,300 10,500 4,500 9,100

 $16,000 or more 8,300 9,500 12,800 10,900 15,500 6,300 11,400

Gender

 Male 10,400 9,900 12,000 9,900 15,100 6,400 10,600

 Female 7,800 8,800 10,800 10,200 13,700 4,800 8,800

Race/ethnicity2

 White 10,700 10,700 12,700 12,300 16,400 7,100 11,400

 Black 4,700 5,400 6,600 5,100 7,900 3,100 4,900

 Hispanic 6,200 5,300 7,800 4,900 8,000 3,500 6,100

 Asian 7,800 6,400 9,800 7,800 13,000 6,700 8,600

 American Indian 6,900 9,700 6,800 5,300 ‡ 4,800 6,900

 Pacific Islander 15,700 ‡ 9,200 ‡ ‡ 7,500 12,700

 Multiple races 8,500 9,200 10,900 9,200 17,200 6,600 9,400

 Other 7,600 5,900 10,100 7,700 15,500 5,600 8,200

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 10,600 10,700 13,800 13,700 18,500 4,800 12,100

 19–23 years 10,000 10,400 12,800 10,900 15,100 5,200 11,100

 24–29 years 6,000 5,600 4,800 4,900 6,100 3,700 5,400

 30–39 years 7,600 7,800 8,100 6,900 9,900 5,700 7,400

 40 years or older 9,800 10,000 10,500 13,000 11,900 8,400 10,000

Dependency status

 Dependent 11,500 11,000 13,500 12,300 16,200 6,900 12,400

 Independent 7,200 7,000 6,300 7,500 8,000 4,900 6,800

 Unmarried, no dependents 6,300 5,600 4,500 6,400 7,200 5,600 5,800

 Married, no dependents 18,000 14,500 14,000 19,500 13,300 14,300 16,600

 Single parent 1,500 1,400 1,400 1,200 2,000 900 1,300

 Married parents 8,200 8,400 7,500 8,400 9,500 6,300 7,900

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

164 

Table 4.2.—Average federal expected family contribution (EFC) among undergraduates, by type of institution

Table 4.2.—and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $600 $400 $600 $600 $1,000 $700 $600

 $20,000–39,999 2,700 2,400 2,600 2,700 3,200 2,200 2,700

 $40,000–59,999 6,600 6,100 6,000 5,900 6,300 6,100 6,300

 $60,000–79,999 10,900 10,400 10,700 10,300 10,800 10,600 10,700

 $80,000–99,999 16,200 15,500 15,400 15,500 16,000 15,100 15,700

 $100,000 or more 36,900 30,400 32,100 31,400 33,500 28,300 33,300

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 300 400 300 200 800 200 300

 $10,000–19,999 1,500 2,000 2,200 1,600 2,300 1,400 1,700

 $20,000–29,999 2,800 3,400 4,000 3,200 4,100 2,600 3,100

 $30,000–49,999 6,000 6,500 6,900 6,100 7,400 6,400 6,200

 $50,000 or more 19,900 20,100 20,800 19,300 20,400 16,200 19,500

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 800 900 1,000 900 1,500 500 800

 Middle 50 percent 5,800 6,900 7,700 6,500 8,300 4,300 6,400

 Highest 25 percent 24,400 24,500 27,900 24,300 29,400 17,900 25,200

Aid status

 No aid 12,100 14,100 16,000 15,000 19,800 10,400 13,300

 Received aid 5,200 6,900 9,300 9,200 13,000 4,800 7,400

Grant status

 No grants 11,800 13,400 15,600 13,700 20,600 10,600 13,100

 Received grants 4,500 5,200 7,400 8,800 11,800 2,700 6,200

Loan status3

 No loans 9,400 11,000 13,800 12,600 17,400 7,300 10,800

 Received loans 5,000 7,000 8,400 8,200 11,600 4,700 7,300

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of

time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the

“part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

165 

Table 4.3-A.—Percentage of undergraduates who have need for federal aid, by type of institution and selected

Table 4.3-A.—institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 58.0 69.6 69.3 81.0 81.9 90.7 67.9

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 58.0 69.9 69.4 81.7 82.3 90.8 68.2

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 74.9 77.4 73.7 90.2 87.5 94.2 79.4

 Full-time/part-year 61.5 70.3 64.7 80.7 78.7 91.3 72.6

 Part-time/full-year 62.9 68.7 71.0 82.4 79.0 88.6 67.8

 Part-time/part-year 41.8 43.8 48.4 50.8 56.2 83.7 45.9

Housing

 On campus 59.7 71.8 69.4 87.1 84.5 83.2 75.8

 Off campus 60.4 70.4 70.2 77.5 78.7 91.0 68.9

 Living with parents 53.3 67.2 66.7 83.4 84.2 90.9 62.2

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 38.9 33.1 36.0 30.2 40.2 59.3 38.4

 $4,000–7,999 61.6 60.0 54.7 56.2 49.6 77.6 61.2

 $8,000–11,999 74.8 73.7 69.3 78.6 73.3 90.0 75.1

 $12,000–15,999 86.1 78.3 73.1 87.2 76.3 94.1 79.6

 $16,000 or more 90.8 86.3 79.5 89.9 87.1 94.8 87.3

Gender

 Male 53.0 68.0 67.8 80.6 81.2 90.1 65.4

 Female 61.4 71.4 70.8 82.5 83.2 91.2 70.3

Race/ethnicity2

 White 50.9 66.2 65.3 78.2 79.7 87.3 63.0

 Black 77.0 78.7 83.4 89.8 88.3 94.4 82.4

 Hispanic 65.5 81.5 78.1 88.6 89.1 94.8 75.9

 Asian 61.9 79.0 77.0 88.0 89.0 92.7 72.8

 American Indian 63.4 68.5 77.8 83.7 ‡ 83.1 70.8

 Pacific Islander 41.9 ‡ 76.3 ‡ ‡ 82.4 57.3

 Multiple races 57.4 68.9 70.6 85.3 79.6 89.3 67.7

 Other 68.5 83.8 71.4 82.6 77.4 94.0 75.1

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 56.4 70.4 66.5 83.1 81.0 92.3 66.8

 19–23 years 54.9 69.0 66.9 86.5 84.5 90.9 67.5

 24–29 years 66.7 76.6 83.9 84.0 86.4 95.0 76.7

 30–39 years 62.1 68.9 72.0 80.0 69.9 89.7 69.4

 40 years or older 52.3 63.0 61.3 61.7 64.0 84.0 58.5

Dependency status

 Dependent 50.2 67.5 65.4 85.1 83.4 87.9 64.9

 Independent 62.9 73.1 78.7 77.7 78.8 91.7 71.4

 Unmarried, no dependents 60.4 76.0 84.4 78.7 81.4 92.4 72.7

 Married, no dependents 24.9 51.9 59.1 49.4 64.1 72.7 40.2

 Single parent 92.2 93.3 95.5 97.2 97.3 98.8 94.2

 Married parents 56.7 67.1 69.8 73.3 72.5 87.9 64.7

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

166 

Table 4.3-A.—Percentage of undergraduates who have need for federal aid, by type of institution and selected

Table 4.3-A.—institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 95.7 99.2 98.4 99.4 99.6 99.3 97.7

 $20,000–39,999 83.3 95.8 96.5 97.3 98.2 99.6 91.7

 $40,000–59,999 54.5 86.8 89.9 94.6 96.5 94.0 77.2

 $60,000–79,999 25.7 65.7 71.5 94.2 92.3 84.9 59.2

 $80,000–99,999 12.9 37.3 45.6 84.2 92.1 64.8 44.6

 $100,000 or more 5.2 16.3 20.7 52.9 58.6 32.5 24.7

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 99.4 99.7 99.8 100.0 99.2 99.8 99.6

 $10,000–19,999 89.2 95.1 96.7 95.1 95.7 99.8 93.0

 $20,000–29,999 74.7 83.6 85.1 91.2 92.9 98.4 82.2

 $30,000–49,999 58.0 69.3 75.1 84.2 78.2 93.1 67.9

 $50,000 or more 14.5 25.1 26.9 40.7 43.0 63.9 25.1

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 96.1 98.8 98.4 99.1 99.1 99.7 97.7

 Middle 50 percent 60.1 76.3 78.8 91.3 92.9 95.7 73.5

 Highest 25 percent 11.8 22.0 24.3 49.4 59.3 59.2 26.3

Aid status

 No aid 41.1 48.0 49.6 57.7 67.4 66.8 45.4

 Received aid 77.1 80.4 78.2 85.9 86.0 93.7 81.6

Grant status

 No grants 43.6 54.7 54.4 65.7 68.5 80.8 51.3

 Received grants 79.7 84.7 83.1 87.0 87.9 96.0 84.5

Loan status3

 No loans 54.4 59.6 58.3 68.1 72.7 77.0 58.1

 Received loans 83.9 83.9 82.5 91.5 90.7 95.8 87.5

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin 

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution. Need is defined as the total price of attendance 

minus the expected family contribution (EFC). Those with a negative or zero balance after subtraction are considered to have zero 

need. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were 

enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error 

tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student

Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

167 

Table 4.3-B.—Average financial need among undergraduates who have need, by type of institution and

Table 4.3-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $5,300 $8,100 $9,400 $15,300 $19,400 $12,000 $9,200

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 5,300 8,100 9,300 15,100 19,100 12,000 9,200

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 8,100 9,800 10,900 18,700 22,200 16,600 12,800

 Full-time/part-year 4,400 4,900 5,800 11,500 13,600 10,100 7,700

 Part-time/full-year 5,100 6,600 7,900 10,700 13,300 10,900 6,800

 Part-time/part-year 2,600 3,400 3,900 5,600 6,800 6,000 3,500

Housing

 On campus 5,700 8,900 10,200 19,100 21,900 13,700 14,300

 Off campus 5,400 8,100 9,300 12,800 16,200 11,800 8,500

 Living with parents 5,000 7,300 7,800 13,600 15,800 12,200 7,600

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 2,300 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,800 2,800 2,300

 $4,000–7,999 4,500 4,400 4,600 4,200 4,200 5,000 4,500

 $8,000–11,999 7,200 7,000 6,800 7,700 7,500 8,100 7,200

 $12,000–15,999 10,300 9,800 9,300 10,100 9,600 11,100 9,900

 $16,000 or more 12,400 13,100 13,500 18,900 21,600 16,300 17,200

Gender

 Male 5,100 8,000 9,300 15,300 19,100 12,400 9,400

 Female 5,400 8,200 9,300 15,000 19,000 11,700 9,100

Race/ethnicity2

 White 5,100 7,800 8,800 15,300 18,600 11,200 9,100

 Black 5,800 9,200 11,100 14,700 19,600 12,300 9,500

 Hispanic 5,000 8,400 9,300 13,900 17,100 12,500 8,800

 Asian 5,700 9,200 11,300 19,200 23,900 13,500 10,700

 American Indian 5,700 6,900 8,600 17,000 ‡ 13,100 8,300

 Pacific Islander 5,300 ‡ 9,900 ‡ ‡ 15,000 9,400

 Multiple races 5,300 8,600 8,800 15,100 20,800 13,400 9,400

 Other 5,900 7,800 8,400 16,700 21,000 13,000 9,400

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 5,400 8,500 9,800 17,200 20,600 13,700 10,300

 19–23 years 5,300 8,200 9,400 17,200 20,300 12,400 10,300

 24–29 years 5,500 8,000 9,600 13,900 15,000 12,300 8,700

 30–39 years 5,400 7,800 8,200 10,800 12,300 11,400 7,700

 40 years or older 4,700 7,800 7,600 10,000 10,300 10,400 6,700

Dependency status

 Dependent 5,200 8,100 9,300 17,300 20,500 12,500 10,500

 Independent 5,300 8,100 9,400 12,400 14,200 11,800 8,200

 Unmarried, no dependents 5,200 8,200 9,700 14,500 15,200 11,400 8,600

 Married, no dependents 4,200 6,500 7,700 10,400 13,900 8,800 7,100

 Single parent 5,900 9,600 10,200 13,300 14,900 13,300 8,700

 Married parents 4,900 7,300 8,800 9,700 11,700 10,900 7,200

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

168 

Table 4.3-B.—Average financial need among undergraduates who have need, by type of institution and

Table 4.3-B.—selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $6,600 $10,900 $13,300 $20,000 $26,100 $14,900 $11,900

 $20,000–39,999 5,200 9,800 11,600 21,000 25,400 13,600 11,200

 $40,000–59,999 4,200 7,200 9,000 18,400 23,700 10,900 9,800

 $60,000–79,999 3,300 5,400 7,000 16,100 20,700 9,100 9,200

 $80,000–99,999 3,000 5,000 5,900 13,900 17,700 7,100 9,700

 $100,000 or more 4,300 5,100 5,400 12,100 13,000 8,300 9,300

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 6,200 10,400 11,600 16,700 17,900 13,900 9,800

 $10,000–19,999 5,700 8,300 9,900 14,100 15,600 13,100 8,600

 $20,000–29,999 5,200 7,700 7,800 12,300 13,000 12,000 7,900

 $30,000–49,999 4,100 5,700 7,000 9,800 11,500 9,900 6,400

 $50,000 or more 3,200 4,700 5,300 6,800 8,500 7,000 5,400

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 6,100 10,300 12,200 18,800 23,500 14,200 10,600

 Middle 50 percent 4,800 7,100 8,300 14,700 19,900 11,500 8,600

 Highest 25 percent 3,300 4,800 5,500 10,200 13,100 7,100 7,500

Aid status

 No aid 4,000 6,100 7,400 12,900 17,200 8,900 6,100

 Received aid 6,000 8,700 9,900 15,400 19,400 12,200 10,300

Grant status

 No grants 4,100 5,900 7,100 11,400 16,000 8,300 6,300

 Received grants 6,200 9,500 10,700 16,100 20,000 13,600 11,000

Loan status3

 No loans 4,900 7,300 8,400 12,800 16,900 9,900 7,200

 Received loans 6,800 8,900 10,200 16,400 20,600 12,600 11,900

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution and students who have no need. Need is defined as the 

total price of attendance minus the expected family contribution (EFC). Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of

time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the

“part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

169 

Table 4.4-A.—Percentage of undergraduates who have remaining need after receiving financial aid (if any), by

Table 4.4-A.—type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 49.0 46.3 44.1 52.2 55.2 63.2 49.6

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 49.0 46.8 44.4 54.2 56.2 63.6 50.0

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 64.0 52.4 48.8 60.3 61.7 76.9 57.7

 Full-time/part-year 51.7 46.7 40.0 55.6 53.3 61.2 52.2

 Part-time/full-year 52.9 44.3 39.8 53.9 49.1 57.1 50.2

 Part-time/part-year 35.3 29.6 31.0 30.4 32.1 44.9 34.7

Housing

 On campus 32.6 40.6 41.8 48.0 56.1 55.6 45.2

 Off campus 51.0 46.0 44.6 55.3 54.4 62.9 51.2

 Living with parents 46.0 53.7 47.7 62.5 61.6 67.3 50.1

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 36.1 29.7 33.4 28.4 38.3 49.3 35.5

 $4,000–7,999 52.9 46.5 42.3 39.6 34.2 56.9 50.7

 $8,000–11,999 59.0 48.3 41.6 58.5 54.9 56.8 53.3

 $12,000–15,999 67.6 50.1 46.5 55.6 51.5 65.2 53.4

 $16,000 or more 48.2 48.5 47.1 57.4 58.8 68.6 56.3

Gender

 Male 44.4 45.0 43.1 55.0 56.7 57.3 47.0

 Female 52.2 48.2 45.5 53.5 55.8 67.6 52.3

Race/ethnicity2

 White 42.1 42.7 40.9 47.5 52.6 54.8 44.0

 Black 64.5 55.6 48.8 66.5 61.2 73.2 62.7

 Hispanic 58.8 60.0 54.5 74.0 64.6 72.7 62.0

 Asian 56.5 62.5 58.9 69.8 68.7 60.1 59.6

 American Indian 50.5 32.0 50.7 49.1 ‡ 67.5 50.5

 Pacific Islander 37.9 ‡ 55.0 ‡ ‡ 62.6 44.1

 Multiple races 45.0 44.7 46.7 46.9 50.3 68.3 47.9

 Other 58.7 57.8 44.7 58.2 61.9 68.0 56.9

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 47.5 50.2 45.9 49.7 53.7 69.0 49.3

 19–23 years 46.6 46.2 43.8 55.0 58.0 67.8 48.7

 24–29 years 55.0 50.5 49.2 63.2 60.2 68.4 56.1

 30–39 years 52.5 42.2 40.4 54.3 50.3 59.9 51.8

 40 years or older 45.3 44.5 38.4 44.4 38.6 49.8 45.2

Dependency status

 Dependent 41.9 45.0 42.6 51.8 56.4 61.5 45.6

 Independent 53.5 49.3 48.5 56.9 55.4 64.3 54.4

 Unmarried, no dependents 47.8 47.6 50.8 56.1 54.3 56.7 50.4

 Married, no dependents 19.4 33.6 34.6 31.6 48.6 33.8 26.4

 Single parent 83.1 69.2 64.6 84.2 74.8 84.3 80.8

 Married parents 48.1 46.1 42.2 46.2 49.0 56.3 48.4

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

170 

Table 4.4-A.—Percentage of undergraduates who have remaining need after receiving financial aid (if any), by

Table 4.4-A.—type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 87.1 82.0 79.2 87.3 88.5 86.7 84.7

 $20,000–39,999 71.2 69.9 70.5 75.3 79.0 79.2 72.3

 $40,000–59,999 42.7 60.1 61.0 61.3 70.2 55.6 54.4

 $60,000–79,999 18.6 34.1 39.5 43.4 61.4 38.6 33.5

 $80,000–99,999 7.9 17.0 22.2 32.0 49.6 18.1 21.2

 $100,000 or more 3.4 5.9 9.9 23.3 31.0 9.8 11.9

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 90.0 74.6 73.0 87.3 82.6 86.4 84.8

 $10,000–19,999 75.3 67.9 57.5 80.3 73.1 80.1 73.3

 $20,000–29,999 64.1 48.7 46.3 67.1 59.6 69.9 61.4

 $30,000–49,999 46.4 41.6 41.0 56.9 52.0 49.1 46.8

 $50,000 or more 10.5 15.4 11.1 17.2 19.6 24.5 13.5

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 86.3 76.4 73.5 83.8 83.5 86.1 82.3

 Middle 50 percent 49.0 47.6 47.8 58.5 63.3 62.9 51.4

 Highest 25 percent 8.5 11.0 10.9 21.1 31.0 22.2 13.3

Aid status

 No aid 41.1 48.0 49.6 57.7 67.4 66.8 45.4

 Received aid 58.0 46.2 42.1 53.5 53.5 63.2 52.7

Grant status

 No grants 39.8 39.3 40.4 51.2 58.7 43.9 41.3

 Received grants 63.0 54.1 48.0 55.2 55.2 73.9 58.4

Loan status3

 No loans 50.5 54.1 51.5 58.7 63.7 72.1 53.0

 Received loans 38.1 36.8 35.9 50.9 49.7 60.5 44.4

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to

those listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. Remaining need is defined as the total price of attendance minus the expected family contribution (EFC) minus all types

of financial aid. Averages include students who received no aid. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time 

during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/

full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

171 

Table 4.4-B.—Average amount of remaining financial need among undergraduates who have need after receiving

Table 4.4-B.—financial aid (if any), by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics:

Table 4.4-B.—2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $3,800 $4,600 $5,600 $7,600 $11,200 $6,600 $5,300

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 3,800 4,600 5,600 7,600 10,900 6,600 5,300

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 5,400 5,300 6,300 8,800 12,000 8,500 7,000

 Full-time/part-year 3,300 3,400 4,100 6,800 9,300 5,700 4,800

 Part-time/full-year 3,700 4,200 4,900 6,100 8,600 5,500 4,300

 Part-time/part-year 2,100 2,400 2,800 3,400 4,300 3,800 2,400

Housing

 On campus 2,900 4,700 6,000 8,900 12,200 7,300 7,700

 Off campus 3,800 4,700 5,500 7,100 10,000 6,700 5,100

 Living with parents 3,700 4,400 5,100 7,200 8,500 6,400 4,600

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 2,000 2,200 2,100 2,100 2,400 2,100 2,000

 $4,000–7,999 3,300 2,900 3,300 2,800 2,700 3,300 3,300

 $8,000–11,999 4,900 4,000 4,300 4,500 4,500 4,600 4,600

 $12,000–15,999 7,700 5,400 5,100 5,400 6,400 6,200 5,900

 $16,000 or more 10,100 8,700 8,700 9,500 12,300 8,700 9,800

Gender

 Male 3,800 4,800 5,800 8,000 11,200 6,700 5,600

 Female 3,700 4,500 5,400 7,300 10,600 6,600 5,200

Race/ethnicity2

 White 3,600 4,600 5,600 7,700 11,500 6,600 5,400

 Black 3,800 4,000 5,100 6,700 8,100 6,400 4,900

 Hispanic 3,700 4,600 4,700 7,900 7,700 6,800 5,100

 Asian 4,600 6,300 7,100 12,200 14,200 8,000 6,900

 American Indian 4,000 ‡ 3,700 ‡ ‡ 6,100 4,200

 Pacific Islander 4,000 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 6,400 5,500

 Multiple races 3,900 4,500 5,200 7,400 9,900 6,900 5,200

 Other 3,900 5,000 5,400 9,000 12,600 6,100 5,600

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 3,700 4,600 5,600 8,200 11,200 6,600 5,500

 19–23 years 3,900 4,800 5,800 8,600 11,600 6,800 5,900

 24–29 years 3,800 4,600 5,200 6,800 8,000 6,700 5,000

 30–39 years 3,800 3,900 4,400 6,200 7,700 6,400 4,600

 40 years or older 3,500 4,600 4,400 5,900 7,300 6,300 4,300

Dependency status

 Dependent 3,700 4,700 5,700 8,500 11,600 6,500 5,900

 Independent 3,800 4,600 5,200 6,800 8,300 6,700 4,800

 Unmarried, no dependents 3,900 4,800 5,600 8,100 9,200 6,800 5,300

 Married, no dependents 3,500 4,600 5,000 5,700 7,900 6,100 4,700

 Single parent 3,900 4,500 5,300 6,800 8,700 6,900 4,900

 Married parents 3,400 4,500 4,400 5,500 6,200 6,200 4,300

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

172 

Table 4.4-B.—Average amount of remaining financial need among undergraduates who have need after receiving

Table 4.4-B.—financial aid (if any), by type of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics:

Table 4.4-B.—2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $4,500 $5,400 $6,400 $8,400 $11,300 $7,000 $6,100

 $20,000–39,999 3,500 4,800 5,800 8,500 11,800 6,400 5,600

 $40,000–59,999 3,300 4,400 5,900 8,000 11,600 6,600 5,600

 $60,000–79,999 2,700 4,000 5,300 8,300 12,300 5,000 5,900

 $80,000–99,999 2,800 3,800 4,700 8,400 13,200 5,800 7,000

 $100,000 or more 3,800 4,800 5,000 9,700 10,300 7,000 7,700

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 4,300 5,000 6,100 8,300 9,500 7,500 5,600

 $10,000–19,999 3,800 4,500 5,100 6,700 8,900 6,800 4,900

 $20,000–29,999 3,700 4,200 4,500 6,600 7,500 6,100 4,600

 $30,000–49,999 3,000 4,500 4,100 5,800 6,200 5,900 4,000

 $50,000 or more 2,400 3,800 3,800 4,300 6,900 5,100 3,600

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 4,200 5,100 6,000 8,300 10,800 7,300 5,600

 Middle 50 percent 3,500 4,400 5,300 7,300 11,000 6,200 5,100

 Highest 25 percent 2,600 3,900 4,700 7,100 10,600 5,200 5,600

Aid status

 No aid 4,000 6,100 7,400 12,900 17,200 8,900 6,100

 Received aid 3,500 3,900 4,600 6,600 8,900 6,300 5,000

Grant status

 No grants 4,000 5,600 6,900 11,000 15,900 7,100 5,900

 Received grants 3,500 4,000 4,600 6,600 8,700 6,500 5,000

Loan status3

 No loans 3,900 5,500 6,700 10,100 14,000 8,300 5,600

 Received loans 2,800 2,900 3,600 5,500 7,400 5,900 4,700

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: This table excludes students attending more than one institution and students who have no need. Remaining need is 

defined as the total price of attendance minus the expected family contribution (EFC) minus all types of financial aid. Students who

were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for

part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

173 

Table 4.5-A.—Among undergraduates with financial need, the percentage who received any financial aid, by type

Table 4.5-A.—of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 62.3 77.7 78.0 89.5 83.7 92.0 75.2

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 62.3 77.8 78.0 89.5 83.9 92.1 75.3

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 71.1 83.1 81.2 92.9 85.8 93.6 82.3

 Full-time/part-year 64.9 73.5 73.6 87.4 78.4 91.0 77.7

 Part-time/full-year 65.0 72.3 76.8 86.4 83.6 92.6 71.8

 Part-time/part-year 47.3 59.7 59.9 76.1 75.0 90.6 56.6

Housing

 On campus 88.6 85.4 81.9 92.3 84.5 82.2 85.6

 Off campus 63.4 77.2 77.6 87.9 81.9 92.6 74.9

 Living with parents 58.4 72.2 72.5 88.4 87.1 90.9 69.2

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 40.7 36.5 40.4 52.7 33.3 79.0 41.0

 $4,000–7,999 64.8 67.9 60.2 77.5 75.4 82.4 66.2

 $8,000–11,999 73.2 81.4 78.9 85.2 85.8 91.7 78.8

 $12,000–15,999 75.5 81.9 82.5 92.0 83.3 91.9 83.2

 $16,000 or more 70.3 85.1 81.9 92.2 84.7 95.2 87.8

Gender

 Male 57.3 76.6 76.5 86.8 82.8 93.0 73.3

 Female 65.2 78.6 79.2 91.5 84.8 91.5 76.7

Race/ethnicity2

 White 61.3 77.3 76.1 88.8 82.4 91.6 74.7

 Black 74.9 83.0 87.4 92.8 91.5 93.2 83.1

 Hispanic 55.8 82.3 82.0 91.5 90.1 93.0 74.0

 Asian 43.3 63.2 73.3 73.5 76.3 86.3 62.0

 American Indian 66.4 80.6 83.2 100.0 ‡ 88.0 77.1

 Pacific Islander 50.4 ‡ 82.1 ‡ ‡ 96.1 68.7

 Multiple races 64.1 75.4 77.1 89.9 88.0 90.2 75.5

 Other 64.1 78.0 77.5 84.5 82.1 93.1 75.2

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 65.4 81.8 81.9 93.6 88.0 91.2 78.6

 19–23 years 62.3 78.8 76.7 89.5 83.5 90.5 76.1

 24–29 years 64.0 76.8 81.2 89.6 84.6 93.1 76.6

 30–39 years 64.6 77.9 78.1 89.6 78.5 93.0 75.3

 40 years or older 55.4 68.5 71.9 84.9 81.7 92.2 67.0

Dependency status

 Dependent 62.8 79.8 78.1 91.1 84.4 89.7 77.3

 Independent 62.0 75.3 77.7 87.5 82.4 92.8 73.6

 Unmarried, no dependents 58.5 75.1 76.8 87.2 81.9 92.3 73.0

 Married, no dependents 60.3 75.0 74.2 87.0 82.4 89.9 73.7

 Single parent 64.5 77.8 78.9 85.4 80.4 93.9 74.2

 Married parents 62.0 73.0 81.4 90.3 85.3 92.5 73.6

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

174 

Table 4.5-A.—Among undergraduates with financial need, the percentage who received any financial aid, by type

Table 4.5-A.—of institution and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 64.5 84.2 84.6 93.5 94.5 94.0 78.9

 $20,000–39,999 67.4 85.1 84.2 93.3 90.6 91.9 80.3

 $40,000–59,999 56.6 76.4 75.4 91.2 88.5 84.0 74.0

 $60,000–79,999 52.8 74.1 73.8 90.8 82.2 85.2 74.8

 $80,000–99,999 61.0 73.9 75.5 93.1 78.2 85.8 78.7

 $100,000 or more 66.1 80.5 68.5 83.3 76.9 84.0 75.7

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 58.4 76.4 74.2 83.3 81.0 91.6 70.2

 $10,000–19,999 68.0 76.5 81.2 88.7 85.7 94.0 77.0

 $20,000–29,999 64.9 79.5 79.8 88.9 83.2 93.8 76.0

 $30,000–49,999 61.0 73.8 77.4 88.5 81.2 92.9 73.0

 $50,000 or more 51.2 60.6 80.4 89.7 81.7 91.7 73.0

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 62.6 80.6 81.1 89.8 88.8 92.0 75.3

 Middle 50 percent 62.8 76.9 76.8 89.8 85.2 92.4 75.4

 Highest 25 percent 54.1 70.3 73.8 87.9 76.7 90.7 75.2

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Grant status

 No grants 16.7 42.3 41.2 48.2 32.5 74.0 33.2

 Received grants 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Loan status3

 No loans 54.3 54.9 51.8 70.1 60.8 64.8 55.9

 Received loans 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution and students who have no need. Need is defined as the total price of attendance minus the expected family 

contribution (EFC). Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including 

those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories.

Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need 

175 

Table 4.5-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by undergraduates who had need, by type of institution

Table 4.5-B.—and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) $3,600 $7,400 $8,700 $13,400 $16,300 $9,000 $8,100

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 3,600 7,300 8,700 12,900 15,900 8,900 8,100

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 5,200 8,500 9,700 15,800 18,200 11,200 10,600

 Full-time/part-year 2,900 4,500 5,600 8,800 11,300 7,900 6,300

 Part-time/full-year 3,400 6,200 8,000 9,000 11,500 9,100 5,800

 Part-time/part-year 1,900 3,500 4,600 6,100 7,200 5,600 3,500

Housing

 On campus 5,200 8,800 9,700 18,100 19,000 12,700 13,400

 Off campus 3,700 7,300 8,700 9,800 12,900 8,800 7,100

 Living with parents 3,300 5,700 6,600 10,500 12,400 9,200 6,200

Price of attendance

 Less than $4,000 1,100 1,200 1,200 1,000 ‡ 1,500 1,200

 $4,000–7,999 2,700 3,500 3,700 3,300 3,600 3,600 3,000

 $8,000–11,999 4,900 6,100 6,300 5,700 5,500 6,400 5,600

 $12,000–15,999 6,100 8,700 8,500 8,300 7,400 8,300 8,100

 $16,000 or more 11,300 11,500 12,200 16,100 18,100 11,700 14,300

Gender

 Male 3,700 7,300 8,800 13,100 15,800 10,200 8,500

 Female 3,600 7,300 8,700 12,800 16,100 8,100 7,800

Race/ethnicity2

 White 3,700 7,300 8,500 14,100 15,800 9,100 8,500

 Black 3,600 8,200 10,400 11,300 16,700 8,400 7,500

 Hispanic 3,100 6,700 8,100 8,600 14,100 8,500 6,900

 Asian 3,500 7,100 8,500 14,000 18,400 10,800 8,800

 American Indian 3,900 ‡ 8,100 14,600 ‡ 9,600 7,400

 Pacific Islander 3,500 ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ 11,800 8,400

 Multiple races 4,100 8,500 8,500 14,200 19,300 9,900 8,700

 Other 4,000 6,000 7,600 14,700 14,400 10,100 7,700

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 3,700 7,400 8,600 15,800 17,700 10,500 9,100

 19–23 years 3,500 7,300 8,700 15,200 16,900 9,100 9,100

 24–29 years 4,000 7,100 9,100 10,300 12,300 8,800 7,300

 30–39 years 3,600 7,600 8,600 8,400 9,600 8,700 6,300

 40 years or older 3,300 7,200 7,600 7,600 9,000 8,600 5,800

Dependency status

 Dependent 3,500 7,300 8,600 15,700 17,300 10,200 9,600

 Independent 3,700 7,300 8,900 9,200 11,200 8,600 6,700

 Unmarried, no dependents 4,000 7,800 9,200 10,900 12,200 9,000 7,700

 Married, no dependents 3,200 5,900 8,400 9,000 10,900 9,300 6,900

 Single parent 3,700 8,100 8,600 8,800 10,500 8,100 6,100

 Married parents 3,400 6,400 8,500 8,100 10,100 8,600 6,100

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 4: Net Price and Need

176 

Table 4.5-B.—Average amount of financial aid received by undergraduates who had need, by type of institution

Table 4.5-B.—and selected institutional and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forprofit 4-year

Non- Non- All

Institutional and student Public doctorate- Doctorate- doctorate- Doctorate- Private insticharacteristics 2-year granting granting granting granting for-profit tutions1

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 $3,800 $7,700 $9,700 $13,600 $17,100 $9,400 $8,500

 $20,000–39,999 3,400 7,800 9,200 15,900 18,000 9,700 8,800

 $40,000–59,999 3,200 6,500 7,700 15,800 18,300 10,000 8,900

 $60,000–79,999 3,400 7,100 8,100 16,700 17,500 11,400 10,400

 $80,000–99,999 3,600 7,600 8,800 16,400 17,700 12,100 12,200

 $100,000 or more 5,700 8,200 8,200 15,800 15,400 15,300 12,500

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 4,000 8,700 9,700 11,400 12,700 8,200 7,200

 $10,000–19,999 3,800 7,100 9,200 9,700 10,700 8,500 6,600

 $20,000–29,999 3,400 7,500 7,900 8,900 11,000 8,800 6,400

 $30,000–49,999 3,200 5,300 8,200 7,600 10,600 8,900 6,000

 $50,000 or more 3,700 5,600 7,300 7,900 9,600 8,600 6,900

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 3,800 8,100 9,600 13,200 16,400 8,700 7,900

 Middle 50 percent 3,400 6,900 8,200 12,800 16,100 9,100 7,900

 Highest 25 percent 3,900 6,800 8,200 12,600 15,000 9,100 9,800

Aid status

 No aid † † † † † † †

 Received aid 3,600 7,300 8,700 12,900 15,900 8,900 8,100

Grant status

 No grants 3,600 6,600 7,200 7,900 10,400 8,600 6,700

 Received grants 3,600 7,500 9,100 13,500 16,500 9,000 8,300

Loan status3

 No loans 2,600 4,300 5,300 6,600 8,600 3,400 3,900

 Received loans 6,200 8,900 10,200 15,300 19,000 10,000 11,000

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met.

1

 “All institutions” also include public less-than-2-year and private not-for-profit less-than-4-year institutions in addition to those

listed separately in this table.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Federal education tax benefits are not included in this table. This table excludes students attending more than one 

institution. Need is defined as the total price of attendance minus the expected family contribution (EFC). Students who were

enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part 

of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
177 

Section 5: Student Characteristics 

Dependency Status 

• In 2003–04, one-half (50 percent) of all undergraduates were considered dependent 

students for financial aid purposes (table 5.1-A). Sixteen percent were independent and 

single with no dependents, 14 percent were married with children, 13 percent were 

single parents, and 7 percent were married with no children. 

Attendance Status 

• Forty-one percent of all undergraduates in 2003–04 were enrolled in postsecondary 

institutions full time for a full academic year (9 or more months) (table 5.1-B). 

Fourteen percent were enrolled full time but for only part of the academic year (less 

than 9 months); 23 percent were enrolled at least part time for a full academic year 

(with less than 9 months of full-time enrollment); and 22 percent were enrolled only 

part time and for only part of the academic year. 

Student Housing 

• Sixty percent of all undergraduates lived in off-campus housing in 2003–04, one-fourth 

(25 percent) lived with their parents or other relatives, and 15 percent lived in oncampus housing arrangements (table 5.1-C). About one-half (49 percent) of the 

undergraduates at private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting institutions lived oncampus, compared with about one-fourth (28 percent) of undergraduates at public 4-

year doctorate-granting institutions. 

Race/Ethnicity 

• Sixty-three percent of all undergraduates in 2003–04 were White, 14 percent were 

Black, 13 percent were Hispanic, and 5 percent were Asian (table 5.2-A). Two percent 

reported that they were more than one race, and 1 percent identified themselves as 

“Other.” Both American Indians and Pacific Islanders each constituted under 1 percent 

of the undergraduate student population. 
Section 5: Student Characteristics

178 

Gender and Citizenship 

• The majority (58 percent) of undergraduates enrolled during the 2003–04 academic 

year were female (table 5.2-B). About three-fourths (77 percent) of all undergraduates 

who were single parents, two-thirds (66 percent) of all undergraduates age 40 or older, 

and 64 percent of all Black undergraduates were women. 

• Ninety-three percent of all undergraduates in 2003–04 were U.S. citizens, 6 percent 

were resident aliens eligible for federal financial aid, and 2 percent were foreign/ 

international students (table 5.2-B). 

Family Income 

• Among dependent undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions in 2003–04, 

13 percent were from families with incomes of less than $20,000, and 21 percent were 

from families with incomes of $100,000 or more (table 5.3). 

• Among independent undergraduates in 2003–04, 23 percent had a family income of 

less than $10,000, while about one-fourth (25 percent) had an income of $50,000 or 

more (table 5.4). 

Institution Control and Level 

• Forty percent of all undergraduates in 2003–04 were enrolled in public 2-year 

institutions (table 5.5). Nineteen percent were enrolled in public 4-year doctorategranting institutions, 11 percent were enrolled in public 4-year non-doctorate-granting 

institutions, 8 percent were enrolled in private not-for-profit 4-year non-doctorategranting institutions, another 8 percent were enrolled in private for-profit institutions, 

and 5 percent were enrolled in private not-for-profit 4-year doctorate-granting 

institutions. A total of 8 percent attended more than one type of institution during the 

2003–04 academic year. 
Section 5: Student Characteristics 

179 

Table 5.1-A.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by dependency status and selected institutional and

Table 5.1-A.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Unmarried, Married,

Institutional and no no Single Married

student characteristics Dependent dependents dependents parents parents

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 49.6 15.8 7.4 13.2 13.9

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 49.7 15.8 7.4 13.2 13.9

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 18.5 21.2 13.9 20.8 25.6

 2-year 38.8 16.8 9.1 17.2 18.2

 4-year 65.7 14.1 5.9 6.3 8.0

 Non-doctorate-granting 57.6 15.4 7.1 8.6 11.3

 Doctorate-granting 70.2 13.3 5.3 5.0 6.2

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 37.4 17.3 7.1 23.2 15.1

 4-year 62.3 12.1 5.6 9.0 11.0

 Non-doctorate-granting 53.4 13.6 6.5 12.1 14.3

 Doctorate-granting 76.7 9.7 4.2 3.8 5.6

 Private for-profit 23.9 22.7 7.2 27.2 19.0

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 71.8 10.2 3.5 8.3 6.4

 Full-time/part-year 47.6 17.0 7.3 16.1 11.9

 Part-time/full-year 33.8 19.5 9.5 17.2 20.0

 Part-time/part-year 26.8 21.5 12.4 16.5 22.8

Housing1

 On campus 92.4 4.3 0.9 1.4 0.9

 Off campus 26.3 21.2 11.2 19.3 22.0

 Living with parents 79.1 9.7 2.3 6.4 2.6

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 28.0 20.8 12.7 16.2 22.3

 $4,000–7,999 38.6 17.4 9.1 16.9 18.1

 $8,000–11,999 53.5 14.7 5.6 14.1 12.0

 $12,000–15,999 60.7 13.6 5.6 10.7 9.5

 $16,000 or more 69.1 12.0 3.9 8.1 6.9

Gender

 Male 55.2 18.6 7.1 7.2 12.0

 Female 45.8 13.7 7.6 17.6 15.3

See notes at end of table.

Independent
Section 5: Student Characteristics

180 

Table 5.1-A.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by dependency status and selected institutional and

Table 5.1-A.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Unmarried, Married,

Institutional and no no Single Married

student characteristics Dependent dependents dependents parents parents

Race/ethnicity2

 White 53.0 15.3 8.2 9.5 14.1

 Black 36.0 16.4 4.6 29.9 13.0

 Hispanic 46.8 15.9 6.0 16.3 14.9

 Asian 56.4 17.2 8.5 6.0 11.9

 American Indian 35.0 20.8 9.0 17.1 18.2

 Pacific Islander 55.7 15.3 5.5 11.9 11.7

 Multiple races 50.2 16.7 6.0 12.7 14.5

 Other 48.9 20.8 7.6 11.4 11.3

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 95.6 1.5 0.4 2.2 0.3

 19–23 years 86.0 3.1 3.3 5.5 2.2

 24–29 years † 50.0 13.1 20.8 16.1

 30–39 years † 21.9 10.4 28.5 39.2

 40 years or older † 20.7 17.1 23.7 38.5

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 49.7 26.3 2.6 18.4 3.1

 Middle 50 percent 49.7 16.2 6.5 15.3 12.3

 Highest 25 percent 49.7 4.0 14.2 3.6 28.5

Aid status

 No aid 49.0 16.3 9.6 10.1 15.0

 Received aid 50.2 15.5 6.1 15.0 13.3

Grant status

 No grants 50.1 16.9 9.5 9.0 14.6

 Received grants 49.4 14.7 5.3 17.4 13.3

Loan status3

 No loans 47.4 15.3 8.7 13.1 15.6

 Received loans 54.1 16.7 5.0 13.4 10.9

† Not applicable. All students age 24 or older are considered to be independent.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 

9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” 

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Independent
Section 5: Student Characteristics 

181 

Table 5.1-B.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by attendance status and selected institutional and

Table 5.1-B.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Institutional and

student characteristics Full-year Part-year Full-year Part-year

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 40.9 13.8 22.8 22.5

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 41.1 13.8 22.8 22.4

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 28.8 34.0 16.0 21.2

 2-year 22.3 11.6 30.8 35.3

 4-year 59.1 10.8 17.6 12.6

 Non-doctorate-granting 54.9 9.9 20.3 14.9

 Doctorate-granting 61.3 11.3 16.1 11.3

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 42.6 22.4 20.1 14.9

 4-year 58.2 15.1 13.9 12.8

 Non-doctorate-granting 54.0 16.7 14.5 14.8

 Doctorate-granting 65.1 12.5 12.9 9.5

 Private for-profit 33.9 38.1 13.6 14.4

Housing1

 On campus 77.3 10.9 7.5 4.4

 Off campus 30.8 14.5 26.2 28.5

 Living with parents 42.0 15.6 22.6 19.9

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 # 6.9 4.9 88.2

 $4,000–7,999 7.8 24.8 48.7 18.8

 $8,000–11,999 48.3 15.9 29.3 6.5

 $12,000–15,999 72.0 11.4 14.4 2.3

 $16,000 or more 82.7 9.0 7.1 1.2

Gender

 Male 42.7 14.8 20.7 21.8

 Female 39.8 13.0 24.3 22.8

Race/ethnicity2

 White 43.6 12.9 21.7 21.8

 Black 34.7 17.4 24.6 23.3

 Hispanic 34.5 14.9 26.2 24.4

 Asian 44.9 11.6 22.3 21.2

 American Indian 34.4 15.9 23.3 26.4

 Pacific Islander 35.1 11.0 21.7 32.2

 Multiple races 40.3 13.6 22.8 23.4

 Other 42.1 13.7 24.9 19.3

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 62.1 13.7 13.8 10.5

 19–23 years 54.9 14.2 16.8 14.1

 24–29 years 26.5 15.9 28.6 29.1

 30–39 years 20.3 12.5 33.5 33.7

 40 years or older 15.3 10.6 32.7 41.4

See notes at end of table.

Full-time Part-time
Section 5: Student Characteristics

182 

Table 5.1-B.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by attendance status and selected institutional and

Table 5.1-B.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Institutional and

student characteristics Full-year Part-year Full-year Part-year

Dependency status

 Dependent 59.3 13.2 15.5 12.1

 Independent 23.1 14.4 30.0 32.6

 Unmarried, no dependents 26.4 14.9 28.2 30.6

 Married, no dependents 19.2 13.7 29.5 37.6

 Single parent 25.6 16.8 29.6 28.0

 Married parents 18.8 11.8 32.7 36.7

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 55.7 15.2 16.8 12.3

 $20,000–39,999 54.6 13.7 18.8 12.9

 $40,000-59,999 57.3 13.3 16.5 12.9

 $60,000–79,999 61.7 12.0 14.5 11.8

 $80,000–99,999 63.9 11.8 12.7 11.6

 $100,000 or more 63.0 13.0 13.2 10.8

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 34.0 18.2 23.1 24.6

 $10,000–19,999 29.2 17.1 28.2 25.6

 $20,000–29,999 21.8 15.4 33.0 29.8

 $30,000–49,999 18.1 12.2 33.7 36.0

 $50,000 or more 13.1 9.8 32.8 44.3

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 44.3 16.3 21.0 18.6

 Middle 50 percent 40.9 13.8 23.6 21.8

 Highest 25 percent 38.0 11.2 23.1 27.7

Aid status

 No aid 26.7 12.7 24.5 36.2

 Received aid 49.4 14.4 21.8 14.3

Grant status

 No grants 31.5 14.1 23.5 30.9

 Received grants 50.4 13.4 22.1 14.1

Loan status3

 No loans 31.9 12.8 25.3 30.1

 Received loans 58.1 15.7 18.2 8.1

# Rounds to zero.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes

Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

unless specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 

9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” 

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Full-time Part-time
Section 5: Student Characteristics 

183 

Table 5.1-C.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by student housing and selected institutional and

Table 5.1-C.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Institutional and On Off Living with

student characteristics campus campus parents

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 15.1 59.9 25.0

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 14.9 59.7 25.4

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 4.6 75.4 20.1

 2-year 1.7 64.4 33.9

 4-year 25.4 55.1 19.6

 Non-doctorate-granting 20.5 54.9 24.6

 Doctorate-granting 28.0 55.2 16.8

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 14.9 62.0 23.1

 4-year 38.9 45.3 15.8

 Non-doctorate-granting 32.6 50.4 17.1

 Doctorate-granting 49.3 37.0 13.7

 Private for-profit 2.1 77.6 20.3

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 28.4 45.3 26.2

 Full-time/part-year 11.4 60.8 27.8

 Part-time/full-year 5.0 69.6 25.5

 Part-time/part-year 2.9 74.9 22.2

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 1.8 71.4 26.8

 $4,000–7,999 4.0 64.4 31.5

 $8,000–11,999 10.5 54.6 34.9

 $12,000–15,999 30.7 53.6 15.7

Gender

 Male 16.7 55.9 27.4

 Female 13.6 62.6 23.9

Race/ethnicity2

 White 17.2 59.1 23.8

 Black 12.2 66.1 21.6

 Hispanic 7.4 57.3 35.3

 Asian 15.7 54.7 29.5

 American Indian 9.8 71.4 18.8

 Pacific Islander 10.0 53.1 36.9

 Multiple races 15.9 61.0 23.1

 Other 11.5 56.9 31.6

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 38.1 13.6 48.3

 19–23 years 22.4 42.0 35.6

 24–29 years 3.0 82.0 15.0

 30–39 years 1.0 93.0 6.0

 40 years or older 0.6 95.0 4.4

See notes at end of table.
Section 5: Student Characteristics

184 

Table 5.1-C.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by student housing and selected institutional and

Table 5.1-A.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Institutional and On Off Living with

student characteristics campus campus parents

Dependency status

 Dependent 27.9 31.7 40.5

 Independent 2.2 87.2 10.5

 Unmarried, no dependents 4.1 80.3 15.6

 Married, no dependents 1.9 90.4 7.8

 Single parent 1.6 86.3 12.2

 Married parents 1.0 94.3 4.7

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 20.9 29.2 49.9

 $20,000–39,999 23.9 32.0 44.1

 $40,000-59,999 24.8 32.4 42.9

 $60,000–79,999 28.2 30.6 41.2

 $80,000–99,999 33.8 31.4 34.8

 $100,000 or more 35.0 33.5 31.5

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 4.9 77.9 17.2

 $10,000–19,999 2.3 84.0 13.8

 $20,000–29,999 1.8 87.9 10.3

 $30,000–49,999 1.3 92.1 6.6

 $50,000 or more 0.8 94.1 5.1

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 13.2 54.8 32.0

 Middle 50 percent 14.5 60.1 25.4

 Highest 25 percent 17.7 64.1 18.2

Aid status

 No aid 8.4 59.8 31.8

 Received aid 18.8 59.6 21.6

Grant status

 No grants 10.3 61.0 28.8

 Received grants 19.4 58.5 22.1

Loan status3

 No loans 9.9 60.4 29.6

 Received loans 24.5 58.3 17.2

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 

9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” 

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 5: Student Characteristics 

185 

Table 5.2-A.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by race/ethnicity and selected institutional and student

Table 5.1-A.—characteristics: 2003–04

Institutional and student American Pacific Multiple

characteristics White Black Hispanic Asian Indian Islander races Other

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 63.7 14.1 11.9 5.4 0.9 0.5 2.1 1.3

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 63.1 14.0 12.7 5.4 0.9 0.5 2.0 1.3

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 63.1 10.2 16.8 5.4 1.1 0.6 1.7 1.2

 2-year 59.9 15.3 14.4 5.3 1.0 0.7 2.1 1.3

 4-year 70.2 10.4 8.9 5.9 1.0 0.4 2.0 1.2

 Non-doctorate-granting 70.6 10.8 10.0 4.3 0.8 0.4 1.9 1.2

 Doctorate-granting 70.0 10.2 8.3 6.7 1.0 0.4 2.1 1.2

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 48.0 16.6 23.1 4.5 4.0 1.0 1.9 1.0

 4-year 67.3 13.0 12.0 4.2 0.4 0.2 1.8 1.1

 Non-doctorate-granting 67.2 15.6 11.8 2.1 0.5 0.2 1.7 1.0

 Doctorate-granting 67.3 8.7 12.2 7.6 0.4 0.3 2.0 1.4

 Private for-profit 47.6 23.7 20.0 3.7 0.6 0.5 2.2 1.7

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 67.0 11.8 10.7 5.9 0.8 0.5 2.0 1.3

 Full-time/part-year 59.2 17.6 13.8 4.6 1.1 0.4 2.0 1.3

 Part-time/full-year 60.1 15.1 14.6 5.3 0.9 0.5 2.0 1.4

 Part-time/part-year 61.4 14.6 13.9 5.1 1.1 0.8 2.1 1.1

Housing1

 On campus 72.6 11.5 6.3 5.5 0.6 0.3 2.2 1.0

 Off campus 62.6 15.6 12.3 4.7 1.1 0.5 2.1 1.2

 Living with parents 59.3 12.0 17.8 6.0 0.7 0.7 1.9 1.6

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 61.7 14.0 14.5 4.6 1.2 0.8 2.2 1.0

 $4,000–7,999 59.7 15.6 14.8 4.9 1.2 0.6 2.0 1.2

 $8,000–11,999 62.9 14.5 13.8 4.6 0.7 0.3 1.8 1.4

 $12,000–15,999 67.3 13.1 10.2 4.9 0.9 0.4 2.1 1.2

 $16,000 or more 65.8 12.9 10.1 6.7 0.5 0.4 2.1 1.5

Gender

 Male 65.2 11.9 12.2 5.9 0.8 0.6 2.0 1.5

 Female 61.6 15.6 13.1 5.0 1.0 0.5 2.1 1.1

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 63.9 11.0 14.1 6.0 0.6 0.4 2.4 1.6

 19–23 years 66.1 11.3 12.4 5.7 0.7 0.6 2.0 1.2

 24–29 years 57.8 15.9 15.1 6.1 1.2 0.4 2.1 1.5

 30–39 years 57.2 20.3 12.9 4.7 1.2 0.6 1.9 1.2

 40 years or older 65.0 17.1 9.4 3.5 1.3 0.4 2.1 1.2

Dependency status

 Dependent 67.2 10.1 12.0 6.1 0.7 0.6 2.1 1.3

 Independent 59.0 17.8 13.5 4.7 1.2 0.5 2.0 1.3

 Unmarried, no dependents 61.1 14.6 12.9 5.9 1.2 0.5 2.2 1.7

 Married, no dependents 70.1 8.8 10.4 6.2 1.1 0.4 1.7 1.3

 Single parent 45.4 31.7 15.8 2.5 1.2 0.5 2.0 1.1

 Married parents 63.8 13.1 13.7 4.6 1.2 0.4 2.1 1.1

See notes at end of table.
Section 5: Student Characteristics

186 

Table 5.2-A.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by race/ethnicity and selected institutional and student

Table 5.1-A.—characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Institutional and student American Pacific Multiple

characteristics White Black Hispanic Asian Indian Islander races Other

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 41.6 20.8 22.9 9.7 0.8 0.7 1.9 1.6

 $20,000–39,999 55.5 15.6 16.6 7.4 0.7 0.5 2.2 1.5

 $40,000–59,999 67.4 9.5 12.3 5.8 0.7 0.6 2.4 1.3

 $60,000–79,999 75.4 6.4 9.1 4.9 0.6 0.5 1.8 1.3

 $80,000–99,999 79.5 5.5 6.8 4.3 0.7 0.4 2.0 0.7

 $100,000 or more 80.3 4.5 5.9 4.9 0.4 0.8 2.0 1.1

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 51.6 21.6 15.0 6.1 1.3 0.5 1.9 1.9

 $10,000–19,999 53.3 21.7 15.8 4.0 1.3 0.5 2.1 1.3

 $20,000–29,999 55.7 22.0 14.7 2.9 1.2 0.4 2.0 1.1

 $30,000–49,999 61.8 15.7 12.7 4.6 1.2 0.5 2.4 1.1

 $50,000 or more 70.1 10.4 10.2 5.0 1.0 0.4 1.8 1.0

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 49.3 20.4 17.8 7.2 1.0 0.6 2.0 1.7

 Middle 50 percent 64.3 13.9 12.4 4.6 1.0 0.5 2.2 1.2

 Highest 25 percent 75.0 7.5 8.1 5.1 0.8 0.6 1.9 1.0

Aid status

 No aid 66.1 9.2 12.8 7.1 0.8 0.7 2.1 1.2

 Received aid 61.4 16.8 12.7 4.4 1.0 0.4 2.0 1.4

Grant status

 No grants 66.8 10.1 12.0 6.4 0.8 0.7 2.1 1.2

 Received grants 59.6 17.8 13.4 4.4 1.1 0.4 2.0 1.4

Loan status2

 No loans 62.9 12.3 13.8 6.2 1.0 0.6 2.1 1.3

 Received loans 63.5 17.2 10.9 3.8 0.9 0.4 2.0 1.3

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the

9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or

“part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp. Black includes

African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and

Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless specified.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).
Section 5: Student Characteristics 

187 

Table 5.2-B.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by gender, citizenship, and selected institutional and

Table 5.2-B.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Foreign/

Institutional and student U.S. Resident International

characteristics Male Female citizen alien student

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 42.4 57.6 92.8 5.5 1.7

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 42.4 57.6 92.9 5.5 1.7

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 40.5 59.5 94.3 4.8 0.8

 2-year 40.9 59.1 91.8 6.6 1.6

 4-year 45.5 54.5 94.1 4.2 1.7

 Non-doctorate-granting 43.7 56.3 93.8 4.5 1.7

 Doctorate-granting 46.5 53.5 94.3 4.1 1.6

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 38.1 61.9 85.6 11.5 3.0

 4-year 44.2 55.9 94.4 3.3 2.3

 Non-doctorate-granting 44.2 55.8 95.0 3.0 2.0

 Doctorate-granting 44.1 55.9 93.4 3.9 2.7

 Private for-profit 38.4 61.6 91.8 7.5 0.6

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 44.1 55.9 93.3 4.6 2.1

 Full-time/part-year 45.5 54.5 92.2 5.4 2.4

 Part-time/full-year 38.4 61.6 92.2 6.7 1.1

 Part-time/part-year 41.3 58.7 93.1 5.9 1.1

Housing1

 On campus 47.8 52.2 95.5 2.5 2.0

 Off campus 39.9 60.1 92.6 5.8 1.7

 Living with parents 46.0 54.0 92.2 6.5 1.4

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 42.1 57.9 93.5 5.7 0.8

 $4,000–7,999 40.9 59.1 92.7 6.4 1.0

 $8,000–11,999 42.0 58.0 92.7 5.6 1.8

 $12,000–15,999 42.8 57.2 93.5 4.9 1.6

 $16,000 or more 45.8 54.2 92.3 4.5 3.2

Race/ethnicity2

 White 43.7 56.3 97.3 2.0 0.7

 Black 35.9 64.1 91.1 7.0 1.9

 Hispanic 40.7 59.3 86.1 12.4 1.5

 Asian 46.5 53.5 63.4 24.1 12.5

 American Indian 37.1 62.9 97.6 1.9 0.5

 Pacific Islander 44.1 55.9 79.9 18.1 2.0

 Multiple races 41.6 58.4 95.6 3.4 1.1

 Other 49.2 50.8 82.8 12.4 4.7

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 43.9 56.1 94.8 4.0 1.2

 19–23 years 45.2 54.8 93.6 4.5 1.9

 24–29 years 43.8 56.2 90.2 7.5 2.3

 30–39 years 37.6 62.4 91.0 7.6 1.4

 40 years or older 33.6 66.4 94.4 5.0 0.6

See notes at end of table.

Gender

Citizenship
Section 5: Student Characteristics

188 

Table 5.2-B.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by gender, citizenship, and selected institutional and

Table 5.2-B.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Foreign/

Institutional and student U.S. Resident International

characteristics Male Female citizen alien student

Dependency status

 Dependent 47.0 53.0 93.9 4.3 1.8

 Independent 37.8 62.2 91.9 6.6 1.5

 Unmarried, no dependents 49.9 50.1 91.5 6.1 2.4

 Married, no dependents 40.9 59.1 89.7 8.0 2.4

 Single parent 23.1 76.9 94.0 5.2 0.8

 Married parents 36.4 63.6 91.5 7.7 0.8

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 43.4 56.6 86.4 10.1 3.5

 $20,000–39,999 43.6 56.4 91.3 7.1 1.7

 $40,000–59,999 46.1 53.9 94.5 3.7 1.8

 $60,000–79,999 47.2 52.9 96.0 2.5 1.5

 $80,000–99,999 49.5 50.5 96.9 1.9 1.3

 $100,000 or more 51.6 48.4 96.8 1.6 1.6

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 39.4 60.6 89.9 7.1 3.1

 $10,000–19,999 36.6 63.4 91.5 7.5 0.9

 $20,000–29,999 33.6 66.5 92.1 7.0 0.9

 $30,000–49,999 38.8 61.2 92.1 6.7 1.2

 $50,000 or more 39.2 60.8 93.7 5.1 1.2

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 41.4 58.6 89.2 8.0 2.7

 Middle 50 percent 41.5 58.6 93.6 5.2 1.3

 Highest 25 percent 45.3 54.7 95.3 3.4 1.4

Aid status

 No aid 45.4 54.6 91.3 5.6 3.1

 Received aid 40.6 59.4 93.8 5.4 0.8

Grant status

 No grants 46.0 54.1 92.4 5.1 2.5

 Received grants 38.9 61.1 93.3 5.8 0.9

Loan status3

 No loans 43.4 56.6 91.7 5.9 2.4

 Received loans 40.4 59.6 95.1 4.6 0.3

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 

9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” 

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Citizenship

Gender
Section 5: Student Characteristics 

189 

Table 5.3.—Percentage distribution of dependent undergraduates, by parents’ income and selected institutional

Table 5.3.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Less

than $20,000– $40,000– $60,000– $80,000– $100,000

Institutional and student characteristics $20,000 39,999 59,999 79,999 99,999 or more

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 12.7 19.2 18.1 17.0 12.0 21.1

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 13.1 19.3 18.0 16.8 11.9 20.9

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 14.8 27.0 22.0 15.2 4.3 16.7

 2-year 15.5 21.6 19.9 16.9 9.7 16.4

 4-year 10.9 17.3 18.0 18.1 13.2 22.6

 Non-doctorate-granting 12.3 19.3 20.0 18.2 12.6 17.6

 Doctorate-granting 10.2 16.4 17.1 18.1 13.4 24.8

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 20.5 25.7 15.1 16.1 7.2 15.4

 4-year 11.0 17.1 15.9 15.5 13.6 27.0

 Non-doctorate-granting 12.0 18.4 17.7 16.5 13.6 21.9

 Doctorate-granting 9.8 15.7 13.8 14.3 13.6 32.8

 Private for-profit 26.4 27.9 17.7 11.7 6.4 10.0

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 12.3 17.8 17.5 17.5 12.8 22.2

 Full-time/part-year 15.1 20.1 18.2 15.3 10.6 20.6

 Part-time/full-year 14.2 23.4 19.2 15.7 9.7 17.8

 Part-time/part-year 13.4 20.6 19.3 16.5 11.5 18.8

Housing1

 On campus 9.9 16.5 16.2 17.1 14.3 26.0

 Off campus 12.1 19.4 18.6 16.4 11.6 21.9

 Living with parents 16.2 21.0 19.3 17.3 10.1 16.1

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 13.5 20.5 18.8 17.4 10.2 19.7

 $4,000–7,999 16.7 22.9 19.6 15.6 9.4 15.8

 $8,000–11,999 14.9 20.6 20.9 16.6 10.6 16.5

 $12,000–15,999 11.7 18.1 17.7 18.9 13.0 20.5

 $16,000 or more 10.3 16.2 15.6 16.4 13.8 27.7

Gender

 Male 12.1 17.9 17.7 16.9 12.5 22.9

 Female 14.0 20.5 18.4 16.8 11.3 19.1

Race/ethnicity2

 White 8.1 15.9 18.1 18.9 14.0 25.0

 Black 26.9 29.8 16.9 10.6 6.5 9.4

 Hispanic 25.0 26.7 18.5 12.7 6.8 10.3

 Asian 20.8 23.3 17.3 13.5 8.4 16.8

 American Indian 16.8 21.1 19.8 15.5 13.0 13.8

 Pacific Islander 15.4 14.8 19.5 14.0 8.5 27.9

 Multiple races 12.2 21.0 20.6 15.0 11.4 19.9

 Other 16.7 23.0 18.3 17.8 6.3 18.0

See notes at end of table.

Parent income
Section 5: Student Characteristics

190 

Table 5.3.—Percentage distribution of dependent undergraduates, by parents’ income and selected institutional

Table 5.3.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Less

than $20,000– $40,000– $60,000– $80,000– $100,000

Institutional and student characteristics $20,000 39,999 59,999 79,999 99,999 or more

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 12.7 19.1 17.2 17.7 11.6 21.6

 19–23 years 13.2 19.3 18.2 16.6 11.9 20.7

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 51.4 48.6 † † † †

 Middle 50 percent † 13.8 36.1 33.7 16.5 †

 Highest 25 percent † † † † 14.8 85.2

Aid status

 No aid 8.0 12.7 18.3 19.2 13.0 28.8

 Received aid 16.0 23.0 17.9 15.5 11.3 16.4

Grant status

 No grants 6.5 11.8 18.8 20.1 14.4 28.4

 Received grants 19.6 26.7 17.4 13.6 9.4 13.4

Loan status3

 No loans 13.5 17.8 17.2 16.5 11.5 23.5

 Received loans 12.4 21.7 19.4 17.3 12.5 16.6

† Not applicable.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 

9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” 

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Parent income
Section 5: Student Characteristics 

191 

Table 5.4.—Percentage distribution of independent undergraduates, by students’ income and selected institutional

Table 5.4.—and student characteristics: 2003–04

Less

than $10,000– $20,000– $30,000– $50,000

Institutional and student characteristics $10,000 19,999 29,999 49,999 or more

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 22.3 18.2 15.8 19.0 24.8

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 22.5 18.2 15.8 18.9 24.6

Institution type

 Public

 Less-than-2-year 22.0 18.2 15.5 20.0 24.4

 2-year 20.6 17.3 15.6 20.0 26.6

 4-year 26.3 19.2 15.9 17.5 21.1

 Non-doctorate-granting 23.5 18.9 16.2 17.6 23.8

 Doctorate-granting 28.5 19.3 15.7 17.4 19.0

 Private not-for-profit

 Less-than-4-year 31.6 22.4 17.2 12.8 16.0

 4-year 20.9 16.0 15.6 19.3 28.2

 Non-doctorate-granting 19.6 15.9 16.3 19.7 28.6

 Doctorate-granting 25.2 16.3 13.3 18.1 27.1

 Private for-profit 25.5 21.4 17.4 17.0 18.7

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 33.2 23.1 15.0 14.8 14.0

 Full-time/part-year 28.6 21.7 16.9 16.0 16.8

 Part-time/full-year 17.4 17.1 17.4 21.2 26.9

 Part-time/part-year 17.0 14.3 14.4 20.9 33.4

Housing1

 On campus 48.9 18.3 12.7 11.2 8.9

 Off campus 20.2 17.4 16.0 20.0 26.4

 Living with parents 37.0 23.8 15.6 11.8 11.9

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 17.2 13.8 14.2 20.6 34.3

 $4,000–7,999 20.0 17.7 16.3 20.0 26.0

 $8,000–11,999 25.9 21.2 18.5 16.8 17.7

 $12,000–15,999 29.1 21.0 16.1 17.3 16.5

 $16,000 or more 28.3 20.7 14.4 17.8 18.7

Gender

 Male 23.5 17.6 14.0 19.4 25.5

 Female 21.9 18.6 16.9 18.6 24.0

Race/ethnicity2

 White 19.7 16.5 14.9 19.8 29.2

 Black 27.3 22.2 19.5 16.6 14.3

 Hispanic 25.1 21.3 17.2 17.8 18.7

 Asian 29.6 15.4 9.9 18.6 26.5

 American Indian 24.0 19.2 16.4 19.1 21.4

 Pacific Islander 24.3 20.3 13.2 19.9 22.3

 Multiple races 21.6 19.0 15.3 22.6 21.5

 Other 33.5 18.4 12.8 16.4 18.9

See notes at end of table.

Independent student income
Section 5: Student Characteristics

192 

Table 5.4.—Percentage distribution of independent undergraduates, by students’ income and selected institutional

Table 5.4.—and student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Less

than $10,000– $20,000– $30,000– $50,000

Institutional and student characteristics $10,000 19,999 29,999 49,999 or more

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 69.7 11.9 5.4 6.1 6.9

 19–23 years 38.7 22.9 14.2 13.4 10.8

 24–29 years 28.0 23.0 18.1 16.6 14.4

 30–39 years 14.6 15.1 16.7 22.6 30.9

 40 years or older 13.3 12.6 12.7 21.4 40.0

Independent students

 Unmarried, no dependents 38.4 24.5 16.4 14.4 6.4

 Married, no dependents 7.6 9.1 11.4 24.8 47.2

 Single parent 30.8 27.2 21.2 14.1 6.7

 Married parents 4.5 7.4 12.3 25.4 50.4

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 88.3 11.7 † † †

 Middle 50 percent † 30.5 31.6 37.8 0.2

 Highest 25 percent † † † † 100.0

Aid status

 No aid 17.8 13.0 13.4 20.0 35.9

 Received aid 25.3 21.3 17.2 18.3 17.9

Grant status

 No grants 15.7 13.6 14.9 20.7 35.1

 Received grants 29.0 22.6 16.6 17.2 14.5

Loan status3

 No loans 20.6 15.9 14.4 19.6 29.6

 Received loans 26.6 23.2 18.8 17.5 13.9

† Not applicable.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. “Independent student income” includes the student’s income as well as

any income from the student’s spouse. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 9-month academic

year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” or “part-time/

part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Independent student income
Section 5: Student Characteristics 

193 

Table 5.5.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and

Table 5.5.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Private not-forPrivate profit 4-year

Non- not-for- Non- More

Public doc- Doc- profit doc- Doc- than

less- torate- torate- less- torate- torate- Private one

Institutional and student than- Public grant- grant- than- grant- grant- for- insticharacteristics 2-year 2-year ing ing 4-year ing ing profit tution

 U.S. total (excluding Puerto Rico) 0.5 40.7 10.7 19.3 0.5 8.1 5.0 7.7 7.6

 Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) 0.5 40.3 10.7 19.3 0.5 8.4 5.1 7.8 7.5

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 0.3 21.9 14.4 28.8 0.6 11.0 8.1 6.4 8.6

 Full-time/part-year 1.1 33.9 7.8 15.7 0.9 10.2 4.7 21.4 4.4

 Part-time/full-year 0.3 54.5 9.6 13.6 0.5 5.3 2.9 4.6 8.7

 Part-time/part-year 0.4 63.5 7.1 9.7 0.4 5.5 2.2 5.0 6.2

Housing1

 On campus 0.2 5.1 16.0 39.1 0.6 19.7 18.2 1.2 †

 Off campus 0.6 46.9 10.7 19.2 0.6 7.6 3.4 10.9 †

 Living with parents 0.4 58.2 11.3 13.8 0.5 6.1 3.0 6.7 †

Price of attendance1

 Less than $4,000 0.8 82.7 5.9 6.7 0.1 2.6 0.5 0.7 †

 $4,000–7,999 0.6 69.1 9.4 11.2 0.4 3.5 1.2 4.7 †

 $8,000–11,999 0.6 43.3 17.5 20.8 0.8 6.6 2.1 8.4 †

 $12,000–15,999 0.4 14.6 21.4 43.3 0.7 5.5 2.6 11.6 †

 $16,000 or more 0.1 2.3 5.6 26.1 1.0 26.9 21.0 17.0 †

Gender

 Male 0.4 38.9 11.1 21.1 0.5 8.7 5.3 7.0 6.9

 Female 0.5 41.3 10.5 17.9 0.6 8.1 5.0 8.3 8.0

Race/ethnicity2

 White 0.5 38.3 12.0 21.4 0.4 8.9 5.5 5.8 7.3

 Black 0.3 44.1 8.3 14.1 0.6 9.3 3.2 13.1 6.9

 Hispanic 0.6 45.6 8.4 12.5 1.0 7.8 4.9 12.2 7.1

 Asian 0.5 39.4 8.6 24.0 0.5 3.3 7.2 5.3 11.3

 American Indian 0.5 45.3 9.6 21.4 2.3 4.1 2.0 5.3 9.5

 Pacific Islander 0.5 50.3 7.8 16.1 1.0 3.1 2.8 7.8 10.6

 Multiple races 0.4 41.7 9.9 20.0 0.5 6.9 5.1 8.2 7.4

 Other 0.4 39.5 10.3 18.5 0.4 6.2 5.7 10.1 8.9

Age as of 12/31/03

 18 years or younger 0.2 39.1 10.8 22.8 0.5 8.3 7.9 4.7 5.7

 19–23 years 0.2 32.2 12.3 26.0 0.4 8.8 7.1 4.9 8.2

 24–29 years 0.5 42.3 10.9 16.2 0.7 6.7 2.8 12.2 7.8

 30–39 years 0.8 51.6 7.9 8.8 0.7 8.7 2.1 12.4 7.0

 40 years or older 1.2 57.0 7.7 6.7 0.6 9.0 2.0 9.6 6.4

Dependency status

 Dependent 0.2 31.4 12.4 27.2 0.4 9.0 7.9 3.7 7.8

 Independent 0.8 49.1 9.1 11.4 0.7 7.8 2.4 11.7 7.2

 Unmarried, no dependents 0.6 42.8 10.5 16.3 0.6 7.2 3.1 11.1 7.7

 Married, no dependents 0.9 49.8 10.3 13.9 0.5 7.4 2.9 7.6 6.8

 Single parent 0.7 52.3 7.0 7.3 0.9 7.7 1.5 16.0 6.6

 Married parents 0.9 52.7 8.7 8.5 0.6 8.6 2.1 10.6 7.3

See notes at end of table.

Public 4-year
Section 5: Student Characteristics

194 

Table 5.5.—Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by type of institution and selected institutional and

Table 5.5.—student characteristics: 2003–04—Continued

Private not-forPrivate profit 4-year

Non- not-for- Non- More

Public doc- doc- profit doc- doc- than

less- torate- torate- less- torate- torate- Private one

Institutional and student than- Public grant- grant- than- grant- grant- for- insticharacteristics 2-year 2-year ing ing 4-year ing ing profit tution

Dependency and income in 2002

 Dependent

 Less than $20,000 0.2 37.2 11.7 21.1 0.6 8.2 5.9 7.5 7.6

 $20,000–39,999 0.2 35.2 12.4 23.2 0.5 8.6 6.4 5.4 8.1

 $40,000–59,999 0.2 34.6 13.8 25.8 0.3 8.8 6.0 3.7 6.8

 $60,000–79,999 0.2 31.5 13.4 29.2 0.4 8.8 6.7 2.6 7.3

 $80,000–99,999 0.1 25.7 13.2 30.8 0.2 10.3 9.0 2.0 8.7

 $100,000 or more 0.1 24.6 10.5 32.3 0.3 9.4 12.4 1.8 8.6

 Independent

 Less than $10,000 0.7 44.8 9.5 14.5 0.9 6.7 2.7 13.3 6.9

 $10,000–19,999 0.8 46.5 9.4 12.1 0.8 6.8 2.1 13.8 7.7

 $20,000–29,999 0.7 48.4 9.3 11.4 0.7 8.0 2.0 13.0 6.6

 $30,000–49,999 0.8 52.0 8.5 10.5 0.5 8.1 2.3 10.5 7.0

 $50,000 or more 0.7 53.1 8.8 8.8 0.4 9.0 2.6 8.9 7.6

Income group

 Lowest 25 percent 0.5 40.6 10.8 18.1 0.8 7.7 4.2 10.0 7.4

 Middle 50 percent 0.5 40.8 11.2 19.3 0.5 8.3 4.5 7.8 7.2

 Highest 25 percent 0.4 38.8 9.8 20.4 0.4 9.4 7.4 5.4 8.2

Aid status

 No aid 0.6 58.3 9.5 16.2 0.2 3.4 2.7 2.3 6.9

 Received aid 0.4 29.8 11.5 21.1 0.7 11.3 6.5 10.9 7.9

Grant status

 No grants 0.6 49.1 10.7 18.7 0.3 4.3 3.0 5.4 8.0

 Received grants 0.3 31.7 10.8 19.9 0.8 12.4 7.2 10.0 7.1

Loan status3

 No loans 0.6 54.5 9.5 16.1 0.4 5.4 3.6 3.2 6.6

 Received loans 0.2 13.9 13.0 25.2 0.7 13.9 7.8 16.2 9.2

† Not applicable.

1

 Excludes students attending more than one institution.

2

 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native 

Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specified.

3

 “Loans” only include loans to students. Excludes federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Students who were enrolled part time for any amount of time during the 

9-month academic year, including those who were enrolled full time for part of the year, are included in the “part-time/full-year” 

or “part-time/part-year” categories. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Public 4-year
A-1 

Appendix A—Glossary 

All variables used in this report are described in this glossary. Variables were taken directly from the NCES 

2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04) Undergraduate Data Analysis System (DAS), an 

NCES software application that generates tables from the NPSAS:04 data (see appendix B for a description of the 

DAS). The index below organizes the variables by category. The glossary items are listed in alphabetical order by 

variable name in the DAS (displayed in bold letters along the right-hand column). 

Glossary Index

STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

Attendance status ........................................ATTNSTAT 

Dependency status............................................DEPEND 

Dependent student income................................ DEPINC 

Independent student income ........................ INDEPINC 

Housing ....................................................... LOCALRES 

Gender............................................................. GENDER 

Race/ethnicity........................................................RACE 

Age as of 12/31/03 .................................................. AGE 

Independent student categories.................... DEPEND5B 

Dependency and income level in 2002.............INCOME 

Income percentile rank ..................................... PCTALL 

Citizenship......................................................CITIZEN2 

INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Institution type.................................................AIDSECT 

Price of attendance ......................................BUDGETAJ 

Tuition and fees............................................. TUITION2

FINANCIAL AID TYPES

Total aid ............................................................TOTAID 

Total grants.......................................................TOTGRT 

Total student loans (excluding PLUS)...........TOTLOAN 

Total work-study .......................................... TOTWKST 

Aid package by type of aid ............................. AIDTYPE 

Other types of aid .......................................... OTHTYPE 

Total grants, veterans benefits, and federal 

tax benefits..................................................TOTGRT3 

FEDERAL AID

Federal aid total.............................................. TFEDAID 

Federal grants ................................................ TFEDGRT 

Federal grants and veterans benefits............ TFEDGRT2 

Federal grants, veterans benefits, and 

tax benefits............................................... TFEDGRT3 

Federal education tax benefits .................... TXTOTBEN 

Federal loans (excluding PLUS)....................... TFEDLN 

Federal PLUS loans.......................................PLUSAMT 

NONFEDERAL AID 

State aid total ..............................................STATEAMT 

State grants .................................................. STGTAMT 

State loans..................................................... STLNAMT 

State work-study ..........................................STWKAMT 

State merit-only grants.................................... STMERIT 

Institutional aid total...................................... INSTAMT 

Institutional grants ..................................... INGRTAMT 

Institutional loans...........................................INLNAMT 

Institutional work-study .................................INSTWRK 

Institutional merit-only grants....................... INSMERIT 

Other grants ...............................................OTHGTAMT 

NET PRICE AND NEED 

Price of attendance minus total aid ................. NETCST1 

Price of attendance minus federal grants ........ NETCST2 

Price of attendance minus all grants ............... NETCST3 

Tuition and fees minus all grants .................... NETCST9 

Price of attendance minus federal grants, 

veterans benefits, and education tax 

benefits...................................................... NETCST31 

Price of attendance minus all grants, 

veterans benefits, and education tax 

benefits...................................................... NETCST33 

Expected family contribution....................................EFC 

Need for financial aid ....................................... SNEED1 

Remaining need after financial aid ................... SNEED2 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-2 

Age as of 12/31/03 AGE

18 years or younger 

19–23 years 

24–29 years 

30–39 years 

40 years or older 

Aid package by type of aid AIDTYPE 

Aid package by type of aid received during the 2003–04 academic year. For students with any aid, indicates 

combinations of grants, loans, work-study, and other types of aid. 

Grants only 

Grants and work-study 

Grants, loans, and work-study 

Grants and loans 

Loans only 

Loans and work-study 

Other combinations

Institution type AIDSECT

Indicates the level and control of the NPSAS sample institution attended during the 2003–04 academic year. Level 

concerns the institution’s highest offering, and control concerns the source of revenue and control of operations. 

Doctorate-granting institutions award doctoral or first-professional degrees in one or more programs. Students who 

attended more than one institution during the 2003–04 academic year are classified separately.

Public 

 Less-than-2-year 

 2-year 

 4-year non-doctorate-granting 

 4-year doctorate-granting 

Private not-for-profit 

 Less-than-4-year 

 4-year non-doctorate-granting 

 4-year doctorate-granting 

Private for-profit 

More than one institution 

Attendance status ATTNSTAT 

Combined attendance intensity and persistence at all institutions during 2003–04. Intensity refers to the student’s 

full- or part-time attendance while enrolled. Persistence refers to the number of months a student was enrolled during 

the year. Students were considered to have been enrolled for a full year if they were enrolled 9 or more months 

during 2003–04. Months did not have to be contiguous or at the same institution, and students did not have to be 

enrolled for a full month in order to be considered enrolled for that month. 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-3 

Attendance status—continued ATTNSTAT 

Full-time/full-year Student was enrolled full time for at least 9 months during 2003–

04. Additional months enrolled could be part time (during the 

summer, for example). 

Full-time/part-year Student was enrolled full time for less than 9 months during 

2003–04 but attended full time in all of these months. 

Part-time/full-year Student was enrolled 9 or more months during 2003–04, but less 

than 9 months were full time. 

 

Part-time/part-year Student was enrolled less than 9 months during 2003–04, and all 

or some of these months were part time. 

 

Price of attendance BUDGETAJ 

The attendance-adjusted student budget at the NPSAS sample institution for students who attended only one 

institution during 2003–04. Includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and 

personal and any other expenses allowed for federal cost of attendance budgets. Based on institution-reported student 

budgets for students who applied for financial aid. Budgets for students who did not apply for financial aid were 

imputed by calculating the average nontuition budget amounts for aided students at the institution by dependency 

status and then adding the tuition and fees paid. Nontuition expenses for part-time or part-year students were 

adjusted to reflect the number of months enrolled and the attendance intensity. 

Citizenship CITIZEN2

U.S. citizen Student was a U.S. citizen or U.S. national in 2003–04. 

Resident alien Student was a permanent or temporary U.S. resident eligible for 

federal financial aid in 2003–04. 

Foreign/international student Student was not a U.S. citizen and was not eligible for financial 

aid (includes those holding student or exchange visitor visas). 

Dependency status DEPEND

Dependent 

Independent 

Students were considered to be financially independent for federal financial aid purposes in 2003–04 if they met any 

of the following criteria: 

(1) Student was 24 years old or older as of 12/31/03; 

(2) Student was a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces; 

(3) Student was enrolled in a graduate or professional program (beyond a bachelor’s degree) in 2003–04; 

(4) Student was married; 

(5) Student was an orphan or ward of the court; or 

(6) Student had legal dependents other than spouse 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-4 

Dependency status—continued DEPEND

All other students under 24 were considered to be dependent unless they could demonstrate that they were receiving 

no parental support and were classified as independent by a financial aid officer using professional judgment. 

Independent student categories DEPEND5B 

Indicates an independent student’s marital status and whether or not the student had dependents. 

Unmarried, no dependents Student was single or separated and had no dependents (includes 

those who were widowed or divorced). 

Married, no dependents Student was married and had no dependents (a spouse is not 

considered a dependent). 

Single parent Student was single or separated and had dependents (includes 

those who were widowed or divorced). 

Married parents Student was married and had dependents (a spouse is not 

considered a dependent). 

Dependent student income DEPINC

Indicates dependent student parents’ total income for 2002. Based on amounts reported in the financial aid 

application, estimates by students in the CATI interview, or stochastic imputation. The low and high categories used 

in this report are approximately the lowest and highest 25 percent of the income range for dependent student 

families. 

Less than $32,000 

$32,000–59,999 

$60,000–91,999 

$92,000 or more 

Expected family contribution EFC 

Composite estimate of the federal Expected Family Contribution (EFC) used in need analysis. For Federal Pell Grant 

recipients, the EFC in the Pell Grant file was used; for other federal financial aid applicants, the primary EFC from 

the most recent financial aid application record was used if available; otherwise, the EFC reported in the institutional 

record was used. For students who did not apply for federal financial aid (41 percent), the EFC was imputed by 

regression for each dependency status.

Gender GENDER

Male 

Female 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-5 

Dependency and income level in 2002 INCOME

The dependency status and categorical income level of students in 2002. The source of income for dependent 

students is their parents or guardians; the source for independent students is their own earnings (including the income 

of a spouse, if married). Prior calendar year income is reported in the financial aid application and used in 

determining the EFC. That is, 2002 income was used to determine financial aid eligibility for the 2003–04 academic 

year. Income was based on financial aid applications, student interviews, or stochastic imputation. 

Dependent students 

Less than $20,000 

$20,000–39,999 

$40,000–59,999 

$60,000–79,999 

$80,000–99,999 

$100,000 or more 

Independent students 

Less than $10,000 

$10,000–19,999 

$20,000–29,999 

$30,000–49,999 

$50,000 or more 

Independent student income INDEPINC 

Total income of independent students in 2002, including income of a spouse. Based on amounts reported in the 

financial aid application, the student interview, or stochastic imputation. The low and high categories used in this 

report are approximately the lowest and highest 25 percent of the income range for independent students. 

Less than $12,000 

$12,000–26,999 

$27,000–51,999 

$52,000 or more 

Institutional grants INGRTAMT 

Indicates the total grant aid from institutional funds received in 2003–04. Includes all institutional grants, 

scholarships, and tuition waivers received during the NPSAS year. Includes need-based and non-need-based awards 

(see INSMERIT). At public institutions in some states, the distinction between state and institutional grant funds is 

not always clear because grants are funded by the state but are allocated by the institutions. The California 

Community College Board of Governors’ Grants, California State University Grants, and Educational Opportunity 

Grants are classified as institutional grants to be consistent with prior NPSAS studies. 

Institutional loans INLNAMT 

Indicates the loan amount from funds provided by the educational institution during 2003–04. 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-6 

Institutional merit-only grants INSMERIT

Institutional merit-only grants and scholarships received in 2003–04. Includes all athletic scholarships. Merit-only 

scholarships are not based on need, but they may be awarded to students who also qualify for need-based aid. 

Institutional aid total INSTAMT

Indicates the total institutional aid amount received during 2003–04. Includes all types of institutional grants and 

scholarships, institutional loans, institution-sponsored work-study, and all other institutional amounts. At public 

institutions in some states, the distinction between state and institutional grant funds is not always clear because 

grants are funded by the state but are allocated by the institutions (see INGRTAMT).

Institutional work-study INSTWRK 

Indicates the amount of institution-sponsored work-study received during 2003–04.

Housing LOCALRES 

Students’ residence while enrolled 

On campus Institution-owned living quarters for students. These are typically 

on-campus or off-campus dormitories, residence halls, or other 

facilities. 

Off campus Student lived off campus in non-institution-owned housing but 

not with her or his parents or relatives. 

Living with parents/other relatives Student lived at home with parents or other relatives. 

Price of attendance minus total aid NETCST1 

Net total price of attendance after all financial aid in 2003–04. Equal to the attendance-adjusted student budget 

minus total aid (BUDGETAJ minus TOTAID). It represents the estimated “out-of-pocket” expense to students 

remaining after all financial aid, including loans, is received. For students who did not receive any financial aid, this 

amount is the same as the price of attendance. Calculated only for students who attended one institution during 

2003–04.

Price of attendance minus federal grants NETCST2 

Net total price of attendance after federal grants. Equal to the attendance-adjusted student budget minus federal 

grants (BUDGETAJ minus TFEDGRT). Federal grants include Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational 

Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), and a small number of Robert Byrd Scholarships. They do not include federal 

veterans benefits or education tax benefits. For students who did not receive any federal grants, this amount is the 

same as the price of attendance. Calculated only for students who attended one institution during 2003–04.
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-7 

Price of attendance minus all grants NETCST3 

Net total price of attendance after all grants. Equal to the attendance-adjusted student budget minus all grants and 

scholarships from all sources (BUDGETAJ minus TOTGRT). Grants include tuition waivers and employer tuition 

reimbursements. They do not include federal veterans benefits or education tax benefits. For students who did not 

receive any grants, this amount is the same as the price of attendance. Calculated only for students who attended one 

institution during 2003–04.

Tuition and fees minus all grants NETCST9 

Net tuition and fees after all grants. Equal to tuition and fees minus total grant aid (TUITION2 minus TOTGRT). 

Grants include tuition waivers and employer tuition reimbursements. They do not include federal veterans benefits or 

education tax benefits. For students who did not receive any grants, this amount is the same as the tuition and fees. 

Grants help cover the entire student budget (not just tuition), so the grant amount may be greater than tuition alone, 

and the net tuition may be negative. Negative net tuition values were set to zero. Calculated only for students who 

attended one institution during 2003–04. 

Price of attendance minus federal grants, veterans benefits, and education tax benefits NETCST31

Net price of attendance after all federal grants, veterans benefits and estimated education tax benefits. Equal to the 

attendance-adjusted student budget minus federal grants, veterans benefits, and estimated education tax benefits and 

scholarships from all sources (BUDGETAJ minus TFEDGRT3). The major federal grant programs are Federal Pell 

Grants and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). For students who did not receive these 

types of aid, this amount is the same as the price of attendance. Calculated only for students who attended one 

institution during 2003–04.

Price of attendance minus all grants, veterans benefits, and education tax benefits NETCST33

Net price of attendance after all grants (from any source), veterans benefits, and estimated education tax benefits. 

Equal to the attendance-adjusted student budget minus all grants, veterans benefits, and estimated education tax 

benefits (BUDGETAJ minus TOTGRT3). For students who did not receive these types of aid, this amount is the 

same as the price of attendance. Calculated only for students who attended one institution during 2003–04.

Other grants OTHGTAMT 

Indicates the amount of grants received in 2003–04 that were from private sources or employers. 

Other types of aid OTHTYPE 

Indicates the total amount of aid received during 2003–04 that was not classified as grants, student loans, or workstudy. Includes Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS) loans, vocational rehabilitation and job training 

grants, veterans benefits, and any other Department of Defense aid programs. It does not include federal education 

tax benefits. 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-8 

Income percentile rank PCTALL

Indicates income percentiles for all students. Calculated separately for dependent and independent students and then 

combined into this variable. Each ranking thus compares the student only with other students of the same 

dependency status. Uses parents’ total income if the student is dependent and student’s own income if the student is 

independent (see DEPINC and INDEPINC). Total income in 2002 is used because this was the income reported on 

the financial aid applications and used for federal need analysis for the 2003–04 academic year. 

Federal PLUS loans PLUSAMT 

Total amount of Federal Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS) loans to parents in 2003–04. Federal 

PLUS loans are available to the parents of undergraduates in addition to any Federal Stafford loans for which 

students are eligible. PLUS loans are not based on need and may be used to cover the federal EFC. There is no fixed 

limit to the amount of a PLUS loan, but the PLUS loan may not exceed the student budget minus any other financial 

aid. PLUS loans are only available to parents who can meet certain credit-worthiness criteria; if they cannot do so, 

the dependent student for whom the loan is intended may apply to receive an unsubsidized Stafford loan up to the 

higher limit normally available only to independent students. PLUS loans are not included in the student loan totals 

in this report, but are classified as “other” types of aid. 

Race/ethnicity RACE 

Student’s race/ethnicity with Hispanic or Latino origin as a separate category. Based on the census race categories, 

but the race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. 

American Indian/Alaska Native A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North 

America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal 

affiliation or community recognition. 

Asian A person having origins in any of the peoples of the Far East, 

Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. This includes people 

from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, India, and 

Vietnam. 

Black/African American A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of 

Africa. 

Hispanic/Latino A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South 

American, or other Spanish culture or origin. 

Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian A person having origins in the Pacific Islands including Hawaii 

and Samoa. 

White A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, 

North Africa, or the Middle East. 

Other A person reporting having origins in a race not listed above. 

More than one race A person reporting origins in more than one race. 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-9 

Need for financial aid SNEED1 

The student’s total need for need-based financial aid. Equal to the total student budget (BUDGETAJ) minus the 

federal expected family contribution (EFC). When the EFC is greater than the price of attendance (and therefore the 

student has no need), this results in a negative number that has been set to zero.

Remaining need after financial aid SNEED2

The remaining need after all financial aid (need-based and non-need-based) is received. Equal to the total student 

budget (BUDGETAJ) minus the expected family contribution (EFC) minus total financial aid (TOTAID). First the 

EFC is subtracted from the student budget to determine need (SNEED1). If there is a (positive) need, then total aid is 

subtracted. If there is still a positive amount after TOTAID is subtracted from SNEED1, that amount is the remaining 

or unmet need. For students who have no need or those who receive financial aid that is not need based (such as 

unsubsidized Stafford loans, PLUS loans, or merit-only grants), this may result in a negative value that has been set 

to zero.

State aid total STATEAMT

Indicates the amount of state aid received by the student during 2003–04. Includes state grants, state loans, statesponsored work-study, and all other state financial aid. State grants include the Leveraging Educational Assistance 

Partnership (LEAP) portions funded by the federal government. At public institutions in some states, the distinction 

between state and institutional grant funds is not always clear because grants are funded by the state but are allocated 

by the institutions (see INGRTAMT).

State grants STGTAMT

Total amount of state grants and scholarships (including the federal portion of LEAP funds to states) received by the 

student in 2003–04. At public institutions in some states, the distinction between state and institutional grant funds is 

not always clear because grants are funded by the state but are allocated by the institutions (see INGRTAMT).

State loans STLNAMT 

Indicates the amount of state-funded loans received during 2003–04.

State merit-only grants STMERIT 

State-funded merit-only grants and scholarships received in 2003–04. 

State work-study STWKAMT 

Indicates the state-funded work-study amount received during 2003–04. 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-10 

Federal aid total TFEDAID 

Indicates the total amount of federal financial aid received in 2003–04. Includes federal loans, federal grants, federal 

work-study, and other federal financial aid (including PLUS loans). Does not include federal veterans benefits or 

education tax benefits. 

Federal grants TFEDGRT 

Total amount of federal grants received by a student in 2003–04. Includes Federal Pell Grants, FSEOG grants, and a 

small number of Robert Byrd Scholarships. Does not include federal veterans benefits or education tax benefits. 

Federal grants and veterans benefits TFEDGRT2 

Total amount of all federal grants, veterans benefits, and Department of Defense aid received during the 2003–04 

academic year. 

Federal grants, veterans benefits, and tax benefits TFEDGRT3 

Total amount of all federal grants, veterans benefits, and Department of Defense aid and estimated federal education 

tax credits or tax deduction benefits for the 2003–04 academic year. 

Federal loans (excluding PLUS) TFEDLN 

Indicates the total amount of federal loans, excluding PLUS loans to parents. Includes Perkins, Stafford, and federal 

loans through the Public Health Service received during 2003–04. 

Total aid TOTAID 

Total amount of financial aid received by a student in 2003–04. Includes grants, loans, work-study, or any other 

types of aid, as well as loans to parents under the PLUS program, and veterans benefits. Does not include federal 

education tax benefits. 

Total grants TOTGRT 

Total amount of grants received by a student in 2003–04. Grants are a type of student financial aid that does not 

require repayment or employment. Grants include merit-only scholarships, tuition waivers, and employer tuition 

reimbursements. 

Total grants, veterans benefits, and federal tax benefits TOTGRT3 

Total amount of all grants, veterans benefits and Department of Defense aid, and estimated federal education tax 

credits or tax deduction benefits received for the 2003–04 academic year. 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS Variable 

A-11 

Total student loans (excluding PLUS) TOTLOAN 

Total student loan amount received in 2003–04. This includes all student loans through federal, state, institutional, or 

private programs except PLUS loans (which are made to parents). Loans are a type of student financial aid that 

advances funds and that are evidenced by a promissory note requiring the recipient to repay the specified amounts 

under prescribed conditions. Does not include loans from family or friends. 

Total work-study TOTWKST

Indicates the total amount of all work-study awards received during 2003–04. Institutions were asked to report the 

amount actually earned rather than the award amount, which may be greater.

Tuition and fees TUITION2 

Tuition and fees charged at the sampled NPSAS institution for students who attended only one institution during 

2003–04. 

Federal education tax benefits TXTOTBEN

Estimated amount of federal education tax credits and tax deduction benefits for the 2003–04 academic year. Equal 

to the estimated reduction in 2003 federal taxes provided by the federal education tax credits (Hope and Lifetime 

Learning) or the federal tuition and fees tax deduction. Estimates of the tax benefit amounts for the NPSAS:04 

sample students were imputed based on the eligibility requirements and data published by the Internal Revenue 

Service. The Internal Revenue Service publishes aggregated annual sample data by income level that shows the 

number of tax filers who claimed the tax credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning combined) and the total tax credit 

dollars claimed, as well as the number of filers claiming the tuition and fees deductions and the total dollars claimed 

as deductions. The NPSAS:04 data on net tuition, income, federal taxes, class level, and attendance status were used 

to identify the students in the sample who met the eligibility requirements for each of the three federal education tax 

benefits and to estimate the amount of those benefits for which they were eligible. About one-fourth of tax filers who 

are eligible for one of these benefits do not claim them when filing taxes, however. Therefore the published IRS data 

on the number of education tax benefit claims by income level, and the dollar amounts claimed, were used to impute 

the number and estimate the average amount of tax benefits claimed among the eligible students in the NPSAS 

sample. See appendix B for details. 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
B-1 

Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

Overview 

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) was first implemented by NCES 

during the 1986–87 academic year to meet the need for national-level data about significant 

financial aid issues. Since 1987, NPSAS has been conducted every 3 to 4 years, with the most 

recent implementation during the 2003–04 academic year. NPSAS:04 was conducted as the 

student component of the National Study of Faculty and Students (NSoFaS). 

NPSAS is the only periodic, nationally representative survey of students regarding financial 

aid. There is no other single national database that contains student-level records for students 

receiving aid from all of the numerous and disparate programs funded by the federal government, 

the states, postsecondary institutions, employers, and private organizations. The NPSAS studies 

reflect the changes made in government guidelines for financial aid eligibility and availability, 

providing measures of the impact of those changes. The NPSAS studies also provide information 

about the current operation of financial aid for postsecondary students. 

The fundamental purpose of NPSAS is to create a dataset that brings together information 

about a variety of aid programs for a large sample of undergraduate, graduate, and firstprofessional students. NPSAS provides the data for comprehensive descriptions of the 

undergraduate and graduate/first-professional student populations in terms of their demographic 

characteristics, academic programs, types of institutions attended, attendance patterns, 

employment, and participation in civic and volunteer activities. It also includes data on tuition 

and price of attendance, the various types of financial aid received, and the net price of 

attendance after aid. NPSAS provides research and policy analysts with data to address basic 

issues about postsecondary affordability and the effectiveness of the existing financial aid 

programs. 

Another purpose of NPSAS is gathering base-year data on a subset of students who become 

the sample for a longitudinal study. NPSAS:04 serves as the base year for a Beginning 

Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study with a follow-up survey 2 years later (BPS:04/06), 

and then again in 2009. A section of the NPSAS student interview focuses on describing the 

experience of these students in their first year of postsecondary education. Also, for the first time, 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-2 

NPSAS:04 includes representative samples of undergraduate students for 12 states that explicitly 

expressed interest and support for such state-level data. 

Data Sources for NPSAS:04 

Information for NPSAS:04 was obtained from several sources, including the following: 

• Student Records: Data from institutional financial aid and registrar records at the 

institutions currently attended. These data were entered at the institution by 

institutional personnel or field data collectors in 2003–04 using a computer-assisted 

data entry program (web-CADE) or directly downloaded from a data file. 

• Student Interview: Data collected directly from sampled students via web-based selfadministered or interviewer-administered questionnaires. 

• Central Processing System (CPS): U.S. Department of Education database of federal 

financial aid applications for the 2003–04 academic year. 

• National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS): U.S. Department of Education 

database of federal Title IV loans and Federal Pell Grants. 

• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS): U.S. Department of 

Education, National Center for Education Statistics, database of descriptive 

information about individual postsecondary institutions. 

Sample Design 

The NPSAS:04 target population consists of all eligible students enrolled at any time 

between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004 in postsecondary institutions in the United States or 

Puerto Rico that had signed Title IV participation agreements with the U.S. Department of 

Education making them eligible for the federal student aid programs (Title IV institutions). To be 

eligible for NPSAS, students had to be enrolled in either an academic program with at least one 

course for credit that could be applied toward fulfilling the requirements for an academic degree 

or enrolled in an occupational or vocational program that requires at least 3 months or 300 clock 

hours of instruction to receive a degree, certificate, or other formal award. Eligible students could 

not be concurrently enrolled in high school and could not be enrolled solely in a GED or other 

high school completion program. 

The institution sampling frame for NPSAS:04 was constructed from the 2000–01 IPEDS 

Institutional Characteristics (IC) files. The institutions on the sampling frame were partitioned 

into 58 institutional strata based on institutional control, highest level of offering, and Carnegie 

classification. NPSAS:04 also includes state-representative undergraduate student samples for 

three types of institutions (public 4-year, public 2-year, and private not-for-profit 4-year) in 12 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-3 

states.1 Interested readers are referred to the forthcoming NPSAS:04 methodology report 

(Cominole et al. forthcoming) for a more detailed description of the sample designs, including a 

complete listing of the 58 strata and further details. 

Institutions were selected using Chromy’s sequential probability minimum replacement 

(pmr) sampling algorithm (Chromy 1979), which is similar to systematic sampling, to select 

institutions with probabilities proportional to a composite measure of size based on expected 

enrollment. Initially a sample of about 1,600 institutions was selected in fall 2002 so that these 

institutions could be notified of their selection early and to allow a separate field test sample to 

be selected from the remaining institutions on the sampling frame. In summer 2003, a small 

sample of additional institutions was selected from a frame of institutions not included on the 

initial sampling frame. Of the final total 1,670 sample institutions, 810 were selected with 

certainty.2 Of these 1,670 sample institutions, 1,630 were found to be NPSAS-eligible 

institutions and 1,360 of these 1,630 institutions provided student enrollment lists for use as the 

second stage (i.e., student) sampling frame. 

Perturbation 

To protect the confidentiality of NCES data that contain information about specific 

individuals, NPSAS:04 data were subject to perturbation procedures to minimize disclosure risk. 

Perturbation procedures, which have been approved by the NCES Disclosure Review Board, 

preserve the central tendency estimates, but may result in slight increases in nonsampling errors. 

Imputation 

All variables with missing data used in this report as well as those included in the related 

Data Analysis System (DAS) release have been imputed. The imputation procedures employed a 

two-step process. In the first step, the matching criteria and imputation classes that were used to 

stratify the dataset were identified such that all imputation was processed independently within 

each class. In the second step, the weighted sequential hot deck process was implemented,3

whereby missing data were replaced with valid data from donor records that match the recipients 

with respect to the matching criteria. 

 

1 These 12 states were selected by NCES from those expressing interest. The 12 states were categorized into three groups based 

on population size: four small states (Connecticut, Delaware, Nebraska, Oregon), four medium-size states (Georgia, Indiana, 

Minnesota, Tennessee), and four large states (California, Illinois, New York, Texas). 

2 Number of institutions have been rounded to 10’s. 

3 The term “hot deck” refers to the fact that the set of potential donors changes for each recipient. In contrast, cold deck 

imputation defines one static set of donors for all recipients. In all such imputation schemes the selection of the donor from the 

entire deck is a random process. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-4 

Variables requiring imputation were not imputed simultaneously. Basic demographic 

variables with full information were imputed first. Then, variables with increasing levels of 

missing data were imputed using previously imputed variables in the determination of optimal 

matching criteria. The order in which variables were imputed was also determined to some extent 

by the substantive nature of the variables. For example, basic demographics (such as age) were 

imputed first and these were used to process education variables (such as student level and 

enrollment intensity) which in turn were used to impute the financial aid variables (such as aid 

receipt and loan amounts). 

For variables with less than 5 percent missing data, the variables used for matching criteria 

were selected based on prior knowledge about the dataset and the known relationships between 

variables. For example, in almost all cases the student’s age and enrollment intensity (fulltime/part-time status) were used as matching variables in the imputation process. 

For variables with more than 5 percent missing data, a process called Chi-Square 

Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) was used to identify the matching criteria that are most 

closely related to the variable being imputed (Kass 1980). This step produced a number of 

imputation classes that contain sets of donors that were used to impute recipients belonging to 

that class. 

Next, the imputation classes were used as input to a SAS macro that implemented the 

weighted sequential hot deck procedure. Additionally, data were sorted within each imputation 

class to increase the chance of obtaining a close match between donor and recipient. The hot 

deck process is sequential in that the search for donors occurs sequentially, starting with the 

recipient and progressing up and down the sorted file to find the set of eligible donors from 

which a random selection of one was made. The process is weighted since it incorporates the 

sample weight of each record in the search and selection routine.4

In some cases, further intervention was needed to ensure accuracy and consistency of 

imputation as determined by preexisting edit rules. For example, to impute the level of parents’ 

education, when we know the parents have some college but not the parents’ specific education 

level, the potential pool of donors was limited to those with at least some college education, to 

prevent imputing parents’ education level as less than college. 

 

4 For further details, we suggest Cox (1980) and Iannacchione (1982). 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-5 

Weighting 

All estimates in this report are weighted to represent the target population described in the 

sample design section. The weights compensate for the unequal probability of selection of 

institutions and students in the NPSAS sample. The weights also adjust for multiplicity at the 

institution and student levels,5 unknown student eligibility, nonresponse, and poststratification. 

The institution weight is computed and then used as a component of the student weight. 

Quality of Estimates 

Unit Response Rates and Bias Analysis 

The bias in an estimated mean based on respondents, R y , is the difference between this 

mean and the target parameter, π (i.e., the mean that would be estimated if a complete census of 

the target population was conducted and everyone responded). This bias can be expressed as 

follows: 

B( ) y

–R = y–R – π

The estimated mean based on nonrespondents, NR y , can be computed if data for the 

particular variable are available for most of the nonrespondents from another source (e.g., 

institution information from IPEDS). The true target parameter, π, can be estimated for these 

variables as follows: 

ˆ ( ) 1 R NR π ηη =− + y y

where η is the weighted unit (or item) nonresponse rate. For the variables that are from the 

frame, rather than from the sample, π can be estimated without sampling error. The bias can then 

be estimated as follows: 

( ) ˆ ˆ By y R R = −π

or equivalently: 

 

5 It was determined after institution sample selection that in some cases, either (1) an institution had merged with another 

institution, or (2) student enrollment lists for two or more campuses were submitted as one combined student list. In these 

instances, the institution weights were adjusted for the joint probability of selection. Likewise, students who attended more than 

one institution during the NPSAS year also had multiple chances of selection. If it was determined from any source (the student

interview, or the student loan files (Pell or Stafford)) that a student had attended more than one institution, the student’s weight 

was adjusted to account for multiple chances of selection. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-6 

( ) ( ) ˆ

By y y R R NR = − η . 

This formula shows that the estimate of the nonresponse bias is the difference between the 

mean for respondents and nonrespondents multiplied by the weighted nonresponse rate. 

Institution-Level Bias Analysis 

An institution respondent is defined as any sample institution for which 

• A student list was received that was sufficient for selecting a sample, or 

• A sample of students was selected from an NSLDS file of Stafford loan and Federal 

Pell Grant recipients in cases where such a student file was believed to include at least 

85 percent of the student population. Specifically, student enrollment lists were used 

from NSLDS when IPEDS data indicated that the percentage of grant-receiving 

students was at least 80 percent, and the percentage of students receiving loans was at 

least 90 percent of the student population at the institution. 

Of the 1,630 eligible sample institutions 1,360 were respondents (83.5 unweighted percent 

and 80.0 weighted percent). The institution weighted response rate is also below 85 percent for 

six of the nine types of institutions. The weighted response rates by type of institution range from 

70.3 percent for public 4-year nondoctorate institutions to 92.6 percent for private not-for-profit 

less-than-4-year institutions. 

A nonresponse bias analysis was conducted for all institutions and for the six types of 

institutions with a weighted response rate below 85 percent (U.S. Department of Education 

2003). The nonresponse bias was estimated for variables known (i.e., non-missing) for most 

respondents and nonrespondents. There are extensive data available for all institutions from 

IPEDS, and the following variables were used:6

• type of institution;7

• Carnegie classification; 

• degree of urbanization; 

• OBE region; 

• historically Black College or University indicator; 

• percentage of students receiving federal grant aid; 

• percentage of students receiving state/local grant aid; 

 

6 For the continuous variables, categories were formed based on quartiles or logical breaks. 

7 Type of institution was only used in the nonresponse bias analysis for all institutions. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-7 

• percentage of students receiving institutional grant aid; 

• percentage of students receiving student loan aid; 

• percentage of students enrolled: Hispanic; 

• percentage of students enrolled: Asian or Pacific Islander; 

• percentage of students enrolled: Black, non-Hispanic; 

• total undergraduate enrollment; 

• male undergraduate enrollment; 

• female undergraduate enrollment; 

• total graduate/first-professional enrollment; 

• male graduate/first-professional enrollment; and 

• female graduate/first-professional enrollment. 

First, for the institution-level variables listed above, the nonresponse bias was estimated 

and tested (adjusting for multiple comparisons) to determine if the bias is significant at the 5 

percent level. Second, nonresponse adjustments were computed, and the variables listed above 

were included in the nonresponse models. The nonresponse adjustments (see the weighting 

section of this appendix) were designed to significantly reduce or eliminate nonresponse bias for 

variables included in the models. Third, after the weights were computed, any remaining bias 

was estimated for the variables listed above and statistical tests were performed to check the 

remaining significant nonresponse bias. 

The institution weighting adjustments eliminated some, but not all, bias. However, for all 

institutions, public less-than-2-year institutions, and public 2-year institutions, before weighting 

5.6 percent, 6.3 percent, and 6.8 percent, respectively, of the variable categories were 

significantly biased, and after weighting, no significant bias remained for the variables analyzed. 

For the other types of institutions, the percentage of variable categories with significant bias 

decreased after weight adjustments. Significant bias was reduced for the variables known for 

most respondents and nonrespondents, which are considered to be some of the more analytically 

important variables and are correlated with many of the other variables. These variables include 

region, institution total enrollment, CPS match, Federal Pell Grant recipient, Stafford loan 

recipient, Federal Pell Grant amount, and Stafford loan amount. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-8 

Student-Level Bias Analysis 

As mentioned in the sample design section above, a student respondent is defined as any 

sample member who is determined to be eligible for the study and has valid data from any source 

for a selected set of key analytical variables. These are minimal data requirements and the vast 

majority of study respondents were characterized by considerably more complete data. 

Of the 101,000 eligible sample students the unweighted response rate was 89.8 percent, and 

the weighted response rate was 91.0 percent. The student weighted response rate is also above 85 

percent for all types of institutions with the exception of public 2-year institutions. The weighted 

response rates by type of institution range from 83.9 percent for public 2-year institutions to 96.9 

percent for private not-for-profit 4-year nondoctoral institutions. 

Therefore, a nonresponse bias analysis was conducted only for students from public 2-year 

institutions. The nonresponse bias was estimated for the seven variables known for most 

respondents and nonrespondents. Five of these variables were known for all sample members, 

and the remaining two variables were only known for federally aided students. These variables 

are included on the DAS and are listed below. 

For all sample members: 

• region; 

• institution total enrollment; 

• CPS match (yes/no); 

• Federal Pell Grant recipient (yes/no); and 

• Stafford loan recipient (yes/no). 

For federally aided students: 

• Federal Pell Grant amount; and 

• Stafford loan amount. 

For students in public 2-year institutions: 

• Percentage part-time fall enrollment; and 

• In-state tuition. 

These institution-level data were available from IPEDS. 

The steps listed above for institution nonresponse bias analysis are also applicable for the 

student nonresponse bias analysis. That is, the nonresponse bias was estimated for the above 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-9 

variables, tested (adjusting for multiple comparisons) to determine if the bias is significant at the 

5 percent level, and nonresponse adjustments were computed including the above variables in the 

nonresponse models. Any remaining bias was estimated for these variables and statistical tests 

were performed to check the remaining significant nonresponse bias. 

The student weighting adjustments eliminated some, but not all, bias for students in public 

2-year institutions. Significant bias was reduced from 35.4 to 29.2 percent for the variables 

known for most respondents and nonrespondents, which are considered to be some of the more 

analytically important variables and are correlated with many of the other variables. However, 

significant bias still remains because there were small numbers of nonrespondents in this type of 

institution applying for and receiving federal aid.8 This may be due to the definition of a 

respondent. All significant bias was eliminated for the non-aid variables (i.e., region, institution 

total enrollment, percentage part-time fall enrollment, and in-state tuition). 

In summary, the weighting adjustments have reduced the overall level of nonresponse bias, 

but some bias remains even after adjusting weights. Although there was considerable reduction 

in bias due to weighting adjustments, nonresponse bias remains in nearly 30 percent of the 

variables after weighting adjustments. 

Item-Level Bias Analysis 

When item response rates were less than 85 percent, a nonresponse bias analysis was 

conducted. Item response rates (RRI) are calculated as the ratio of the number of respondents for 

whom an in-scope response was obtained (Ix

 for item x) to the number of respondents who are 

asked to answer that item. The number asked to answer an item is the number of unit level 

respondents (I) minus the number of respondents with a valid skip item for item x (Vx

). When an 

abbreviated questionnaire is used to convert refusals, the eliminated questions are treated as 

“item nonresponse” (U.S. Department of Education 2003). 

RRIx

 = Ix / (I – Vx) 

A student is defined to be an item respondent for an analytic variable if that student has 

data for that variable from any source, including logical imputation. 

 

8 All significant bias was eliminated for the non-aid variables, i.e. region, institution total enrollment, percentage part-time fall 

enrollment, and in-state tuition. Appendix K in the forthcoming NPSAS:04 methodology report (Cominole et al. forthcoming) 

contains detailed tables showing the estimated bias before and after weight adjustments for each domain for which nonresponse 

bias was conducted. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-10 

A nonresponse bias analysis was conducted for variables with response rates below 85 

percent. The variables listed above in the student-level bias analysis section were used to 

compare the item respondents and nonrespondents. These variables are important to the study 

and will be related to many of the items being analyzed for low item response rates. For these 

items, the nonresponse bias was estimated as described in the above section for each of these 

variables known for both respondents and nonrespondents and tested (adjusting for multiple 

comparisons) to determine if the bias is significant at the 5 percent level. The forthcoming 

NPSAS:04 methodology report (Cominole et al. forthcoming) provides a more detailed 

description of items with response rates below 85 percent. 

A byproduct of the imputation (described in the imputation section of this appendix) is the 

reduction or elimination of item-level nonresponse bias. Imputation reduces or eliminates 

nonresponse bias by replacing missing data with statistically plausible values. Missing data and 

the associated nonresponse bias for variables such as other grants, dependent student income, and 

independent student income cannot be ignored (i.e., the respondents’ distribution patterns differ 

from those in the full population). Therefore, replacing missing data with reasonable 

values produces imputed sample distributions that resemble full population distributions, thus 

reducing if not eliminating nonresponse bias. The use of carefully constructed imputation classes, 

donor-imputee matching criteria, and random hot-deck searches within imputation cells are all 

designed to ensure that imputed data are in fact plausible and that the nonresponse bias can be 

ignored within the imputation classes. The effectiveness of imputation implemented to reduce 

item nonresponse bias will be presented in the forthcoming methodology report. All variables 

used in this report were fully imputed; therefore, all nonresponse was eliminated. 

Standard Errors 

To facilitate computation of standard errors for both linear and nonlinear statistics, a vector 

of bootstrap sample weights has been added to the analysis file. These weights are zero for units 

not selected in a particular bootstrap sample; weights for other units are inflated for the bootstrap 

subsampling. The initial analytic weights for the complete sample are also included for the 

purposes of computing the desired estimates. The vector of replicate weights allows for 

computing additional estimates for the sole purpose of estimating a variance. Assuming B sets of 

replicate weights, the variance of any estimate, θ

ˆ, can be estimated by replicating the estimation 

procedure for each replicate and computing a simple variance of the replicate estimates; i.e., 

B

Var

B

b

b

2

1

) ˆ ˆ (

)ˆ (

θ θ

θ

−

=

∑−

•
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-11 

where • θ b

ˆ is the estimate based on the b-th replicate weight (where b=1 to the number of 

replicates) and B is the total number of sets of replicate weights. Once the replicate weights are 

provided, this estimate can be produced by most survey software packages (e.g., SUDAAN [RTI 

2004]). 

The replicate weights were produced using a methodology and computer software 

developed by Kaufman (2004). This methodology allows for finite population correction factors 

at two stages of sampling. The NPSAS application of the method incorporated the finite 

population correction factor at the first stage only where sampling fractions were generally high. 

At the second stage, where the sampling fraction was generally low, the finite population 

correction factor was set to 1.00. 

Cautions for Analysts 

Multiple Institutions 

Students who attended more than one institution during the 2003–04 academic year (about 

7 percent of undergraduates students) are coded in a separate category (“more than one 

institution”) for institution type, institution control, and attendance pattern. Although included in 

the “totals” in this report, due to confounding tuition and fees and attendance patterns, students 

who attended multiple institutions were excluded in the estimates by institution type, tuition and 

fees categories, and attendance pattern in this report. 

The estimates in this report are subject to sampling and nonsampling errors. Nonsampling 

errors are due to a number of sources, including but not limited to, nonresponse, coding and data 

entry errors, misspecification of composite variables, and inaccurate imputations. In a study like 

NPSAS there are multiple sources of data for some variables (CPS, CADE, Student Interview, 

etc.) and reporting differences can occur in each. Data swapping and other forms of perturbation, 

implemented in order to protect respondent confidentiality, can lead to inconsistencies as well. 

Sampling errors exist in all sample-based datasets, including NPSAS. Estimates calculated 

from a sample will differ from estimates calculated from other samples even if all the samples 

used the same sample design and methods. For similar reasons, estimates of average aid amounts 

based on the NPSAS sample will probably differ from specific program amounts reported by the 

department’s program offices. 

The standard error (described earlier) is a measure of the precision of the estimate. In this 

tabulation, each estimate’s standard error was calculated using bootstrap replication procedures 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-12 

and can be produced using the NPSAS:04 Data Analysis System (DAS) software. Standard errors 

for compendium table 1.1 are presented in table B-1.9 All differences reported in the selected 

findings were significant at the 0.05 level. 

Comparing NPSAS:04 Estimates to Prior NPSAS Estimates 

Comparison of results with prior rounds of NPSAS requires compensation for three 

changes in the design of the survey over time. For NPSAS:2000, the survey was restricted for the 

first time to institutions participating in Title IV student aid programs. According to the Data 

Analysis System for NPSAS:96, only about 1 percent of the sampled undergraduates were 

attending an institution not eligible to participate in the Department’s Title IV aid programs. 

When students attending non-Title IV-eligible institutions were excluded from the NPSAS:96 

sample, the percentage of undergraduates who received financial aid increased by less than 0.3 

percent. This small change primarily affects comparisons of students enrolled in less-than-2-year 

and private for-profit institutions. When using the DAS from prior NPSAS studies for 

comparisons to NPSAS:2000 and NPSAS:04, analysts may want to filter cases in the prior 

studies (e.g., NPSAS:96 or NPSAS:93) based on the variable that identifies whether the student 

was sampled from an institution that was eligible to participate in Title IV aid programs 

(T4ELIG). 

Another design change was made beginning with NPSAS:90 to improve full-year 

estimates. NPSAS:87 sampled students enrolled in the fall (October). However, NPSAS:90 

sampled students who were enrolled at four discrete points in time: summer (August), fall 

(October), winter (February), and spring (June). Since implementation of NPSAS in 1993, 

institutions have been asked to provide one list that represented students enrolled at any time 

during the respective financial aid award year. In NPSAS:87 and NPSAS:90, those students who 

were initially sampled in the fall could have been enrolled for the full academic year. 

Another difference to note is that Puerto Rico was not part of the sample in NPSAS:87. The 

final restricted data files and the NPSAS DAS software will allow users to produce estimates 

comparable to 1987 by selecting only students who were enrolled in the fall and excluding those 

sampled from Puerto Rico (see the variable description for COMPTO87 in the DAS). These 

estimates will reflect full-year amounts of aid for students who were enrolled in the fall. Such 

estimates, however, will not reflect total expenditures as reported by the Department’s specific 

Title IV program offices. This difference will be explained more fully in the forthcoming 

methodology report. 

 

9 All standard errors for estimates presented in this report can be viewed at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-13 

Table B-1.—Standard errors for table 1.1: Average tuition and fees, average price of attendance, and percentage of 

Table 1.1.—undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions who received any financial aid, any grants, or 

Table 1.1.—student loans, and among those receiving aid, the average amounts of aid received, by selected 

Table 1.1.—student characteristics: 2003–04

Average

Average total

tuition price of

and atten- Average Average Average

Student characteristics fees dance Percent amount Percent amount Percent amount

All undergraduates

 U.S. total (excluding

 Puerto Rico) $60 $90 0.37 $80 0.42 $60 0.22 $50

 Total (50 states, DC, 

 and Puerto Rico) 60 90 0.36 80 0.41 60 0.22 50

Attendance status

 Full-time/full-year 120 140 0.40 110 0.48 90 0.44 60

 Part-time/part-year 60 80 0.56 70 0.57 40 0.30 70

Dependency status

 Dependent 110 140 0.53 120 0.51 90 0.46 60

 Independent 50 80 0.49 50 0.50 30 0.43 70

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 110 160 0.68 140 0.72 90 0.66 100

 $32,000–59,999 130 160 0.75 160 0.68 110 0.70 80

 $60,000–91,999 140 180 0.91 170 0.83 130 0.85 100

 $92,000 or more 190 250 0.91 170 0.87 160 0.71 110

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 70 120 0.74 110 0.68 60 0.84 90

 $12,000–26,999 80 120 0.81 70 0.92 40 0.87 100

 $27,000–51,999 70 130 0.86 120 0.76 50 0.83 120

 $52,000 or more 70 120 1.01 110 1.00 60 0.66 150

Institution type

 Public 2-year 30 80 0.83 40 0.76 30 0.36 90

 Public 4-year 70 100 0.58 70 0.69 50 0.46 50

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 310 360 0.73 290 1.05 220 0.81 140

 Private for-profit 190 270 0.40 200 0.82 80 0.74 180

Full-time/full-year undergraduates

 Total 120 140 0.42 110 0.51 100 0.46 60

Dependency status

 Dependent 140 170 0.50 140 0.60 120 0.55 70

 Independent 120 150 0.83 110 0.88 70 1.00 110

Dependent student income

 Less than $32,000 150 190 0.70 190 0.89 140 0.98 120

 $32,000–59,999 170 200 0.93 200 0.96 150 0.93 90

 $60,000–91,999 190 210 0.82 200 0.94 150 0.98 110

 $92,000 or more 240 260 0.88 190 0.99 170 0.80 120

Independent student income

 Less than $12,000 160 200 0.86 150 0.91 90 1.17 120

 $12,000–26,999 180 200 0.96 180 1.43 90 1.39 200

 $27,000–51,999 260 340 1.95 260 1.96 120 2.80 190

 $52,000 or more 200 220 2.28 270 2.20 180 2.63 250

Institution type

 Public 2-year 80 190 1.30 90 1.35 60 0.96 90

 Public 4-year 90 110 0.46 80 0.58 70 0.49 40

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 320 340 0.79 300 0.99 270 1.12 130

 Private for-profit 340 390 0.75 290 1.74 160 1.21 250

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Total aid Total grants Student loans
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-14 

NCES recommends that readers not try to produce their own estimates such as the 

percentage of all students receiving aid or the numbers of undergraduates enrolled in the fall who 

received any aid, federal aid, state aid, etc., by combining estimates in this tabulation with the 

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2003 enrollment numbers. The 

IPEDS enrollment data include some students not eligible for NPSAS (e.g., those enrolled in 

U.S. Service Academies, or those taking college courses while enrolled in high school). 

Additional information on the NPSAS:04 sample is presented in the sample design section of this 

appendix and will also be described in the forthcoming methodology report. 

Data Analysis System 

The estimates presented in this report were produced using the NPSAS:04 Data Analysis 

System (DAS). The DAS software enables users to specify and generate their own tables. The 

DAS also contains a detailed description of how each variable was created, and includes question 

wording for items coming directly from an interview. 

With the DAS, users can replicate or expand upon the tables presented in this report. In 

addition to the table estimates, the DAS calculates the proper standard errors10 and weighted 

sample sizes for these estimates. For example, table B-1 contains standard errors that correspond 

to estimates in compendium table 1.1 in this report. If the number of valid cases is too small to 

produce a reliable estimate (fewer than 30 cases), the DAS prints the message “low-N” instead of 

the estimate. All standard errors for estimates presented in this report can be viewed at 

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp. In addition to tables, the DAS will also produce a 

correlation matrix of selected variables to be used for linear regression models. Included in the 

output with the correlation matrix are the design effects (DEFTs) for each variable in the matrix. 

Since statistical procedures generally compute regression coefficients based on simple random 

sample assumptions, the standard errors must be adjusted with the design effects to take into 

account the stratified sampling method used in the NPSAS surveys. 

The DAS can be accessed electronically at http://nces.ed.gov/das. For more information 

about the Data Analysis System, contact: 

Aurora D’Amico 

Postsecondary Studies Division 

National Center for Education Statistics 

 

10 The NPSAS samples are not simple random samples, and therefore, simple random sample techniques for estimating sampling 

error cannot be applied to these data. The DAS takes into account the complexity of the sampling procedures and calculates 

standard errors appropriate for such samples. The method for computing sampling errors used by the DAS involves 

approximating the estimator by replication of the sampled population. The procedure used is a bootstrap technique. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-15 

1990 K Street NW 

Washington, DC 20006-5652 

(202) 502–7334 

aurora.d’amico@ed.gov

Statistical Procedures 

Differences Between Means 

The descriptive comparisons were tested in this report using Student’s t statistic. 

Differences between estimates are tested against the probability of a Type I error,11 or 

significance level. The significance levels were determined by calculating the Student’s t values 

for the differences between each pair of means or proportions and comparing these with 

published tables of significance levels for two-tailed hypothesis testing (p < .05). 

Student’s t values may be computed to test the difference between estimates with the 

following formula: 

2

2

2

1

1 2

se se

E E

t

+

− = (1)

where E1 and E2 are the estimates to be compared and se1 and se2 are their corresponding 

standard errors. This formula is valid only for independent estimates. When estimates are not 

independent, a covariance term must be added to the formula: 

E -E

se + se - 2(r)se se

1 2

1

2

2

2

1 2 (2)

where r is the correlation between the two variables.12 The denominator in this formula will be at 

its maximum when the two estimates are perfectly negatively correlated, that is, when r = –1. 

This means that a conservative dependent test may be conducted by using –1 for the correlation 

in this formula as follows: 

1 2

2

2

2

1 2

(se1 ) (se ) 2se se

E E

t

+ +

− = . (3)

 

11 A Type I error occurs when one concludes that a difference observed in a sample reflects a true difference in the population 

from which the sample was drawn, when no such difference is present. 

12 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, A Note from the Chief Statistician, no. 2, 1993. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-16 

The estimates and standard errors are obtained from the DAS. If the comparison is between the 

mean of a subgroup and the mean of the total group, the following formula is used: 

2

sub

2

tot

2

sub

sub tot

se se 2 p se

E E

+ −

− (4)

where p is the proportion of the total group contained in the subgroup.13 The estimates, standard 

errors, and correlations can all be obtained from the DAS. 

There are hazards in reporting statistical tests for each comparison. First, comparisons 

based on large t statistics may appear to merit special attention. This can be misleading since the 

magnitude of the t statistic is related not only to the observed differences in means or percentages 

but also to the number of respondents in the specific categories used for comparison. Hence, a 

small difference compared across a large number of respondents would produce a large t statistic. 

A second hazard in reporting statistical tests is the possibility that one can report a “false 

positive” or Type I error. In the case of a t statistic, this false positive would result when a 

difference measured with a particular sample showed a statistically significant difference when 

there is no difference in the underlying population. Statistical tests are designed to control this 

type of error, denoted by alpha. The alpha level of .05 selected for findings in this report 

indicates that a difference of a certain magnitude or larger would be produced no more than one 

time out of twenty when there was no actual difference in the quantities in the underlying 

population. When we test hypotheses that show t values at the .05 level or smaller, we treat this 

finding as rejecting the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the two quantities. 

Estimating Federal Education Tax Credits and Deductions 

Since 1998 the federal government has provided postsecondary students and their families 

with financial assistance through federal tax reductions for certain educational expenses.14 These 

federal tax benefits differ from the traditional types of student financial aid in several ways. 

Unlike traditional financial aid, the amount of the tax benefit to the students or their families 

cannot be specified prior to enrollment. The amount of the actual tax benefit depends on the 

particular circumstances of the tax filers and their choices among several tax benefit options, 

which are not determined until federal taxes are filed. The amount of the education tax benefit is 

based on the educational expenses incurred during the entire calendar year of enrollment prior to 

 

13 Ibid. 

14 U.S. Government Accountability Office (2005) and Long (2004) describe these programs and estimate eligibility and 

participation rates. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-17 

filing taxes, while traditional financial aid is awarded for an academic year (e.g., fall and spring 

semesters) that usually spans 2 calendar years. Unlike the traditional types of financial aid, the 

postsecondary institution does not know and therefore cannot report the dollar value of the tax 

benefit for an individual student. Moreover, as discussed below, the survey interviews of the 

students themselves have not provided reliable information about these tax benefits. 

Since there is no student-level data available to determine the value of these federal tax 

benefits, estimates of the tax benefit amounts for the NPSAS:04 sample students were imputed 

based on the eligibility requirements and data published by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

The Internal Revenue Service publishes aggregated annual sample data by income level that 

shows the number of tax filers who claimed the tax credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning 

combined) and the total tax credit dollars claimed, as well as the number of filers claiming the 

tuition and fees deductions and the total dollars claimed as deductions (U.S. Department of the 

Treasury 2005a, 2005b). The IRS data is not directly comparable to the NPSAS data, but it is the 

only source available. The IRS data is based on the 2003 calendar year, while the NPSAS data is 

based on the 2003–04 academic year. The IRS data is based on the number of tax filers 

(individuals or households), while the NPSAS data is based on the number of students. The 

imputations of the tax benefits therefore had to assume that the academic year and the calendar 

year data were equivalent and that tax filers were equivalent to students, neither of which is 

necessarily true. 

Summary of Methodology 

Students and their families may be eligible for three types of federal education tax benefits 

that offset postsecondary education tuition expenses: the Hope Tax Credit, the Lifetime Learning 

Tax Credits, and the Tuition and Fees Deduction. The first two of these are tax credits that 

reduce the amount of federal taxes owed directly by subtracting the tax credit amount from the 

initial tax liability. The third, however, is a deduction amount subtracted from the initial taxable 

income; the actual tax benefit is the difference between the taxes owed before and after the 

deduction is subtracted from income. In general, this means that the tax benefit is equal to the 

deduction times the marginal tax bracket rate. 

The federal Hope tax credit is limited to undergraduates in the first and second year of 

study, and the students must be enrolled at least half time.15 The maximum tax credit for each of 

those years of study is $1,500 per student, and tax filers16 may claim the credit for more than one 

student. The federal Lifetime Learning tax credit is available to any undergraduate or graduate 

 

15 Half-time attendance normally means enrolling for a minimum of 6 credits or two courses. 

16 Tax filers may be the students themselves or their parents. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-18 

students even if they are enrolled in only one course. The annual maximum amount of the tax 

credit was $2,000,17 but that applies to all students claimed on the same tax form. The tuition and 

fees deduction, on the other hand, reduces taxable income rather than reducing the tax amount 

directly. The maximum amount of the deduction is $3,000 for all students per tax filer. The 

amount of the tax benefit (reduction in taxes) is substantially less than this, however, because the 

amount of the tax benefit depends on the income tax bracket. A filer in a 10 percent tax bracket, 

for example, would receive a tax reduction of about $300 on a maximum tuition and fees 

deduction of $3,000. The maximum tax reduction (for a filer in the 40 percent tax bracket) was 

about $1,200. Tax filers may choose among the three types of tax benefits, but only one of them 

can be used for the same student. In general, the tax credits will result in greater tax savings than 

the deduction, except for filers in the higher income levels.18

The eligibility requirements and maximum amounts for each of these tax benefits vary and 

are described in more detail below. The Hope tax credit, which is limited to undergraduates in 

their first 2 years of study, has the most restrictive criteria. On the other hand, virtually all 

students, undergraduate or graduate, are eligible for the Lifetime Learning tax credits and the 

tuition and fees deduction if they meet the conditions common to all three of the programs: 

• The tax credit or deduction can only be claimed if there is a positive net tuition; net 

tuition is defined as tuition and fees minus grant aid and veterans benefits. This is 

based on tuition expenses and grants received during the tax year, usually the calendar 

year prior to when taxes are filed. 

• An actual tax benefit (reduction in taxes) can only be realized if there is a positive 

federal tax liability prior to the tax credit or deduction. 

• The amount of the tax benefit cannot exceed either the original tax liability or the net 

tuition amount. 

There are also income limits to these benefits: eligibility is limited to single tax filers with 

adjusted gross incomes under $51,000 (for tax credits) or under $65,000 (for tax deductions), and 

limited to married filers with adjusted gross incomes under $103,000 (for tax credits) or 

$130,000 (for tax deductions). 

In order to estimate the federal tax benefits received by students in NPSAS:04 sample, it 

was necessary to make these simplifying assumptions: 

 

17 The maximum was 20 percent of up to $10,000 in net tuition. 

18 In addition to the income limits, the amount of the tax credit benefits are phased out for single filers with incomes above 

$41,000 and married filers with incomes above $83,000. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-19 

• The tuition and fees charged and the grant aid and veterans benefits received in the 

2003–04 academic year (July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004) were assumed to approximate 

these amounts for the 2003 calendar year. 

• For dependent students, it was assumed that the parents claimed the tax benefits (rather 

than the students themselves), and that if the parents were married, that they filed joint 

tax returns. 

The Internal Revenue Service publishes tables based on a sample of tax returns that show 

the number of returns by adjusted gross income (AGI), the amount of tax liability, as well as the 

number and amount of various types of credits and deductions claimed (U.S. Department of the 

Treasury 2005a, 2005b). The amounts of the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits claimed are 

shown as a combined total “education tax credits” in the IRS tables. These are the amounts 

claimed prior to any adjustment for taxes owed, which may limit the actual amount of the benefit 

received. The tuition and fees deduction amounts in the IRS tables are shown as the amount of 

the deduction claimed, which is substantially larger than the value of the tax benefit. The number 

of education tax credit and deduction claims and the total dollars claimed by AGI levels that are 

reported in the IRS tables for the 2003 tax year were used as the target numbers for imputing the 

claims estimates in the NPSAS:04 sample data. 

Using the IRS education tax credit and deduction claims data as the target numbers for 

imputing the estimates required two more assumptions: 

• That the AGI (for 2002) in the NPSAS sample approximates the 2003 AGI used in the 

IRS data. 

• That the number of tax returns with education tax credit or deduction claims shown in 

the IRS tables approximates the number of students who filed claims (or for whom 

parents filed claims). Since education tax benefits can be claimed for more than one 

student on some tax returns, this assumption somewhat underestimates the number of 

students and overestimates the average tax benefit per student. 

More details about the methodology used for imputing the federal tax benefits for the 

NPSAS:04 sample of students are described in the Additional Technical Notes below. The 

imputations required three major phases, which may be summarized as follows: 

Determining eligibility 

• The net tuition (tuition and fees minus all grants and veterans benefits) in the 2003–04 

academic year was calculated for each case in the sample. As indicated above, this 

amount was assumed to be equivalent to the prior calendar year amount. 

• Both the AGI and the federal tax amounts are required to estimate eligibility for and 

the amount of the education tax benefits. For sample cases that had matched to the 

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) files, the student or parents’ AGI 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-20 

and federal tax amounts were usually reported in the FAFSA records. If there was no 

FAFSA record (about 40 percent of the cases), the AGI and federal taxes were imputed 

using regression, with dependency, marital status, and total income as the independent 

variables. 

• Eligibility for each of the three types of tax benefits was determined for each NPSAS 

sample member. In order to be eligible students had to have positive net tuition during 

the 2003–04 academic year, they (or the parents of dependent students) had to have a 

positive tax liability before the education tax benefits were subtracted, and they (or the 

parents of dependent students) had to have incomes below the limits for the particular 

tax benefit option. For the Hope tax credit eligibility, they also had to be in the first 2 

years of study and enrolled at least half time. All students eligible for the Hope tax 

credit are also eligible for the other two options. All students eligible for the Lifetime 

Learning option are also eligible for the tuition and fees deduction. Approximately 

two-thirds of the NPSAS sample students qualified for one of the tax benefits based on 

these criteria. 

Determining potential claim and benefit amounts 

• For students eligible for either of the tax credits, a preliminary claim amount was 

determined as the lesser of net tuition or the maximum credit allowed ($1,500 for 

Hope. This preliminary amount was then compared to the tax liability. If the dollar 

amount of the preliminary tax credit claim was greater than the initial tax liability, the 

potential tax credit benefit was reduced to equal the initial tax liability. In general, this 

resulted in smaller average tax credit benefits received than claimed, especially in the 

lower income levels. 

• Estimating the potential amount of the tax benefit from the tuition and fees tax 

deduction claimed required several steps. First, a preliminary deduction claim amount 

was determined as the lesser of net tuition or the maximum deduction allowed 

($3,000). Then the preliminary value of the tax benefit was calculated by multiplying 

the preliminary deduction claim amount by the estimated marginal tax rate (based on 

the FAFSA reported or imputed taxes and the assumed filing status). If this preliminary 

tax benefit amount was greater than the initial tax liability, then the potential tax 

benefit amount was reduced to equal the initial tax liability. 

Assigning the choice of tax benefit options 

• In most cases the eligible NPSAS sample students qualified for more than one of the 

education tax benefits. All those eligible for Hope tax credits were also eligible for the 

other two options. All those eligible for Lifetime Learning tax credits were also 

eligible for the tuition and fees deduction. Just those whose income was above the 

limits for the tax credit options had only the tuition and fees deduction as a choice. The 

responses to the items about these options in the student interview were considered to 

be too incomplete and unreliable to use, as will be discussed below. Instead, as a first 

step, it was assumed that there would be a rational choice, and the potential tax credit 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-21 

or deduction yielding the largest tax benefit would be chosen.19 Generally this meant 

that if they were eligible for more than one, the first choice would be the Hope credit, 

then the Lifetime Learning credit, and last the tuition and fees deduction. 

• As expected, the weighted number of eligible NPSAS sample students who could have 

claimed a tax benefit and the potential claim amounts (based on the largest tax benefit) 

was greater than the number and amount of IRS reported claims, since about onefourth of those who are eligible do not claim these benefits (U.S. Government 

Accountability Office 2005). In order to reduce the claims and the claimed dollar 

amounts, two steps were taken. First, eligible NPSAS cases that had been assigned to a 

tax benefit option were randomly selected within income levels based on the ratio of 

IRS reported claims to the imputed potential NPSAS student claims. This resulted in a 

weighted number of NPSAS sample students and potential dollars claimed that was 

closer to the number of claims and total dollars claimed as reported in the published 

IRS tables. However, the ratio of tax credit to tax deduction claims did not match the 

IRS totals in certain income levels, especially in the lower income levels where about 

one-half of the claims were for deductions, even though they resulted in lower tax 

benefits than if the tax credits had been chosen. As a last step, the assumption of 

rationality was dropped in some income levels, and eligible students were assigned to 

tax credits or deductions based on the IRS ratios. 

The imputed number of education tax credit and deduction claims and the imputed claim dollar 

amounts in the NPSAS sample are compared to the claims and dollar amounts reported by the 

IRS as shown in table B-2. 

Table B-3 displays the final imputed estimates of the tax benefits in the NPSAS sample, for 

all students (the IRS totals include both graduate and undergraduate claims), and for 

undergraduates only. The total number of students benefiting from the education tax credits or 

deductions is estimated to be about the same as the number of claims shown in table B-2, 

because it has been assumed that tax filers are equivalent to students. However, the average 

dollar amounts of the benefits imputed in NPSAS are lower than the average claims. The average 

tax credit benefit is about $100 lower because the credits claimed were reduced if they exceeded 

the tax liability (this adjustment is not included in the IRS claim totals). The estimated benefits 

from the tuition and fees deduction are considerably lower than the deduction claims, because the 

deduction only lowers the taxable income (while the tax credits are directly subtracted from the 

tax liability), so the benefit is based on the deduction claimed times the marginal tax bracket rate. 

The IRS tables only report the deduction claims; they do not attempt to estimate the value of the 

tax benefits that these deduction claims may represent. 

 

19 Examination of actual tax returns found that this assumption of rational choice was not necessarily the case, however (U.S. 

General Accountability Office 2005). 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-22 

Limitations 

The limitations of the imputations have been noted several times above. There is no actual 

data available at the student level for the tax benefit amounts. Determining eligibility requires 

using net tuition amounts based on the academic year 2003–04, while the IRS data and actual 

benefits are based on the 2003 calendar year. The IRS data is based on the number of tax filers 

Table B-2.—Comparison of 2003 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data and NPSAS:04 estimates of federal education

Table B-2.—tax credit and tuition and fees deduction claims by adjusted gross income (AGI)

Number of Number of

 returns Total claims Average students Total claims Average

Adjusted gross income (000’s) ($000’s) claim (000’s) ($000’s) claim

 Total 7,300 $5,843,000 $800 7,350 $5,935,900 $800

$15,000 or less 670 207,900 300 670 257,900 400

$15,000–29,999 1,920 1,350,100 700 1,940 1,565,800 800

$30,000–49,999 2,060 1,770,300 900 2,040 1,655,200 800

$50,000–99,999 2,620 2,514,300 900 2,670 2,454,900 900

$100,000 or more 30 1,400 100 30 2,100 100

Number of Number of

 returns Total claims Average students Total claims Average

Adjusted gross income (000’s) ($000’s) claim (000’s) ($000’s) claim

 Total 3,600 $6,684,000 $1,900 3,550 $6,797,600 $1,900

$15,000 or less 640 1,314,200 2,100 630 1,298,300 2,100

$15,000–29,999 460 780,500 1,700 450 748,800 1,700

$30,000–49,999 560 815,300 1,500 570 992,500 1,800

$50,000–99,999 1,190 2,199,000 1,800 1,190 2,221,300 1,900

$100,000 or more 720 1,575,000 2,200 720 1,536,700 2,100

NOTE: Education tax credits include both Hope and Lifetime Learning credits. Tax credit claims are prior to any reductions based 

on tax liability that is less than the claim amount. Tuition and Fees Deduction amounts claimed are not equivalent to tax credits. 

Deduction tax benefits are based on the marginal tax rate times the deduction. The IRS numbers represent tax returns, while the

NPSAS numbers represent the weighted number of students in the sample. Totals include undergraduate and graduate/

first-professional students. Adjusted gross income (AGI) for dependent undergraduates is the AGI of parents; otherwise it is the

AGI of the student (and spouse). Details may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (2005a) Individual Income Tax, All Returns: Sources of Income, 

Adjustments, and Tax Items, by Size of Adjusted Gross Income 2003 (table 1.4); and (2005b) Individual Income Tax, All Returns: 

Tax Liability, Tax Credits, and Tax Payments, by Size of Adjusted Gross Income 2003 (table 3.3); U.S. Department of Education, 

National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

Internal Revenue Service NPSAS:04 estimates

Education Tax Credit claims

Internal Revenue Service NPSAS:04 Estimates

Tuition and Fees Deduction claims
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-23 

(individuals or households), while the NPSAS data is based on the number of students. The 

imputations of the tax benefits therefore had to assume that the academic year and the calendar 

year data were equivalent and that tax filers were equivalent to students, neither of which is 

necessarily true. 

The least satisfactory phases of the imputations were at the determination of the choice of 

benefit options. Although they were not used, the NPSAS:04 student interview included three 

items about the federal education tax benefits. Students were asked if they (or their parents) had 

claimed the federal Hope tax credit, the Lifelong Learning tax credit, or the tuition and fees tax 

Table B-3.—Estimated federal education tax benefits (reduction in taxes) by adjusted gross income (AGI) for 

Table B-3.—postsecondary students: 2003–04

Num- Num- Number of Total Average ber of Total ber of Total Average

 students value tax students value Average students value tax

Adjusted gross income (000’s) ($000’s) benefit (000’s) ($000’s) benefit (000’s) ($000’s) benefit

All students (undergraduate and graduate) in 2003–04

 Total 7,350 $5,436,000 $700 3,550 $1,180,000 $300 10,900 $6,615,000 $600

$15,000 or less 670 180,000 300 630 81,000 100 1,300 261,000 200

$15,000–29,999 1,940 1,263,000 700 450 101,000 200 2,390 1,364,000 600

$30,000–49,999 2,040 1,558,000 800 570 152,000 300 2,600 1,710,000 700

$50,000–99,999 2,670 2,433,000 900 1,190 464,000 400 3,900 2,897,000 700

$100,000 or more 30 2,000 100 720 381,000 500 750 384,000 500

Undergraduates (only) in 2003–04

 Total 6,400 $4,680,000 $700 3,000 $1,000,000 $300 9,400 $5,683,000 $600

$15,000 or less 570 144,000 300 470 57,000 100 1,000 200,000 200

$15,000–29,999 1,590 972,000 600 370 77,000 200 2,000 1,050,000 500

$30,000–49,999 1,770 1,329,000 800 470 122,000 300 2,240 1,451,000 600

$50,000–99,999 2,440 2,237,000 900 1,050 400,000 400 3,490 2,636,000 800

$100,000 or more 30 2,000 100 650 345,000 500 680 347,000 500

NOTE: Tax benefits are the estimated reduction in federal taxes for those with a positive tax liability prior to the benefit. The benefit

is limited to the initial tax liability. Adjusted gross income (AGI) for dependent undergraduates is the AGI of parents; otherwise it is

the AGI of the student (and spouse). Education Tax Credits include the benefits from Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits. 

Amounts claimed prior to applying tax limits are shown in table B-2. Tuition and Fees Deduction benefits are estimated by 

applying the marginal tax bracket rate to the amount of the deduction claimed. The total amounts of the tuition and fees 

deductions claimed prior to applying the marginal tax rates are shown in table B-2. Details may not sum to totals because of

rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:04).

Tax credit benefits Tax deduction benefits and deduction benefits

Total tax credit 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-24 

deduction. The response options for each item were “yes,” “no,” and “don’t know.” The 

nonresponse rate (“don’t know” or not answered) for each of these three items was 37–38 

percent, among the highest of any items in the interview (Cominole et al. forthcoming, table 4-

18). Moreover, the nonresponse rate was significantly different by the mode of administration of 

the interview. Among those who used the self-administered interview, about one-half (49 

percent) indicated “don’t know,” compared with about one-fourth (27 percent) of those who were 

interviewed by telephone (Cominole et al. forthcoming, table 4-19). 

Among those who responded “yes” to the Hope tax credit item, more than two-thirds (68

percent) did not meet the Hope eligibility requirements in 2003–04 (including about 400 graduate 

students). Among those who responded “yes” to the Lifelong Learning or the tuition and fees 

deduction, about one-fourth (28 and 25 percent, respectively) were not eligible to claim them 

based on their 2003–04 net tuition and 2003 taxes. In addition, among those who responded 

“yes” to any of the three items, nearly one-fifth (18 percent) indicated that more than one of them 

had been claimed, even though only one of the three tax benefits may be claimed for a student. 

The imputations assumed that a student’s net tuition for the 2003–04 academic year could be 

used as an approximation of the net tuition and enrollment in the 2003 calendar year. The 

interview, however, referred to the actual situation in the 2003 calendar year, when their 

eligibility may have been different. So even if the student did give an accurate response for the 

2003 calendar year, the situation may have been different during the 2003–04 academic year. 

Given the problem of timing, the inconsistencies in the responses, as well as the overall low 

response rates for these items, it was decided that the interview data was too incomplete and 

unreliable to use in the tax benefit imputations. In terms of the entire NPSAS:04 study sample, 

12 percent gave a credible “yes” response to these items, 32 percent gave a “no” response to all 

three, and 56 percent were either nonrespondents or gave a response that was not credible. 

Moreover, if the “yes” and “no” responses had been used for the estimates, it would have 

required imputing a much higher proportion of claims among the nonrespondents than was 

reported by the interview respondents. Among those who responded, about one-third (32 percent) 

gave a “yes” response to at least one of the interview items, and 68 percent replied “no” to all 

three. However, the IRS data suggests that these tax benefits were claimed by approximately onehalf of all students or parents of students (about 11 million claims filed, compared with a 

weighted total of 21 million students in NPSAS:04). If it had been assumed that the interview 

responses of “yes” represented actual claims, it would have been necessary to impute “yes” (that 

is, a claim) for about two-thirds of the nonrespondents in order to achieve results that were 

consistent with the IRS data. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-25 

Additional Technical Notes 

Adjusted Gross Income and Federal Taxes 

Adjusted gross income (AGI) is a critical variable for estimating the federal education tax 

benefits, since AGI defines who is eligible for the program, and also determines the range at 

which the estimated tax credit is phased out. For NPSAS students who had filed a federal aid 

application (FAFSA), both the total income and the AGI were available for the independent 

students and the parents of dependent students. This information was used to impute the AGI for 

those who had not filed for aid (about 40 percent), based on the estimates of family income given 

in the NPSAS interview. The AGI imputations are based on multiple regression models that 

include total income, dependency, family size, and a dummy variable for students whose family 

or personal income was less than $25,000. The adjusted R2

 values for all groups were greater 

than .90 for imputed AGI. Examination of imputed AGI values for those with incomes under 

$30,000 indicated that the model fit was less than optimal, so for these cases 95 percent of total 

income was used for the imputed AGI value. No change was made to zero income cases imputed 

by the regression model. 

The amount of federal taxes paid by parents of dependent students and the amount paid by 

independent students is also available only for those who filed an aid application. Since the 

actual value of the education tax benefits is limited by the amount of taxes owed (benefits cannot 

be greater than the tax liability), it was necessary to impute federal taxes where they were 

missing. The results of applying various regression models based on the FAFSA data were 

unsatisfactory, producing much larger tax amounts than reported by the IRS. Instead, IRS data on 

the average amount of federal income tax by detailed AGI category were used to impute missing 

tax data. 

Hope Tax Credit20

The Hope Tax Credit can be claimed by undergraduates or their parents for an amount up to 

$1,500 for each of the first 2 years of postsecondary education. Eligible students must be 

pursuing a degree or credential and be enrolled at least half time. Individuals with AGI’s of 

$103,000 or more (if filing a joint return) or $51,000 or more if filing as single were ineligible 

for the Hope tax credit. In addition, taxpayers with AGIs between $83,000 and $103,000 (filing a 

joint return if married) or between $41,000 and $51,000 if filing as single had their Hope credit 

“phased out” or reduced. 

 

20 Descriptions of all the programs are based on U.S. Department of the Treasury (2003a). 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-26 

A measure of eligibility for the Hope program was created based on having positive net 

tuition (tuition and fees minus all grants and veterans benefits), year in postsecondary education, 

an indicator that the student was in a formal degree or credential program, attendance status, and 

AGI. It was assumed that all dependent parents who were married filed jointly, and those who 

were unmarried were single filers. 

Two variables were created that estimated the amount of the Hope tax credit that might be 

claimed by eligible students: an estimated amount prior to the AGI phaseout and an estimated 

amount after AGI phaseout that corresponds to the amount that could be entered as a tax credit 

claim on federal tax forms. 

Lifetime Learning Tax Credit 

The Lifetime Learning tax credit can be claimed by undergraduates, parents of 

undergraduates, and graduate students for an amount up to $2,000 per household, and has fewer 

restrictions than the Hope tax credit. All students, regardless of year in school or attendance 

status are eligible, and they need not be pursuing a degree or credential. The AGI limits and 

phaseouts are the same as the Hope tax credit, and students must have a positive net tuition and 

positive tax liability in order to claim the credit. 

The first step was to create an eligibility dummy variable based on having positive net 

tuition, AGI within limits, and marital status (to determine the appropriate AGI limits for 

different filing statuses). Two variables were then created to estimate the amount of the Lifetime 

Learning tax credit for eligible students: an estimated amount prior to AGI phaseout and an 

estimated amount after AGI phaseout that represents the amount that could be claimed on federal 

tax forms. 

Total Education Tax Credits 

IRS data on the amount of education tax credits claimed do not differentiate between the 

Hope and Lifetime Learning programs. A combined measure that reflects the maximum of the 

two credits that could be claimed, assuming joint eligibility, was created. The value is either the 

maximum of the Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credit after AGI phaseout, or if students were 

eligible for only one of them, the value of the tax credit claimed in the program for which they 

were eligible. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-27 

Tuition and Fees Deduction 

The least restrictive tax benefit is the tuition and fees deduction. The only eligibility 

requirement to claim the deduction is enrollment in a Title IV postsecondary institution. Unlike 

the tax credit programs, the tuition and fees deduction does not reduce the amount of taxes owed 

directly. Instead, like other deductions, it reduces taxable income. The maximum amount of 

income eligible for reduction due to tuition and fees was $3,000. There are more generous limits 

on AGI than either of the tax credit programs (up to $65,000 if filing as single, $130,000 for 

those filing a joint return) and there is no AGI phase out. Like the Hope and Lifetime Learning 

tax credits, students must have a positive net tuition and positive tax liability to claim the tax 

benefit of the deduction. 

A dummy variable was created to indicate tuition and fees deduction eligibility based on 

having positive net tuition and eligible AGI by dependency and marital status. The amount of the 

tuition and fees deduction does not represent the amount of the tax benefit. The tax benefit must 

be estimated by multiplying the deduction by the marginal tax rate or bracket, which represents 

the tax savings of the deduction. 

The IRS 2003 Form 1040 Tax Rate Schedule was used to determine the tax bracket for 

each student or family based on the federal tax (reported in the FAFSA or imputed) (U.S. 

Department of the Treasury 2003b, p. 74). 

After the tax bracket was determined, two measures of the amount of the tuition and fees 

deduction were computed: 

• An estimated amount of the deduction amount that could be claimed on federal tax 

forms. 

• The estimated value of the deduction based on the marginal tax bracket rate. This 

variable was used to create a decision rule as to which tax program (tax credits or tax 

deduction) would be selected in those cases where students or their families qualified 

for both a tax credit and the tuition and fees deduction programs. 

Imputing the Choice of Program 

Students and their families might qualify for any one or all of the three tax benefit 

programs, although no one student may receive benefits from more than one of the three 

programs.21 Two “tax choice” variables were constructed that indicate which of the tax programs 

would have provided the largest reduction in taxes. The initial assumption was that the program 

 

21 Families with more than one member enrolled in postsecondary education could, however, benefit from more than one of the 

programs. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-28 

with the largest tax benefit would be chosen, although the assumption of rationality is not always 

necessarily true. 

The Internal Revenue Service has published data on the number of returns and the dollar 

amount of education tax credits (the combined amount of Hope and Lifetime Learning) and 

tuition and fees deductions claimed for 2003 (U.S Department of the Treasury 2005a, 2005b). 

The IRS numbers include graduate and undergraduate students. They also include students who 

attended more than one institution in 2003–04, for whom net tuition cannot be calculated in 

NPSAS. The income distribution of NPSAS sample cases that attended more than one institution 

was similar to those who attended one institution. Since the percentage of students in each AGI 

category who were eligible and had positive amounts that could be claimed are known for those 

students who attended only one institution, it was possible to select equivalent proportions of 

students attending more than one institution, and assign them the average amount of tax credit 

and the tuition and fees deduction claims. Uniformly distributed random numbers were used to 

select the appropriate proportion of cases within each AGI category. 

The next step was to select cases from among the eligible students in the NPSAS sample so 

that the weighted number of NPSAS students would approximate the distribution by AGI of tax 

filers who claimed either the education tax credits or the tuition and fees tax deduction, and the 

dollar value of those claims, as reported in the IRS tables for the 2003 tax year. The number of 

NPSAS students eligible for the tax benefits and the value of these benefits were greater than the 

number and total value of education tax credits and tuition and fees deductions claimed 

according to the IRS data. This was not unexpected, since about one-fourth of those who are 

eligible do not claim the benefits on their tax returns (U.S. Government Accountability Office 

2005). 

Initially, uniformly distributed random numbers were generated within each AGI category 

to select cases among eligible NPSAS sample students that would result in a weighted 

distribution similar to the IRS data of the number of filers claiming education tax credits within 

each AGI category. Then several adjustments were required to get closer to the IRS dollar totals 

for tax credit and deduction claims. The assumption of “rational choice” (that the program with 

the largest benefit would be chosen) did not produce results consistent with the IRS data for 

returns with an AGI below $10,000. Even when the tax credit would have produced a greater tax 

saving, low-income filers apparently were often more likely to choose the deduction.22 To get a 

better approximation of the IRS totals and average claims in the lower income categories, it was 

necessary to assume that all returns with an AGI of less than $5,000 chose the deduction, and that 

 

22 In conversations with IRS staff, it was suggested that many lower income filers appear to choose the tuition and fees deduction 

because it is simpler to complete. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-29 

others with an AGI under $10,000 who appeared to be eligible for tax credit claims of more than 

$1,000 also chose the tax deduction instead. On the other hand, for returns in the $30,000–50,000 

AGI category, the average tax credit claim amounts estimated for NPSAS were too low, so a 

higher proportion of cases were randomly selected from among those with tax credit claims 

greater than $1,500. 

The remaining eligible NPSAS sample cases that had not been allocated to the tax credit 

claims were then allocated to the tuition and fees deduction claims, using uniformly distributed 

random numbers generated within each AGI category to produce the same general distribution of 

the number of filers claiming tuition and fees deductions, and the dollar amount of the deduction 

claims shown in the IRS data. 

The education tax credit and deduction claims estimated for the NPSAS students are 

compared to the IRS totals in table B-2. The IRS totals do not show the estimated amount of the 

tax benefits received, which were calculated for the NPSAS sample and are shown in table B-3. 

For the tax credits, the amounts claimed were reduced if they exceeded the tax liability, which 

resulted in average benefits that were lower than the claims, especially in the lower income 

groups. For the tuition and fees deduction, the value of the benefit shown in table B-3 is much 

lower than the deduction amounts shown in table B-2, because the benefit is the value of the 

deduction times the tax bracket rate (the average rate was 16 percent).