NEARLY HALF OF ALL FULL-TIME UNDERGRADS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID

Sep 28, 2026

Nearly half of full-time college undergraduates received institutionally administered student aid in 1984, with about 47% reporting some form of support. The total student aid reaching two- and four-year colleges and universities rose to $7.4 billion in the 1984-85 award year, up from $6.9 billion the prior year. Federal funds were a major but not exclusive source, varying across institutions, costs, and student categories, and the report also estimates student debt loads and need-based distribution patterns.

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NEARLY HALF OF ALL FULL-TIME UNDERGRADS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID

Aid share and funding sources

Methodology and aid definition

Aid distribution by institution type and costs

Student debt estimates and distribution details

Tuesday,March 4,1986 # NEARLY HALF OF ALL FULL-TIME UNDERGRADS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID Some 47 percent of all full-time college undergraduates in 1984 received someform of institutionally administered student aid exclusive of Guaranteed Stu-dent Loans(GSL),according a new report by the American Council on Education's(ACE)Higher Education Panel. The total amount of student ald--including federal,state,private and institu- tion funds--going to undergrads enrolled in the nation's two-and four-year colleges and universities reached $7.4 billion in the 1984-85 award year,ac- cording to the study.The figure was $6.9 billion in 1983-84. The study showed that the federal government is far from the only source ofstudent aid."of this amount,nearly half [48 percent]came from the federalgovernment,"the study said."Whereas the total amount [of financial aid]increased slightly between 1983-84 and 1984-85,the federal share dropped bytwo percentage points." Based On Survey The report by researcher Charles Andersen of the HigherEducation Panel is based on a "fast response"survey developed by the EducationDepartment.The survey was mailed in January 1985 to a sample of 520 institu-tions from which the panel received a 75 percent response rate。 For purposes of the study,student aid included scholarships and grants,ath-letic scholarships,student employment administered by the institution andloans other than GSL. The study found that public institutions,on average,distributed only slightlymore student aid than their private counterparts,with the public sector re-celving 53 percent of the available aid and 47 percent going to independentinstitutions. When institutions are categorized by average costs for freshman students,"in-stitutions with budgets of less than $5,000 [per student]reported that 40 per-cent of their students received aid.At those institutions with budgets of $5,000 or more,53 percent of the undergraduates receive aid.Institutions inthe $7,500 to $9,999 range reported that two-thirds of their full-time under-graduates received some form of institutionally-administered aid." While federal student aid programs provided nearly half of the total availableaid to undergraduates,the aid is not distributed equally among the institu-tions,the survey said."In 1984-85,two-thirds of the funds at two-year in-stitutions came from federal sources,"according to the report."At the otherend of the scale,only 30 percent of the funds distributed through independentuniversities were federal."(more) # HALF OF ALL FULL-TIME UNDERGRADS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID(Cont.) Although GSLs are not included in the aid totals,the study includes estimatesof student debt.For example,the national average for a typical student bor-rower's debt burden upon graduation is estimated at between $7,000 and $8,000for borrowers graduating from four-year colleges and from $3,500 to $4,000 forthose completing coursework at two-year institutions. Debt load for dependent students from middle-income families--those between$15,000 and $30,000--was 12 percent greater upon graduation than the load fac-ing students from families making less than $15,000.The average middle-incomestudent had a debt loan of $5,985,while the low-income student's bill averaged $5,328. The report provides a variety of other student aid information,including: ■ Undergraduate financial aid from institutional funds in 1984-85 was esti-mated at $2.3 billion.About two-thirds of those funds,or $1.5 billion,wasspent at private institutions. ■ Nearly 60 percent of the institutional student aid was distributed either ona need basis or a combination of need and merit. ■ Approximately a seventh of all intitutional aid was distributed on the bas-is of athletic ability only. | Students Recelving
(in tho | Student Ald,Fall 1984
usands)
Full-tlme undorgraduatos | | | --- | --- | --- | | | Numbor | Percent with ald | | Type of institutlon
Research unlve

FAQs

What proportion of full-time undergraduates received financial aid in 1984?

About 47% of all full-time college undergraduates received some form of institutionally administered student aid in 1984.

How did the total amount of student aid change from 1983-84 to 1984-85?

The total amount reached $7.4 billion in 1984-85, compared with $6.9 billion in 1983-84.

Does federal student aid represent the majority of aid funding?

Federal sources provided nearly half of the total available aid to undergraduates, but the federal share varied by institution type, with lower federal shares at some independent universities.

Sep 28, 2026

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