How Latino students pay for college

How Latino students pay for college
Patterns of Financial Aid in 2003?04
Excelencia in Education | Institute for Higher Education Policy
Excelencia in Education aims to accelerate higher education success for Latino students by providing
data-driven analysis of the educational status of Latino students, and by promoting education policies and
institutional practices that support their academic achievement. A 501(c)(3) organization, Excelencia is
building a network of results-oriented educators, including university and community-based professionals
and policymakers, adding value to their individual efforts with the means and momentum to address the
U.S. economy?s need for a highly educated workforce. For more information, visit the organization?s
Web site, www.EdExcelencia.org.
The Institute for Higher Education Policy is a nonprofi t, non-partisan research organization whose
mission is to foster access and success in postsecondary education through public-policy research and
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more information please visit www.ihep.org.
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access and success by providing and supporting fi nancial and other valued services. USA Funds annually
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How Latino students pay for college
Patterns of Financial Aid in 2003?04
Excelencia in Education | Institute for Higher Education Policy | August 2005
Foreword
The fi nancial aid needs of today?s college students are a topic of frequent dialogue and
debate. From congressional deliberations over the Higher Education Act reauthorization, to
individual family planning to pay for the rising costs of college, student aid is a top priority at
many levels. Despite this high level of interest, very little information has ever been published
on one of the nation?s most important groups: the rapidly growing Latino population.
Excelencia in Education and the Institute for Higher Education Policy have partnered in
the preparation of this study for two key reasons. First, both organizations are committed to
expanding understanding about Latino education issues and their centrality to the national
goal of equalizing educational opportunity. Second, we stand together as organizations
committed to informing and educating those who make and infl uence policy in higher
education, including government policymakers, higher education leaders, media, researchers,
and private sector leaders.
One important aspect of this groundbreaking study is that it is being simultaneously
published in Spanish and English. We believe that this bilingual approach to the dissemination
of policy information will help to better inform a wider audience of individuals who need
to know about, and be able to act upon, the information in the study. Our future plans for
collaboration on other critical issues in higher education for Latino students will continue
this simultaneous publication model.
We are grateful to Deborah Santiago, Vice President for Policy and Research at
Excelencia in Education, and Alisa Cunningham, Director of Research at the Institute
for Higher Education Policy, for serving as the principal analysts and primary authors
of this study. The report represents the collective effort of a wide array of individuals
including Margarita Benitez, Senior Associate with the Institute; Loretta Hardge, Director
of Communication and Marketing; and Yuliya Keselman, Research Analyst. We also thank
Matt Maurer and Mary Callahan at CommunicationWorks for their expert guidance in
disseminating this report. Finally, we are deeply appreciative for the generous support of
Henry Fernandez, Executive Director of Scholarships, Outreach, and Philanthropy and his
staff at USA Funds. We acknowledge the assistance and support of USA Funds and other
organizations that provided feedback and recognize that they are not responsible for any
errors of omission or interpretation contained herein.
JAMIE MERISOTIS SARITA E. BROWN
President President
Institute for Higher Education Policy Excelencia in Education
Executive summary .................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Profi le of Latino undergraduates ............................................................................................................. 4
Overview of Latino undergraduates participating in fi nancial aid .................................................... 6
Grants ......................................................................................................................................................... 11
Loans ........................................................................................................................................................... 13
Federal fi nancial aid ................................................................................................................................. 15
State fi nancial aid ...................................................................................................................................... 19
Institutional aid ......................................................................................................................................... 20
Receipt of aid by type of institution and Hispanic origin ................................................................. 21
Policy recommendations and next steps ............................................................................................. 23
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 26
Table of Contents
Figure 1: Latino undergraduates, by origin
Figure 2: Percentage of undergraduates who applied for fi nancial aid, by race/ethnicity,
2003-04
Figure 3: Percentage of undergraduates who received fi nancial aid and average amount
received, by race/ethnicity, 2003-04
Figure 4: Percentage of undergraduates who received fi nancial aid and average amount
received, by Hispanic origin, 2003-04
Figure 5: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving aid, by type and source of aid,
2003-04
Figure 6: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving federal aid and the average
amounts received, 2003-04
Table 1: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving grants and the average amounts
received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Table 2: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving loans and the average amounts
received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Table 3: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving federal aid and the average
amounts received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Table A1: Demographic and enrollment patterns for Latino students and undergraduates of
all race/ethnicities, by fi nancial aid receipt, 2003-04
Table A2: Profi le of Latino undergraduates by Hispanic origin, 2003-04
Table A3: Percentage of undergraduates who applied for fi nancial aid, by race/ethnicity and
Hispanic origin, 2003-04
Table A4: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving any aid, grants, and loans and average
amount received, by Hispanic origin, source of aid, and institutional type, 2003-04
Table A5: Percentage of students receiving aid and average amounts received, Latino and all
students, 1995-96, 1999-2000, and 2003-04
Table A6: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving fi nancial aid from any source and
the average amounts received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Table A7: Percentage of undergraduates receiving aid and average amount received, by type
of aid and race/ethnicity, 2003-04
Table A8: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving federal fi nancial aid and the average
amounts received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Table A9: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving state and institutional aid and the
average amounts received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Table A10: Percentage of undergraduates receiving any aid, grants, and loans, by institutional
type and race/ethnicity, 2003-04
List of Tables and Figures
How Latino Students Pay for College
1
Financial aid plays a critical role in the postsecondary education of Latino students.
However, very little comprehensive information is available about the sources or
amount of fi nancial aid Latinos receive to pay for college. The goal of this brief is to
use the most recent data available to provide timely and accurate information about how
Latino undergraduates participate in fi nancial aid programs. The brief also offers some policy
recommendations for consideration. Among the report?s main fi ndings are the following:
Latino undergraduates actively applied for fi nancial aid and many received aid to Latino undergraduates actively applied for fi nancial aid and many received aid to
pay for college in 2003-04. Almost 80 percent of Latino undergraduates applied for
fi nancial aid and 63 percent of Latinos who applied for aid received some form of aid
to pay for college.
Latinos received the lowest average fi nancial aid award of any racial/ethnic group. The Latinos received the lowest average fi nancial aid award of any racial/ethnic group. The
average total aid award for all undergraduates in 2003-04 was $6,890. Asians received the
highest average fi nancial aid awards to pay for college ($7,620) while Latinos received the
lowest average aid award ($6,250). This pattern has not changed since 1995-96.
Federal fi nancial aid has been a critical source of aid for Latino undergraduates. Federal fi nancial aid has been a critical source of aid for Latino undergraduates.
In 2003-04, 50 percent of Latino undergraduates received federal aid, while only
16 percent of Latino undergraduates received state aid and 17 percent received
institutional aid.
Latinos were more likely to receive federal aid (50 percent) than the combination of Latinos were more likely to receive federal aid (50 percent) than the combination of
all racial/ethnic groups (46 percent) in 2003-04. Only African American students were
more likely to receive federal aid (62 percent). However, Latinos received the lowest
average federal aid awards of any racial/ethnic group. The average federal aid award
for Latinos was $5,415, while for whites the average award was $6,230, for African
Americans it was $6,145, and for Asians it was $5,995.
Grants have been critical for Latinos paying for college. In 2003-04, half of Latinos Grants have been critical for Latinos paying for college. In 2003-04, half of Latinos
received grants while less than one-third received loans (30 percent). However, the
average loan amounts Latinos received ($5,620) were higher than the grant amounts
they received ($3,810).
Executive Summary
How Latino Students Pay for College
2
Latino participation in most fi nancial aid programs to pay for college has increased since Latino participation in most fi nancial aid programs to pay for college has increased since
1995-96. However, Latino receipt of institutional aid has not improved since 1995-96
(17 percent).
Almost half of Latino undergraduates were enrolled in public two-year institutions in Almost half of Latino undergraduates were enrolled in public two-year institutions in
2003-04. Latinos also enrolled in institutions with relatively low tuition and fees. About
40 percent of Latinos enrolled at institutions with tuition and fees between $0 and
$1,000, and 36 percent enrolled at institutions with tuition and fees between $1,000
and $5,000.
Although Latino undergraduates were similar in many ways to all undergraduates enrolled Although Latino undergraduates were similar in many ways to all undergraduates enrolled
in 2003-04, Latinos were more likely to be fi rst-generation students (49 percent), to be
enrolled on a part-time basis (51 percent), and to have relatively low family incomes.
Based on these fi ndings, the following policy recommendations are offered:
Federal level
Increase the maximum award amount for Pell grants to better align with the increased Increase the maximum award amount for Pell grants to better align with the increased
price of college.
Develop explicit outreach strategies to target information on fi nancial aid options to the Develop explicit outreach strategies to target information on fi nancial aid options to the
Latino community.
Create a signifi cant entitlement-based loan forgiveness program for Latino students who Create a signifi cant entitlement-based loan forgiveness program for Latino students who
study in areas of national need.
State/local level
Establish a predictable tuition and fee policy. Establish a predictable tuition and fee policy.
Develop an explicit information outreach strategy to Latino students and families. Develop an explicit information outreach strategy to Latino students and families.
Institutional level
Disaggregate institutional data to look at Latino students. Disaggregate institutional data to look at Latino students.
Ensure course availability and strengthen course planning. Ensure course availability and strengthen course planning.
K-12 school boards/superintendents and city councils (as appropriate)
Encourage mentoring by experienced parents and students. Encourage mentoring by experienced parents and students.
Offer a course on paying for college. Offer a course on paying for college.
How Latino Students Pay for College
3
Financial aid plays a critical role in the postsecondary education of Latino students.
However, very little comprehensive and easy to understand information is available
about what types or how much fi nancial aid Latinos receive. The goal of this brief
is to provide timely and accurate information about how Latino undergraduates currently
participate in different fi nancial aid programs to pay for college. The brief is a summary of
the status of aid to Latinos that can inform national debates, taking into consideration such
ongoing discussions as reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), state policies and
initiatives regarding Latino students, budget debates, and continuing dialogue about access
and success for Latino students.
The analysis in this policy brief is based on the most recent data from the National
Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) for the 2003-04 academic year, which were released
in spring 2005. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department
of Education uses NPSAS to collect comprehensive data on fi nancial aid, such as information
on demographic characteristics of students, enrollment patterns, student need, and the ways
students pay for college. NPSAS provides information on students who have already accessed
higher education and enrolled in a college or university. The study is based on a nationally
representative sample, and data are collected on institutions and students using institutional
records, government databases, and telephone interviews. These parameters of NPSAS provide
a wealth of data for analysis on how Latinos participate and pay for college at a national level.
The fi nancial aid highlighted in this brief includes two types of aid?grants and loans?
and three sources of aid?federal, state, and institutional aid. Other types of fi nancial aid,
such as tax credits, and other sources of aid, such as personal contributions and private
sources, are not addressed in this brief.
The brief is organized in six main sections. The fi rst section provides a profi le of
Latino undergraduates to provide context for their participation in fi nancial aid. The
profi le is followed by an overview of Latino participation in fi nancial aid. The third section
includes a description of Latino participation by type of aid, followed by a section with
Latino participation in fi nancial aid by source of aid. Within each section, several important
demographic and enrollment characteristics are considered: gender, age, dependency
status, parental educational attainment, family income, expected family contribution (EFC),
attendance pattern, institutional type, Hispanic origin, and total tuition and fees (see
Appendix tables 1 to 10 for more details on these patterns). The following section includes
analysis of how Latinos pay for college by type of institution and Latino origin. The brief
concludes with recommendations and next steps for policy and research.
Introduction
How Latino Students Pay for College
4
In 2003-04, Latino1 undergraduates mirrored their representation in the U.S. population
as a whole. Latinos represented 13 percent of the undergraduates in higher education,
similar to their representation in the latest Census (13 percent). Among Latinos, almost
half of undergraduates are of Mexican descent (48 percent), 28 percent are of ?other?
Hispanic origin, 16 percent are Puerto Rican, and 3 percent are Cuban (Figure 1).
In many ways, the profi le of Latino undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary education
in 2003-04 paralleled that of all undergraduates (see Appendix table 1). The majority of
Latino undergraduates were traditional college-age students, were fi nancially dependent on
their parents, and attended only one institution. Similar proportions of Latino and other
undergraduates worked while enrolled in college, had family sizes with three members or
less, and were married. In addition, almost 60 percent of Latino undergraduates were women,
similar to the gender representation of all undergraduates.
Nevertheless, there were some student characteristics where Latinos varied from all
undergraduates in 2003-04. (See Appendix table 2 for details by Hispanic origin.) For example:
Latino students were more likely to be Latino students were more likely to be fi rst-generation college students?where their
parents? highest level of educational attainment was a high school diploma or less?than
were all undergraduates. Almost half of all Latino undergraduates were fi rst-generation
college students, compared to about one-third of all undergraduates.
Latinos were more likely to Latinos were more likely to live with their parents than all undergraduates, one-third
compared to less than a quarter of all undergraduates. Further, Latino undergraduates were
half as likely to live on campus (7 percent) than all undergraduates (14 percent).
Latino undergraduates Latino undergraduates
were more likely to be
enrolled part-time than all
undergraduates. More
than half of Latinos
were enrolled part-time,
compared to 45 percent of
all undergraduates.
Latino undergraduates Latino undergraduates
were more likely to enroll
in public two-year institutions
(46 percent) and private
for-profi t institutions (12
percent) than were all
Profi le of Latino Undergraduates
28%
16%
5%
3%
48%
Other Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican
Mixed Hispanic origin
Cuban descent
Mexican descent
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Figure 1: Latino undergraduates, by origin
1 For the purposes of this brief, the terms Latino and Hispanic are used interchangeably to describe students whose origin are
Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Hispanic/Latino, regardless of race.
How Latino Students Pay for College
5
undergraduates, but less likely to attend four-year institutions (25 percent), especially
public four-year institutions.2
Higher proportions of Latino students, both dependent and independent, had Higher proportions of Latino students, both dependent and independent, had relatively low
family incomes compared to all undergraduates. Almost 25 percent of dependent Latinos
had incomes under $40,000, and 25 percent of independent Latino undergraduates had
incomes under $20,000, compared to about 16 percent and 21 percent, respectively, of all
undergraduates. Further, Latino students were half as likely as all undergraduates to have
family incomes of $80,000 or more (8 percent versus 16 percent).
A relatively high proportion of Latino undergraduates had A relatively high proportion of Latino undergraduates had expected family contributions
(EFCs) of $1,000 or less?42 percent, compared to 30 percent of all undergraduates.
While the vast majority of Latinos were While the vast majority of Latinos were U.S. citizens (85 percent), this proportion is
lower than the 93 percent for all undergraduates, and Latinos were twice as likely to be
resident aliens as all undergraduates.
Latino students tended to go to institutions with low Latino students tended to go to institutions with low tuition and fees in 2003-04. A higher
proportion of Latino undergraduates (41 percent) paid tuition and fees of $1,000 or less
than did all undergraduates (30 percent). Conversely, a smaller proportion of Latinos
paid tuition and fees between $1,001-$5,000 than all undergraduates.
These general characteristics are useful background for a review of Latino student
participation in fi nancial aid programs as these characteristics impact the likelihood of
receiving various forms of aid as well as the average amount of aid received.
2 The remainder was enrolled at other types of institutions or was enrolled at multiple institutions during the academic year.
3 National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, 2001-02.
4 Ibid.
Puerto Rico
All Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens at birth, and institutions in Puerto Rico are part of
the U.S. higher education system. In 2001-02, more than 10 percent of Hispanics in the
U.S. system of higher education were enrolled at institutions in Puerto Rico.3 However,
general discussions of Latinos in higher education often exclude students in Puerto Rico
because of signifi cant differences between the participation of students in Puerto Rico
and Latino students in the continental United States that may skew the overall profi le
of Latinos in higher education. For example, as a group, more than half of all Latinos in
Puerto Rico were enrolled in private institutions (61 percent); the majority of Latino
students attended full time (81 percent); and almost all students were Latino (close
to 100 percent). In comparison, the majority of Latino students on the mainland were
enrolled in public institutions (67 percent); only half of all Latino students attended full
time (50 percent); and while there were some institutions with large Latino enrollments,
Latinos were less than 15 percent of total enrollment (13 percent).4 These differences
infl uenced the data on overall Latino participation in fi nancial aid. However, for the
purposes of this brief, it was important to include and disaggregate data on Puerto Rican
students to provide a meaningful picture of how all Latino students pay for college.
How Latino Students Pay for College
6
As with the profi les of Latino undergraduates, the characteristics of Latino students
who received fi nancial aid in 2003-04 were similar to the characteristics of all
undergraduates. For Latino students, as with many students, the price of college
and available fi nancial aid were among the most signifi cant factors that infl uence their college
choices.5 There are four primary ways to pay for college: grants, loans, work-study, and
personal contributions. These four options are not mutually exclusive, and most students
use a combination to pay for their college education. In addition, these types of fi nancial aid
are available from a variety of sources, including federal and state governments and colleges
themselves. A majority of both Latino and all undergraduate students received some form of
fi nancial aid in 2003-04 to help them pay for their education.
Analysis of Latino participation in fi nancial aid in 2003-04 yielded the following highlights:
Latinos actively applied for fi nancial aid. Almost 80 percent of Latino undergraduates
applied for fi nancial aid in 2003-04 (Figure 2). Only African American and American Indian
students applied at higher rates than Latinos. However, not all Latino undergraduates who
applied for fi nancial aid received aid. Only 63 percent of Latinos who applied for aid received
some form of aid to pay for college in 2003-04.
Latinos were as likely as all undergraduates to receive fi nancial aid from any
source. In 2003-04, Latinos were as likely as all undergraduates to receive fi nancial aid
to pay for their education (Figure 3). More than 60 percent of all undergraduates and
Latino undergraduates received some form of fi nancial aid to pay for college. Only African
American and American Indian students were more likely to receive some form of fi nancial
aid than Latino students.
Overview of Latino Undergraduates
Participating in Financial Aid
5 The College Board. (2003). Trends in College Pricing: 2003. College Entrance Examination Board. Washington, DC.
How Latino Students Pay for College
7
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
74%
72%
86%
78%
66%
80%
59%
All
undergraduates
White Black/
African
American
Hispanic
or Latino
Asian American Indian/
Alaska Native
Native
Hawaiian/
Pacific Islander
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
PERCENT
Figure 2: Percentage of undergraduates who
applied for fi nancial aid, by race/ethnicity, 2003-04
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
White Black or
African American
Hispanic
or Latino
Asian American
Indian or
Alaska Native
Native
Hawaiian/other
Pacific Islander
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
$6,000
$7,000
$8,000
61.3%
75.7%
63.2%
51.4%
67.4%
51.3%
$6,955 $6,933
$6,253
$7,623
$6,413
$6,763
% Received Average Amount ($)
PERCENT
AMOUNT IN DOLLARS
Figure 3: Percentage of undergraduates who received fi nancial
aid and average amount received, by race/ethnicity, 2003-04
How Latino Students Pay for College
8
Overall, Latinos received the lowest average fi nancial aid award of any racial/
ethnic group. While a vast majority of Latino undergraduates applied for and received
fi nancial aid in 2003-04, Latinos also received the lowest average fi nancial aid award of any
racial/ethnic group (Figure 3). The average total aid award for all undergraduates in 2003-
04 was $6,890. Asians received the highest average fi nancial aid awards to pay for college
($7,620) while Latinos received the lowest average aid award ($6,250). This pattern has not
changed since 1995-96.
Among Latinos, Puerto Ricans were most likely to receive some form of
fi nancial aid, but Latinos of mixed origin received the highest average fi nancial
aid awards. Almost 80 percent of Puerto Rican undergraduates received fi nancial aid in
2003-04. In comparison, about 70 percent of Hispanics of Cuban descent, 60 percent of
Hispanics of Mexican descent, and 62 percent of Latinos of other Hispanic origin received
fi nancial aid (Figure 4). However, Puerto Ricans also received the lowest average amounts
of fi nancial aid of any Latino group ($5,940). The average fi nancial aid award for Latinos of
mixed origin was $7,145. Latinos of Cuban origin received average awards of $6,575, Latinos
of other origin received $6,500, and Latinos of Mexican descent received an average award
of $6,100. (Also see Appendix table 4.)
Overall, Latinos were more likely to receive grants than loans. More than half of
all Latino undergraduates received grants in 2003-04, while only about 30 percent received
loans to pay for college (Figure 5). Latino students were the most likely of all racial/ethnic
groups to receive grants, with the exception of African Americans, and Latino students were
one of the racial/groups least likely to receive loans.
Latinos were more likely to receive federal fi nancial aid than state or
institutional aid. As mentioned earlier, 50 percent of Latino undergraduates received
federal fi nancial aid in 2003-04. In comparison, only 16 percent of Latino students received
state aid, and 17 percent received institutional aid (Figure 5).
Latino participation in federal and state fi nancial aid programs has increased
over time but has remained the same for institutional aid. In 1995-96, 42 percent of
Latino undergraduates received federal aid and 10 percent received state aid. In 2003-04, 50
percent of Latinos received federal aid and 16 percent receive state aid to pay for college.
The only source of aid in which Latinos have not increased participation is institutional aid.
In 1995-96, 17 percent of Latinos received institutional aid. In 2003-04, the percentage of
Latinos receiving institutional aid had not changed. (See Appendix table 5.)
The higher a parent?s educational attainment, the higher the average fi nancial
aid amount awarded from any source. First-generation Latino college students were
more likely to receive fi nancial aid but received lower average aid amounts. In 2003-04,
67 percent of Latino undergraduates whose parents had attained a high school education
or less received fi nancial aid to pay for college. In comparison, less than 60 percent of
students whose parents had higher educational attainment levels received some form of aid.
How Latino Students Pay for College
9
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Cuban Mexican/Chicano Puerto Rican Other Mixed
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
$6,000
$7,000
$8,000
$9,000
69%
59%
78%
62% 6 % 62%
$6,923
$6,388
$6,172
$6,835
$7,681
Percent receiving Average Amount
PERCENT
AMOUNT IN DOLLARS
Figure 4: Percentage of undergraduates who received fi nancial
aid and average amount received, by Hispanic origin, 2003-04
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Total aid Total grants Total loans Federal aid State aid Total
Institutional aid
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
63%
53%
30%
50%
15%
17%
PERCENT
Figure 5: Percentage of Latino undergraduates
receiving aid, by type and source of aid, 2003-04
How Latino Students Pay for College
10
However, the average fi nancial aid award amount for fi rst-generation students was $6,095,
compared to $6,280 for students whose parents had some college, $6,520 for those with a
bachelor?s degree, and $6,640 for those with advanced degrees.
Latino students with non-traditional characteristics were less likely to receive
aid from any source than more traditional Latino undergraduates. For example,
more than 55 percent of Latino undergraduates 30 years old or older received fi nancial
aid to pay for college, compared to 65 percent of traditional college-age students and
students 24-29 years of age. In addition, the average fi nancial aid award for traditional
college-age Latinos was higher than for either of the other two groups of students.
Similarly, about 65 percent of dependent Latino undergraduates and 64 percent of
independent students with dependents received some form of fi nancial aid to pay for
college, while less than 60 percent of independent Latino students without dependents
received aid. Dependent Latino students also received higher average aid awards than
both groups of independent students. In addition, three-quarters of Latino students who
enrolled full time received fi nancial aid to pay for college, compared to only 44 percent of
Latino students who enrolled part-time. Full-time students also received higher average
fi nancial aid awards to pay for college.
Latinos with relatively high family incomes received higher average fi nancial aid
awards than lower income Latino students. Half of dependent Latino students with
family incomes of $80,000 or more received fi nancial aid from any source. In comparison, 80
percent with incomes under $20,000 received aid. However, students with the higher family
incomes received average fi nancial aid awards of $8,430, while Latino students with family
incomes under $20,000 received average awards of $6,945.
Latinos at public two-year institutions (or less) were less likely to receive some
form of fi nancial aid. A smaller proportion of Latinos at these institutions received
aid than Latinos at other institutional sectors (43 percent). In comparison, 75 percent of
students at public four-year institutions; 86 percent of those at private, not-for-profi t, fouryear
institutions, and 91 percent of students at private, for-profi t institutions received aid.
Further, Latino undergraduates at private institutions received higher average fi nancial aid
awards than students at public institutions?ranging from $10,500 at private, not-for-profi t,
four-year institutions to $2,870 at public two-year institutions.
The following section discusses in more detail the participation of Latino undergraduates in
fi nancial aid programs by selected characteristics, type, and source of aid in 2003-04.
How Latino Students Pay for College
11
Grant aid is a fi nancial subsidy to pay for college that students are not required to
repay. Almost 55 percent of Latinos received grants, and the average award amount
was $3,810 in 2003-04. Compared to all undergraduates, Latinos were slightly
more likely to receive grants, but received a lower average grant award amount than all
undergraduates. Only American Indian students received lower average grant awards.
Certain groups of Latino undergraduates were more likely to receive grants (see Appendix
tables 6 and 7 for details). For example, fi rst-generation Latino college students were more
likely to receive grants than students whose parents had higher educational attainment.
However, the average grant award amounts for fi rst-generation students were lower than
those of students whose parents had attended college. Another example was Hispanic
women who were more likely to receive grants than Hispanic men. Traditional college-aged
Latinos were more likely to receive grants than Latino students 30 years old and older;
traditional college-aged Latinos also received substantially higher average grant awards.
Dependent Latino students and independent students with dependents were more likely to
receive grants than independent students without dependents, while dependent students
received higher average grant awards than both groups of independent students.
Independent Latino students with incomes of less than $20,000 and dependent Latinos
with incomes less than $40,000 were more likely to receive grants?ranging from two-thirds
to three-quarters of these students?than students of other income levels. In contrast, while
only about 30 percent of students with family incomes above $60,000 received grants, they
received the highest average awards. In addition, Latino undergraduates with EFCs of $5,000
or less were more likely to receive grant aid than students with higher EFCs.
Latino full-time students were much more likely than part-time students to receive grants,
and the average grant award for full-time students was substantially higher. As with total aid,
Latino students at public two-year institutions were less likely to receive grants than students
in other sectors. Latino students attending private institutions were the most likely to receive
grant aid, with the highest average amount at private, not-for-profi t, four-year institutions. Also,
similar to the pattern of all aid, Latino students who paid $1,000 or less in tuition and fees were
less likely to receive grant aid and received the lowest average amount of aid. About 70 percent
or more of Latino students received grant aid in other tuition categories.
Grants
How Latino Students Pay for College
12
Table 1: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving grants and
the average amounts received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Percentage received Average amount received ($)
Expected Family
Contribution
$0 to $1,000 73.2 4,133
$1,001 to $5,000 57.1 3,211
$5,001 to $10,000 28.8 3,370
$10,001 to $15,000 23.4 3,656
$15,001 to $20,000 32.7 3,578
$20,001 plus 22.3 4,193
Attendance
intensity
Exclusively full-time 64.6 4,705
Exclusively part-time 36.4 1,946
Mixed full-time and part-time 63.1 3,895
Institution
sector
Public 4-year 62.0 4,301
Private not-for-profi t 4-year 77.7 6,560
Public 2-year or less 37.4 2,275
Private for-profi t 73.1 3,229
More than one institution/other 54.9 3,384
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
How Latino Students Pay for College
13
Loans are a fi nancial aid source to pay for college that must be repaid. About 30
percent of Latino undergraduates received loans to pay for college in 2003-04;
a slightly higher percentage of all undergraduates, 35 percent, received loans in
2003-04 to pay for college. In addition to having lower percentages receive loans to pay
for college, Latinos receive the lowest average loan award of all undergraduates by race/
ethnicity ($5,620).
While about the same proportion of both Hispanic men and women received loans, men
had higher average loan awards than Latinas ($6,030 versus $5,325). In addition to gender,
age, dependency status, and income were important characteristics. A quarter of Latino
undergraduates who were 30 years old and older received loans, a lower proportion than
younger students. However, Latinos 30 years old and older received higher average loan
amounts than traditional college-age Latino students.
Dependent Latino students were slightly more likely to receive loans than independent
students, but independent students without dependents tended to receive the highest
average loan awards. Overall, Latinos at all income and dependency levels received loans at
similar percentages (around 30 percent), with the exception of independent students with
incomes over $50,000. While only 16 percent of these students received loans, this group
received substantially higher average loan awards than any income or dependency level.
In terms of enrollment, Latino students who attended full time were more likely to
receive loans than students of mixed attendance or part-time attendance, and had higher
average loan awards than part-time students. While 40 percent of Latinos were enrolled
at public two-year institutions, only 7 percent received loans. In comparison, while only 12
percent of Latinos were enrolled at for-profi t institutions, almost 70 percent received loans
in 2003-04. In tandem with this observation, only about 6 percent of Latino students who
paid $1,000 or less in tuition and fees received loans from any source.
Loans
How Latino Students Pay for College
14
Table 2: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving loans and the
average amounts received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Percentage received Average amount received ($)
Age
15-23 31.2 5,039
24-29 32.7 6,302
30 or above 24.0 6,643
Attendance
intensity
Exclusively full-time 64.6 4,705
Exclusively part-time 36.4 1,946
Mixed full-time and part-time 63.1 3,895
Institution
sector
Public 4-year 62.0 4,301
Private not-for-profi t 4-year 77.7 6,560
Public 2-year or less 37.4 2,275
Private for-profi t 73.1 3,229
More than one institution/other 54.9 3,384
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
How Latino Students Pay for College
15
Approximately two-thirds of all student fi nancial aid for higher education comes from
federal programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Among the
most prominent federal grant programs for fi nancial aid are Pell grants, federally
subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and campus-based programs (these include the Perkins
loans, College Work-Study, and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)
programs). (See Appendix tables 7 and 8 for details on federal aid patterns.)
Half of Latino students received federal fi nancial aid in 2003-04. This participation rate in
federal fi nancial aid was slightly higher than for all undergraduates. The average federal
fi nancial aid award Latino undergraduates received in 2003-04 was also substantially higher
than either state aid or institutional aid awards. The average federal aid amount for Latinos
was $5,415, compared to the average state aid award of $2,235 or institutional aid award
of $2,965.
In general, Latino students were more likely to receive federal grants than federal
loans, and in particular, Latinos were more likely to receive Pell grants than federally
subsidized loans (Figure 6). Just over one-third of Latino undergraduates received Pell grants,
while about a quarter of Latinos received federally subsidized loans, and 17 percent received
federally unsubsidized loans. Latinos were about as likely to receive campus-based aid as
all students. The high participation rates in Pell grants do not correspond with the highest
amounts of aid. While more Latinos received Pell grants than federally subsidized loans, the
average federally subsidized and unsubsidized loan awards were higher than the average
amount of Pell awards. The smallest awards were for campus-based aid.
Given the overview of Latino undergraduate participation in federal fi nancial aid,
there are some interesting student characteristics to consider (Table 3). For example,
fi rst-generation college students were more likely to receive federal aid in general, and
federal grants in particular, than students whose parents had higher educational attainment
levels. Further, while Hispanic women were more likely to receive federal aid in 2003-04
than Hispanic men, Hispanic men received higher average federal fi nancial aid awards than
women. Larger subsidized loan awards and campus-based aid account for much of this
difference. Among Latinos participating in federal fi nancial aid, Puerto Ricans were much
more likely to receive grants than other subgroups, Latinos of Cuban origin were more
likely to receive loans, and Puerto Ricans were more likely to receive campus-based aid than
other Latino subgroups.
Federal Financial Aid
How Latino Students Pay for College
16
Total
federal aid
Total federal
grants
Total federal
loans
Pell Grant Subsidized
loans
Campusbased
aid
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
$6,000
50%
38%
29%
37%
26%
14%
$5,413
$2,728
$4,928
$2,618
$3,202
$1,469
% Received Average Amount ($)
PERCENT
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
AMOUNT IN DOLLARS
Figure 6: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving
federal aid and average amounts received, 2003-04
Table 3: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving federal aid, and
the average amounts received, by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Percentage received Average amount received ($)
Parents?
Highest
Educational
Attainment
High School or less 54.3 5,326
Some College 47.7 5,471
Bachelor?s degree 44.9 5,526
Advanced Degree 42.3 5,824
Institutional
sector
Public 4-year 61.9 5,804
Private not-for-profi t 4-year 73.2 6,308
Public 2-year or less 28.6 3,034
Private for-profi t 84.5 6,990
More than one institution or other 58.1 5,814
Tuition
and fees
$0 to $1,000 25.1 3,004
$1,001 to $5,000 59.5 4,731
$5,001 to $10,000 78.7 6,474
$10,001 to $15,000 86.5 8,412
$15,001 to $20,000 87.8 9,553
$20,001 plus 71.9 9,324
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
How Latino Students Pay for College
17
More than 40 percent of Latino undergraduates were enrolled at institutions with
tuition and fees of $1,000 or less. Latino undergraduates who paid $1,000 or less in tuition
and fees in 2003-04 were the least likely to receive federal aid. For example, Latino students
attending public two-year institutions were less likely to receive federal fi nancial aid than
Latino students attending other types of institutions.
The percentage of students receiving federal aid and the average amounts received
were higher for students paying higher tuition and fee amounts. For example, Latino
students attending private for-profi t institutions were most likely to receive most forms of
federal fi nancial aid?85 percent received any federal aid, 64 percent received federal grants,
and 66 percent received federal loans. For the percentage of Latino students receiving
federal loans, this was particularly true.
Pell Grants
A federal Pell grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. Pell grants are the foundation
of federal fi nancial aid. Latinos were more likely to receive federal Pell grants than all
undergraduates and also received higher grant amounts than all undergraduates. Certain
groups of Latino undergraduates were more likely to participate in the Pell grant program.
For example, while Hispanic women were more likely to receive Pell grants than men,
both men and women received similar average Pell grant awards. College students up to 29
years of age were more likely than students 30 years old and older to receive Pell grants.
In addition, independent students with dependents were more likely to receive Pell grants
than dependent students or independent students without dependents. Despite this lower
participation rate, however, dependent students received the highest average Pell award
among Latinos by dependency status.
Analysis by attendance intensity shows that almost half of Latino students attending
full time received Pell grants. This is twice the participation rate of part-time Latino
undergraduates. Finally, while it was noted earlier that almost half of Latinos are enrolled in
public two-year institutions, only 25 percent of these students received Pell grants. Further,
only 22 percent of Latino undergraduates who paid $1,000 or less in tuition and fees in
2003-04 received Pell grants.
Subsidized loans
Federally subsidized loans are fi nancial aid provided by the government that must be repaid
once a student completes their education or enrolls less than full time. The two programs
identifi ed as subsidized loans are the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and
the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. Latinos were less likely to
receive federal loans than all undergraduates and received lower federal loan awards than the
average for all undergraduates. Among Latinos who did receive loans, Latino students aged
24-29 were more likely to receive federally subsidized loans than either traditional collegeage
students or those 30 years old and older. Further, Latino students 24-29 years of age
tended to receive the highest average awards. In addition, independent Latino students without
dependents were slightly more likely to receive federally subsidized loans than other Latinos.
Institution type and college prices also were related to Latino undergraduate
participation in federally subsidized loans. For example, Latino students attending full time
How Latino Students Pay for College
18
were three times more likely to receive federally subsidized loans than part-time students.
Full-time Latino students also received higher average subsidized loan amounts. Among
Latinos who attended public two-year (or less) institutions, only 6 percent received federally
subsidized loans. Since most public two-year institutions also were relatively inexpensive, it
is consistent to note that only about 6 percent of Latino undergraduates who paid $1,000 or
less in tuition and fees in 2003-04 received federal loans.
Although this brief did not examine the receipt of federally unsubsidized loans by
Latino undergraduates in detail, independent students, full time/mixed, those attending
for-profi t institutions, and higher income dependent students were more likely than their
counterparts to receive loans.
Campus-based aid (Perkins, Work-Study, and SEOG)
Campus-based programs are administered directly by the fi nancial aid offi ce at each
participating school. Not all schools participate in all programs. In 2003-04, Latinos were
slightly more likely to receive campus-based aid than all undergraduates (14 percent versus
12 percent) and were second only to African Americans (17 percent). However, Latinos also
received one of the lowest average campus-based aid awards of any racial/ethnic group. The
average award for Latinos in 2003-04 was $1,470, compared to $1,770 for all undergraduates.
How Latino Students Pay for College
19
As mentioned earlier, 16 percent of Latino undergraduates received state fi nancial
aid in 2003-04. This participation is similar to all undergraduates. However, Latinos
received slightly lower average state aid award amounts than all undergraduates.
First-generation Latino students were slightly more likely to receive state grants than
students whose parents had a bachelor?s degree or higher. In addition, Hispanic men
received higher average state aid awards than Hispanic women. Further, traditional collegeage
students were more likely to receive state aid than older students and received higher
average awards. Similarly, dependent Latino students were more likely to receive state aid
than independent students and received higher average state aid awards. Latino students with
full-time and mixed attendance were more likely to receive state aid than part-time students
and on average received greater aid awards.
At the same time, dependent Latino students with incomes less than $40,000 were more
likely to receive state aid than other groups of dependent and independent Latino students.
However, the dependent students who received the highest average award were the
wealthiest students with family incomes of $80,000 or more. Independent Latino students
with incomes less than $20,000 received much lower average state aid awards. Latino
undergraduates with relatively low EFCs were more likely to receive state aid than those
in the higher EFC categories, although there was little variation in the average amounts.
In addition, only 6 percent of Latino students who paid $1,000 or less in tuition and fees
received state aid; in comparison, about a quarter of Latino students received aid in most
of the other tuition categories. Average award amounts also increased with the amount of
tuition and fees paid. About a quarter of Latino students attending four-year institutions
received state aid, compared to about 10 percent of students attending other types of
institutions. (See Appendix tables 7 and 9 for more details.)
State Financial Aid
How Latino Students Pay for College
20
Although the percentage of Latinos receiving institutional aid was only slightly lower
than for all undergraduates in 2003-04, the average aid award to Latinos was
substantially lower.
Similar to other forms of aid, Hispanic men received higher average institutional awards
than women. In addition, traditional college-age Latino students were more likely to receive
institutional aid than older students and received more than twice the average institutional
aid award received by students in older age categories. Dependent Latino students were
more likely to receive institutional aid than independent students, with higher average
institutional aid awards. Further, a quarter of dependent Latino students with family
incomes under $40,000 received institutional aid. However, in general, the higher the family
income for dependent students the higher the average institutional aid award, ranging from
$2,415 for students with incomes less than $20,000 to $5,500 for students with incomes
greater than $60,000. The average awards for independent students were lower. At the
same time, Latino undergraduates with EFCs of $5,000 or less were more likely to receive
institutional aid than students in other categories. However, students with higher EFCs
received higher average amounts.
In terms of student enrollment, Latino students of full-time and mixed attendance
were more likely to receive institutional aid than part-time students. However, full-time
students received substantially higher average institutional aid awards ($3,940) than
either mixed attendance ($2,205) or part-time ($1,160) students. In terms of institutions
attended, slightly more than a third of Latino students who attended private, not-forprofi
t, four-year institutions received institutional aid, as well as about a quarter of
students enrolled in public four-year institutions. Latino students attending other types of
institutions were less likely to receive institutional aid. Furthermore, Latino students who
paid greater amounts of tuition and fees in 2003-04 were signifi cantly more likely to receive
institutional aid, and higher average award amounts, than students who paid relatively low
amounts of tuition and fees. (See Appendix tables 7 and 9 for more details.)
Institutional Aid
How Latino Students Pay for College
21
While Latino undergraduates were enrolled at all types of institutions, they
were more likely to attend public two-year institutions and private for-profi t
institutions than students from other racial/ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, it is
important to explore patterns of fi nancial aid receipt within each institutional sector.6
Public two-year (or less) institutions: Latinos were less likely to receive fi nancial aid
than all students (43 versus 47 percent). Further, the average fi nancial aid amount Latinos
received in 2003-04 ($2,855) also was lower than the average award for all undergraduates
at public two-year institutions ($3,160).
When examining types of aid, Latinos at public two-year institutions were much
more likely to receive grants than loans (37 percent received grants and 7 percent received
loans). While Latinos were less likely to receive either grants or loans compared to all
undergraduates, the average grant award for Latinos was slightly higher than that of all
undergraduates ($2,275 versus $2,160).
More than 50 percent of Latinos at public two-year institutions were of Mexican
descent, and 42 percent received fi nancial aid to pay for college. However, these students
received the lowest average amount of fi nancial aid of all undergraduates and other students
of Latino origin. The average award for Latinos of Mexican descent was $2,700, compared to
$3,160 for all undergraduates.
Public four-year institutions: Latinos at public four-year institutions were more likely
to receive fi nancial aid to pay for college than all undergraduates. In 2003-04, 75 percent
of Latino undergraduates received aid, compared to 68 percent of all undergraduates.
However, Latinos received lower average fi nancial aid awards than all undergraduates
($6,760 versus $7,090).
Latinos at public four-year institutions also were more likely to receive grants than
loans. Just over 60 percent of Latino undergraduates received grants to pay for college,
while about 40 percent received loans. Compared to all undergraduates, Latinos also were
more likely to receive grants than loans, and the average grant award for Latinos was higher
($4,300) than for all undergraduates ($3,990).
Receipt of Aid by Type of Institution
and Hispanic Origin
6 We have not included students who attended other institutions, or more than one institution, for the sake of simplicity.
How Latino Students Pay for College
22
Of Latinos enrolled in public four-year institutions, 45 percent were of Mexican
descent and 75 percent received fi nancial aid to pay for college. In 2003-04, these students
received the highest average fi nancial aid award of all Latinos and all undergraduates. The
average award for Latinos of Mexican origin was $7,300 compared to $6,760 for all Latinos
and $7,090 for all undergraduates. This aid included both grants and loans, and Latinos of
Mexican descent actually were slightly more likely to receive loans than all undergraduates
(47 versus 45 percent).
Private for-profi t institutions: Latinos were about as likely as all undergraduates at
private four-year institutions to receive fi nancial aid (90 percent). Of this aid, Latinos also
were slightly more likely to receive grants than loans. However the average loan amount
($6,730) was twice as high as the average grant award ($3,230).
Almost 45 percent of Latinos enrolled at private for-profi t institutions were of
Mexican descent, and 91 percent received fi nancial aid in 2003-04. Diverging from the
general pattern of all Latinos, Mexican students were more likely to receive loans than
grants (74 versus 70 percent) to pay for college. The average loan amount was more than
twice as high ($6,995) as the average grant award ($3,100).
Private not-for-profi t four-year institutions: Latino students were more likely to
receive fi nancial aid than all undergraduates (86 versus 83 percent). However, the average
aid amount was much lower for Latinos ($10,005) than for all undergraduates ($12,100).
Latinos also were more likely to receive grants than loans?close to 80 percent received
grants in 2003-04, while 50 percent received loans. In contrast to private, four-year, forprofi
t institutions, where Latino students received much higher average loan awards than
grants, the average award amounts for grants versus loans was similar at private, four-year,
not-for-profi t institutions.
Among Latinos, 43 percent of undergraduates enrolled at private, four-year, not-forprofi
t institutions were Puerto Rican, and 87 percent of these students received fi nancial
aid. The average fi nancial aid award for these Puerto Rican students was substantially lower
than all other Latinos or all undergraduates. In 2003-04, the average fi nancial aid award for
Puerto Ricans at private, four-year, not-for-profi t institutions was $6,900. In comparison, the
average aid award for all undergraduates was $12,100, and the average award for all other
Latinos was $12,550. (See Appendix tables 4 and 10 for more details.)
How Latino Students Pay for College
23
Policy Recommendations and Next Steps
The fi ndings in this brief portray a complex picture of how Latino undergraduates pay
for college. While high percentages of Latinos receive fi nancial aid, the amount of
the average fi nancial aid they receive is less than other racial/ethnic groups. Further,
federal aid in general, and grants in particular, are critical sources of aid for Latinos to pay
for college. Latinos are less likely to receive loans to pay for their college education than
other racial/ethnic groups. When looking at how Latinos pay for college, it is clear that
their student characteristics and attendance at certain types of institutions is related to
their levels of fi nancial aid. For example, Latino undergraduates are more likely than all
undergraduates to be fi rst-generation students, to be enrolled on a part-time basis, to come
from families with relatively low family incomes, and to enroll in two-year institutions.
These fi ndings just scratch the surface of how Latino students pay for college. More
research is needed to understand the actual costs?both the ?sticker price? and ?net
price?? Latino students pay for their college education. Research on the specifi c sources of
aid Latino students receive, as well as aid availability, perceived and real, and the infl uence of
these on Latino students? college choices is important to develop policies and programs that
more effectively respond to this large and growing community. For example, information
about how colleges and universities use their own resources to support student fi nancial
aid programs needs to be conducted with a specifi c focus on why Latinos receive relatively
lower average aid awards than other students. Similarly, more analysis is needed about the
impact on Latino students of an institutions? emphasis on need- based aid versus institutions
that emphasize aid programs awarded based on non-need criteria, such as test scores and
athletic ability.
Whereas most discussions of fi nancial aid focus on the role aid plays in facilitating
access to higher education, the analysis in this brief focuses on students who have
already accessed higher education and enrolled in a college or university. A fundamental
question raised by this analysis is whether the amount of fi nancial aid infl uenced the
college choices of Latino students, or whether the college choices Latino students
make determines the amount of fi nancial aid they receive. The question of which comes
fi rst?like the question of the chicken or the egg?is valuable to study. For example, is
How Latino Students Pay for College
24
the fact that Latino undergraduates receive lower average aid awards caused by the fact
that the institutions Latino students choose have less aid to award? If the college choices
Latino students make determine the amount of fi nancial aid they receive, then it could
suggest that Latino students are self-selecting institutions for fi nancial as well as other
reasons, but independent of the amount of aid they receive. This is an intriguing issue,
which cannot be fully explored through reviewing the data from NPSAS alone and will
require further study.
The analysis in this brief points the way toward some clear policy avenues to ensure
that Latino students and all students have the opportunity to access fi nancial support to
secure a quality postsecondary education. The following recommendations are potential
starting points for action.
Federal level
Increase the maximum award amount for Pell grants to better align with the
increased price of college. Latinos are more likely to receive federal aid, in general,
and Pell grants in particular, to pay for college than any other fi nancial aid. However, the
declining purchasing power of Pell grants may be a critical limitation to Latino students?
college choices. Increased Pell grant award amounts can increase the purchasing power, and
thus college choices, of students with the most fi nancial need, and can also enable students
to plan for the fi nancing of their higher educations more effectively.
Develop explicit outreach strategies to target information on fi nancial aid
options to the Latino community. While the federal government has improved the
translation of publications about federal fi nancial aid in Spanish, translation alone is not
suffi cient to inform Latino students and their families about the options of paying for college.
Targeting outreach strategies to the Latino community through local community-based
organizations working with the Latino community, school district offi ces serving large
numbers of Latino students, and media events (both in English and Spanish) that also target
Latino youth about education, are also needed to more directly inform families on their
college options and fi nancing of their education.
Create a signifi cant entitlement-based loan forgiveness program for Latino
students who study in areas of national need. Focusing such loan forgiveness on
under-represented groups such as low-income students, fi rst-generation undergraduates,
and students of color will ensure that these funds are effectively used to meet our nation?s
critical economic, social, and national security needs.
State/local level
Establish a predictable tuition and fee policy. Recently, several state and federal
legislators have proposed containing college prices or managing the increase in price through
policy. Rather than regulating price, one option is to set a predictable policy for increasing
tuition and fees at public institution that clarifi es the college ?sticker price? for prospective
How Latino Students Pay for College
25
students. This might allow Latino students and families to more effectively plan for the
expenses associated with going to college and facilitate their college choices based on a
predictable amount.
Develop an explicit information outreach strategy to Latino students and
families. While the vast majority of Latino undergraduates applied for fi nancial aid in
2003-04, those who received aid were more likely to receive federal aid. While Latinos
participated in state fi nancial aid at rates similar to all undergraduates, this rate is still low.
Providing information on state-supported programs and options available to save and pay
for college (i.e., education savings accounts, state grants) might expand the college choices
available to Latino students.
Institutional level
Disaggregate institutional data to look at Latino students. As with this brief,
disaggregating data to understand Latinos participation, strengths, and needs as a group of
students enrolled at the institution can inform the institutional practices and programs that
serve them, as well as all students.
Ensure course availability and strengthen course planning. Navigating college access,
fi nancing, and course planning is complicated. If prerequisite courses are not available,
students might have to extend their time to degree completion. This extension could add to
their college costs substantially. Given that many Latino students are fi rst-generation college
students, attend part-time, and live off-campus, the availability of information needed for
course planning and the availability of prerequisite courses might decrease the amount of
time, and thus the amount of fi nancial support students need to pay for college.
K-12 school boards/superintendents and city councils (as appropriate)
Encourage mentoring by experienced parents and students. While school boards
and district staff do not have direct responsibility for college access or opportunity, they do
have infl uence on the information and preparation of Latino students for higher education.
Board members, district staff, and schools can encourage parents and students (PTAs,
alumni) from high school who have experienced the process of paying for college to mentor
or provide workshops for high school/middle school families in community.
Offer a course on paying for college. Given the complexity of sources and types of
fi nancial aid to help Latino students pay for college, it would almost seem that a single
workshop would not be suffi cient to learn to navigate the aid options and college choices
available. An elective course that details the plethora of types and sources of aid, as well as
the combinations available to pay for college, as well as the diverse college opportunities
available could be offered to Latino middle or high school students. Combined with
monthly workshops open to Latino parents and community members, these courses can
help to equip a student with the information they need to make the best college choice
available to them.
How Latino Students Pay for College
26
Next steps
The analysis in this brief raised additional issues for research to better understand how
Latinos pay for college, the role students? characteristics, knowledge of college options,
and college choices play, and the impact of policy decisions at multiple levels on Latino
participation, persistence, and completion in higher education. Both Excelencia in Education
and the Institute for Higher Education Policy intend to continue their focus on these
additional issues.
Appendix
How Latino Students Pay for College
28
Table A1: Demographic and enrollment patterns for Latino students and
undergraduates of all race/ethnicities, by fi nancial aid receipt, 2003-04
All values are in
percentages (%)
All undergraduates Undergraduates who
received fi nancial aid *
All racial/
ethnic groups
All Latino
students
All racial/
ethnic groups
All Latino
students
Gender
Male 42.4 40.7 40.6 39.7
Female 57.6 59.3 59.4 60.3
Age
15-23 56.8 56.6 57.6 58.3
24-29 17.3 20.6 18.3 21.0
30 or above 25.9 22.9 24.1 20.7
Citizenship
US citizen 92.9 86.1 93.8 87.0
Resident alien 5.5 12.4 5.4 12.2
Foreign/international 1.7 1.5 0.8 0.8
Marital Status
Single, divorced, widowed 76.7 76.5 78.2 78.3
Married 21.3 21.0 19.3 18.5
Separated 2.0 2.5 2.5 3.2
Single Parent Independent 13.2 16.3 15.0 18.1
Has Dependents 27.1 31.3 28.3 31.8
Parents? highest education level
High school or less 34.6 48.6 37.1 51.7
Some college 24.4 23.0 24.4 21.6
Bachelor?s degree 22.0 16.6 20.8 15.6
Advanced degree 19.1 11.8 17.7 11.1
Family size
1 15.8 15.9 15.5 15.3
2 18.2 18.5 18.1 18.7
3 58.2 56.3 22.6 22.8
4 or more 7.8 9.3 43.8 43.3
Dependency status
Dependent 49.7 46.8 50.1 48.1
Independent without dependents 23.2 21.9 21.6 20.1
Independent with dependents 27.1 31.3 28.3 31.8
Income
Dependent
Less than $20,000 6.5 11.7 8.0 14.7
$20,000-39,999 9.6 12.5 11.6 15.0
$40,000-59,999 9.0 8.6 9.0 7.6
$60,000-79,999 8.4 6.0 7.8 4.5
$80,000 or more 16.3 8.0 13.9 6.3
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
29
All values are in
percentages (%)
All undergraduates Undergraduates who
received fi nancial aid *
All racial/
ethnic groups
All Latino
students
All racial/
ethnic groups
All Latino
students
Independent
Less than $20,000 20.5 24.7 23.2 28.1
$20,000-49,999 17.4 18.6 17.7 17.8
$50,000 or more 12.4 9.9 8.9 5.9
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
$0 to $1,000 29.5 42.2 35.6 50.7
$1,001 to $5,000 21.9 23.3 24.1 23.8
$5,001 to $10,000 17.4 15.2 15.9 12.5
$10,001 to $15,000 10.7 8.2 9.2 5.4
$15,001 to $20,000 6.7 4.1 5.6 3.6
$20,001 or more 13.7 7.0 9.7 4.0
Employment
Did not work while enrolled 22.3 21.2 21.8 22.8
Part-time 43.5 40.6 45.3 42.4
Full-time 34.2 38.2 32.9 34.8
Institutional type
Public 4-year 30.0 20.9 32.5 24.9
Private not-for-profi t 4-year 13.5 12.7 17.8 17.3
Public 2-year 40.7 46.2 30.2 31.3
Private for-profi t 7.8 12.2 10.9 17.5
Other/more than one 8.0 8.1 8.6 9.1
Attendance Intensity
Full-time 54.8 49.5 63.9 60.5
Part-time 45.2 50.6 36.1 39.6
Housing
On campus 13.8 6.8 17.3 8.8
Off campus 55.2 53.2 55.0 52.7
Living with parents 23.5 32.8 19.9 30.8
More than one institution 7.5 7.1 7.9 7.8
Number of institutions attended
One 92.5 92.9 92.1 92.2
More than one 7.5 7.1 7.9 7.8
Tuition and fees
$0 to $1,000 30.3 41.3 19.0 26.1
$1,001 to $5,000 42.6 36.1 45.4 41.5
$5,001 to $10,000 14.9 14.0 19.1 19.4
$10,001 to $15,000 4.5 4.3 6.1 6.5
$15,001 to $20,000 3.6 2.1 5.1 3.2
$20,001 plus 4.1 2.3 5.2 3.3
* Participating in any kind of fi nancial aid
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Table A1 continued
How Latino Students Pay for College
30
Table A2: Profi le of Latino undergraduates by Hispanic origin, 2003-04
All values are in
percentages (%)
Cuban Puerto Rican Mexican Mixed descent Other descent
All Cuban
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All
Puerto Rican
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All Mexican
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All undergraduates
of mixed
Hispanic descent
Received
Financial
Aid*
All undergraduates
of other
Hispanic descent
Received
Financial
Aid*
Gender
Male 44.3 40.0 40.1 38.9 40.3 40.3 34.9 36.3 42.5 40.0
Female 55.7 60.0 59.9 61.2 59.8 59.7 65.2 63.7 57.5 60.0
Age
15-23 65.6 66.7 59.9 61.0 55.4 57.6 60.2 60.1 55.0 56.2
24-29 15.0 16.7 18.7 19.3 21.2 22.2 21.9 25.0 20.9 20.3
30 or above 19.5 16.7 21.4 19.7 23.3 20.2 17.9 14.9 24.2 23.6
Citizenship
US citizen 91.7 91.1 98.9 99.1 87.4 87.4 88.5 88.4 75.7 77.3
Resident alien 8.1 8.7 1.0 0.8 11.4 12.2 11.3 11.3 21.1 20.8
Foreign/international 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 1.1 0.4 0.2 0.3 3.2 1.8
Marital Status
Single, divorced, widowed 81.4 81.6 80.8 81.3 75.2 76.6 77.7 80.4 75.7 78.1
Married 16.4 15.2 16.7 15.6 22.0 19.8 21.0 17.6 22.0 19.0
Separated 2.2 3.2 2.5 3.1 2.8 3.6 1.3 2.0 2.3 3.0
Single Parent Independent 12.5 14.5 16.2 16.4 17.2 19.0 11.9 14.9 16.3 18.8
Has Dependents 22.9 24.3 29.0 28.7 33.1 33.5 26.3 26.9 31.4 33.2
Parents? highest education level
High school or less 36.5 39.7 39.5 42.4 55.5 58.9 43.6 44.8 44.4 49.2
Some college 23.2 24.8 25.0 24.3 21.4 19.9 27.4 25.4 23.7 21.5
Bachelor?s degree 22.6 18.6 21.8 20.9 13.6 12.7 15.7 16.7 18.2 16.2
Advanced degree 17.8 16.9 13.8 12.5 9.5 8.6 13.3 13.1 13.7 13.1
Family size
1 16.4 18.0 15.6 15.0 15.5 14.5 16.0 19.0 16.8 15.9
2 19.4 22.2 16.6 16.9 18.9 19.6 17.1 17.3 18.9 18.2
3 56.9 21.7 61.4 24.9 54.7 20.7 52.9 22.7 56.8 24.6
4 or more 7.3 38.1 6.4 43.3 10.9 45.2 14.0 41.0 7.5 41.3
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
31
All values are in
percentages (%)
Cuban Puerto Rican Mexican Mixed descent Other descent
All Cuban
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All
Puerto Rican
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All Mexican
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All undergraduates
of mixed
Hispanic descent
Received
Financial
Aid*
All undergraduates
of other
Hispanic descent
Received
Financial
Aid*
Dependency status
Dependent 54.7 52.4 51.5 52.9 45.4 46.7 51.2 48.5 44.9 46.4
Independent without dependents 22.4 23.3 19.6 18.3 21.6 19.8 22.5 24.6 23.7 20.5
Independent with dependents 22.9 24.3 29.0 28.8 33.1 33.5 26.3 26.9 31.4 33.2
Income
Dependent
Less than $20,000 9.9 13.2 18.3 22.4 10.3 12.6 10.2 9.5 10.9 14.0
$20,000-39,999 9.7 12.4 13.5 15.5 13.1 15.9 13.7 14.6 10.9 13.6
$40,000-59,999 8.8 8.7 7.8 6.9 9.0 7.6 7.8 7.9 8.5 8.0
$60,000-79,999 7.6 6.3 5.0 3.6 5.7 4.2 8.4 7.7 6.3 4.6
$80,000 or more 18.8 11.7 6.8 4.7 7.2 6.4 11.0 8.8 8.3 6.2
Independent
Less than $20,000 22.8 26.9 27.0 28.6 24.3 27.5 23.0 31.9 24.6 28.4
$20,000-49,999 12.0 10.9 15.8 15.0 19.7 19.6 16.4 14.0 19.5 18.6
$50,000 or more 10.5 9.9 5.8 3.5 10.7 6.2 9.5 5.5 11.0 6.7
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
$0 to $1,000 35.5 44.4 54.4 61.8 40.7 47.9 38.8 46.6 39.3 49.0
$1,001 to $5,000 17.4 20.0 19.6 19.3 24.6 25.7 21.6 24.4 24.3 24.3
$5,001 to $10,000 14.9 12.1 11.5 9.7 15.6 13.2 16.9 14.9 16.2 12.9
$10,001 to $15,000 10.4 7.4 6.8 4.3 8.4 5.7 9.1 4.7 8.2 5.4
$15,001 to $20,000 5.7 6.7 3.9 2.2 4.0 3.7 4.5 5.0 4.2 3.7
$20,001 or more 16.2 9.4 3.9 2.8 6.7 3.8 9.0 4.4 7.9 4.6
Employment
Did not work while enrolled 17.0 19.7 28.2 30.0 19.7 21.6 21.7 19.8 20.2 20.8
Part-time 45.0 45.8 38.4 38.7 40.3 42.7 47.5 46.3 40.7 43.3
Full-time 38.0 34.5 33.4 31.3 40.0 35.8 30.8 34.0 39.0 35.9
Table A2 continued
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
32
All values are in
percentages (%)
Cuban Puerto Rican Mexican Mixed descent Other descent
All Cuban
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All
Puerto Rican
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All Mexican
undergraduates
Received
Financial
Aid*
All undergraduates
of mixed
Hispanic descent
Received
Financial
Aid*
All undergraduates
of other
Hispanic descent
Received
Financial
Aid*
Institutional type
Public 4-year 30.2 33.4 23.9 22.6 19.6 25.0 17.9 23.1 21.1 25.7
Private not-for-profi t 4-year 14.9 18.6 34.8 39.1 6.6 9.5 11.9 16.1 10.6 14.6
Public 2-year 33.8 21.8 20.0 14.2 53.7 37.9 51.1 36.2 48.5 32.9
Private for-profi t 9.5 13.4 14.6 17.6 11.3 17.4 11.5 16.8 12.6 18.1
Other/more than one 11.7 12.8 6.8 6.6 8.8 10.2 7.6 7.8 7.3 8.8
Attendance Intensity
Full-time 49.8 63.5 63.4 69.5 44.3 56.2 53.3 61.5 49.6 60.5
Part-time 50.2 36.5 36.6 30.5 55.7 43.8 46.7 38.5 50.4 39.5
Housing
On campus 10.1 12.5 5.7 6.3 5.9 8.4 9.6 9.9 8.2 10.6
Off campus 44.9 47.3 50.2 48.6 54.5 54.8 52.2 53.5 53.9 52.6
Living with parents 34.3 28.4 39.2 40.8 31.8 27.9 31.2 29.5 31.2 28.8
Number of institutions attended
One 89.3 88.1 95.1 95.6 92.1 91.1 93.0 92.9 93.3 92.0
More than one 10.7 11.9 4.9 4.4 7.9 8.9 7.0 7.1 6.7 8.0
Tuition and fees
$0 to $1,000 25.3 12.8 20.9 14.4 50.8 34.6 45.6 27.4 37.9 22.6
$1,001 to $5,000 46.0 48.3 47.3 48.9 31.6 37.7 28.1 34.7 37.6 42.6
$5,001 to $10,000 15.9 21.7 24.0 26.8 10.3 15.6 15.7 22.1 13.9 19.4
$10,001 to $15,000 2.9 3.4 3.7 4.6 4.0 6.7 4.9 7.7 5.3 7.5
$15,001 to $20,000 4.9 7.3 2.3 2.9 1.7 2.9 1.6 2.3 2.3 3.6
$20,001 plus 5.0 6.5 1.9 2.5 1.6 2.5 4.1 5.9 3.0 4.3
* Participating in any kind of fi nancial aid
Source: NPSAS 2003-2004
Table A2 continued
How Latino Students Pay for College
33
Table A3: Percentage of undergraduates who applied for fi nancial aid,
by race/ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2003-04
Applied for Any Aid (%) Applied for Federal Aid (%)
All undergraduates 74.4 58.8
White 71.8 54.5
Black or African American 86.1 74.0
Hispanic or Latino 78.3 66.2
Asian 65.5 50.9
American Indian or Alaska Native 79.6 62.6
Native Hawaiian / other Pacifi c Islander 59.2 45.2
Other 79.2 65.3
More than one race 75.2 58.9
Hispanic origin
Cuban descent 78.6 65.3
Mexican or Chicano descent 76.0 64.1
Puerto Rican 88.0 79.6
Other Hispanic origin 76.4 62.6
Mixed Hispanic origin 80.1 65.9
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Table A4: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving any aid, grants,
and loans and average amount received, by Hispanic origin, source of aid,
and institutional type, 2003-04
Total aid Total grants Total loans (excluding PLUS)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
Cuban origin
Source of aid
All Aid 68.5 6,923 57.2 4,055 34.6 5,716
Federal Aid 52.1 5,656 36.1 2,712 33.5 4,889
State Aid 21.2 2,214 ? ? ? ?
Institutional Aid 20.3 3,522 ? ? ? ?
Institutional type
Public 2-year or less 44.3 2,772 40.1 2,530 5.1 ?
Private for-profi t 97.0 8,136 80.1 4,470 74.2 5,620
Public 4-year Institutions 75.9 5,408 61.9 3,664 35.3 ?
Private not-for profi t 4 year 85.7 12,222 71.4 7,295 65.4 7,275
Mexican or Chicano descent
Source of aid
All Aid 59.0 6,388 48.7 3,494 28.9 5,782
Federal Aid 46.6 5,456 34.2 2,590 27.6 5,035
State Aid 11.7 2,397 ? ? ? ?
Institutional Aid 17.17 2,496 ? ? ? ?
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
34
Total aid Total grants Total loans (excluding PLUS)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
Institutional type
Public 2-year or less 41.6 2,701 36.9 2,114 6.6 3,294
Private for-profi t 90.7 8,455 70.3 3,097 74.0 6,994
Public 4-year Institutions 74.9 7,300 59.4 4,500 47.4 5,272
Private not-for profi t 4 year 85.6 12,214 73.6 7,607 65.5 6,826
Puerto Rican
Source of aid
All Aid 77.6 6,172 69.6 3,879 31.0 5,271
Federal Aid 67.0 4,925 55.3 2,982 30.0 4,592
State Aid 22.3 1,704 ? ? ? ?
Institutional Aid 16.3 3,037 ? ? ? ?
Institutional type
Public 2-year or less 55.3 3,328 48.3 2,666 12.4 2,684
Private for-profi t 93.3 6,579 79.8 3,359 48.8 6,510
Public 4-year Institutions 73.1 5,358 66.2 3,756 25.2 4,571
Private not-for profi t 4 year 87.3 6,913 81.0 4,657 36.5 5,277
Other Hispanic origin
Source of aid
All Aid 62.0 6,835 51.8 4,149 30.2 5,470
Federal Aid 47.5 5,571 34.5 2,732 28.5 4,918
State Aid 17.7 2,391 ? ? ? ?
Institutional Aid 17.2 3,489 ? ? ? ?
Institutional type
Public 2-year or less 42.1 2,838 35.1 2,306 7.4 3,449
Private for-profi t 89.4 7,750 73.3 3,290 68.8 6,386
Public 4-year Institutions 75.4 6,968 62.3 4,523 42.2 4,936
Private not-for profi t 4 year 85.1 12,509 76.7 8,672 54.0 6,473
Mixed Hispanic origin
Source of aid
All Aid 62.0 7,681 53.7 4,234 29.9 6,014
Federal Aid 49.8 6,057 35.3 2,733 29.9 5,129
State Aid 14.6 2,572 ? ? ? ?
Institutional Aid 20.1 3,666 ? ? ? ?
Institutional type
Public 2-year or less 43.9 3,690 40.7 2,894 4.7 ?
Private for-profi t 89.1 9,063 67.7 2,793 78.2 7,307
Public 4-year Institutions 80.3 6,822 69.6 3,966 45.6 4,792
Private not-for profi t 4 year 84.3 13,285 77.9 8,738 60.3 6,540
? For institutional and state aid, fi gures were not calculated for total grants and loans because almost all aid is in the form of grants and the cases
for loans were very small.
? Not enough cases for a reliable estimate.
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Table A4 continued
How Latino Students Pay for College
35
Table A5: Percentage of students receiving aid and average amounts
received, Latino and all students, 1995-96, 1999-2000, and 2003-04
1995-96 1999-2000 2003-04
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
Total federal aid
All undergraduates 36.0 4,455 39.2 5,237 46.4 6,085
Latino students 41.9 3,666 45.1 4,522 50.4 5,413
Total federal grants
All undergraduates 22.0 1,675 23.1 2,067 27.6 2,609
Latino students 33.6 1,765 35.3 2,223 37.7 2,728
Total federal loans
All undergraduates 25.8 4,001 27.9 4,655 35.0 5,816
Latino students 21.7 3,597 23.1 4,594 29.8 5,619
Total state aid
All undergraduates 11.5 1,730 14.2 1,808 15.6 2,069
Latino students 10.4 1,777 15.5 1,493 15.5 2,234
Total institutional aid
All undergraduates 16.5 2,920 17.6 3,796 18.8 4,257
Latino students 17.3 1,898 17.9 2,230 17.3 2,965
Source: NPSAS 2003-04; 1999-2000; 1995-96
Table A6: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving fi nancial
aid from any source and the average amounts received, by selected
characteristics, 2003-04
Total aid Total grants Total loans (excluding PLUS)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
All Latino undergraduates 63.2 6,551 53.4 3,807 29.8 5,619
Gender
Male 61.7 6,869 49.8 3,811 30.4 6,031
Female 64.2 6,342 55.9 3,805 29.5 5,326
Dependency status
Dependent 65.0 7,341 54.7 4,749 31.5 4,897
Independent
without dependents
57.8 6,228 44.2 2,880 30.0 6,817
Independent with
dependents
64.3 5,561 58.0 2,975 27.3 5,938
Age groups
15-23 65.1 7,126 55.6 4,489 31.2 5,039
24-29 64.7 5,971 53.5 2,900 32.7 6,302
30 or above 57.1 5,523 47.8 2,757 24.0 6,643
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
36
Total aid Total grants Total loans (excluding PLUS)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
%
Received
Average
Amount ($)
Parents? Highest Educational Attainment
High School or less 66.7 6,094 58.3 3,634 30.3 5,620
Some College 58.5 6,279 48.5 3,831 27.8 5,740
Bachelor?s degree 59.2 6,521 48.2 4,195 29.6 5,458
Advanced Degree 58.8 6,639 45.2 4,389 30.5 5,610
Attendance intensity
Exclusively full-time 76.6 8,092 64.6 4,705 42.5 5,894
Exclusively part-time 43.6 3,440 36.4 1,946 13.5 4,845
Mixed full-time and part-time 73.2 6,636 63.1 3,895 34.4 5,443
Institution sector
Public 4-year 75.1 7,103 62.0 4,301 41.3 5,055
Private not-forprofi
t 4-year
86.2 10,497 77.7 6,560 50.0 6,251
Public 2-year or less 42.9 2,870 37.4 2,275 7.1 3,273
Private for-profi t 90.9 8,421 73.1 3,229 67.9 6,730
More than one
institution/other
70.7 6,635 54.9 3,384 41.2 5,437
Income
Dependent
Less than $20,000 79.5 6,944 77.2 4,786 29.1 4,960
$20,000-39,999 76.0 7,198 70.0 4,683 33.5 4,894
$40,000-59,999 55.8 6,969 42.1 4,267 32.6 4,510
$60,000-79,999 47.4 8,225 30.9 5,352 30.3 4,819
$80,000 or more 49.9 8,427 29.0 5,133 31.4 5,308
Independent
Less than $20,000 72.1 6,132 66.6 3,276 32.7 6,004
$20,000-49,999 60.6 5,683 48.6 2,607 29.6 6,518
$50,000 or more 37.5 4,738 23.6 1,894 15.8 7,254
Expected Family Contribution
$0 to $1,000 75.9 6,511 73.2 4,133 30.2 5,285
$1,001 to $5,000 64.5 6,429 57.1 3,211 31.5 5,993
$5,001 to $10,000 52.2 6,369 28.8 3,370 33.3 5,582
$10,001 to $15,000 41.4 7,054 23.4 3,656 26.0 5,852
$15,001 to $20,000 55.1 6,830 32.7 3,578 30.4 5,925
$20,001 plus 36.5 7,520 22.3 4,193 19.3 6,216
Tuition and fees
$0 to $1,000 39.8 2,644 34.9 2,039 6.0 3,604
$1,001 to $5,000 72.2 5,339 60.9 3,465 31.8 4,705
$5,001 to $10,000 87.2 7,924 72.5 4,146 58.4 6,110
$10,001 to $15,000 93.2 10,808 79.0 5,398 80.0 6,893
$15,001 to $20,000 96.4 14,953 83.1 8,385 82.4 7,999
$20,001 plus 89.5 19,352 79.4 13,859 69.5 7,913
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Table A6 continued
How Latino Students Pay for College
37
Table A7: Percentage of undergraduates receiving aid and average amount received, by type of aid and race/ethnicity,
2003-04
Aid from any source Federal aid State aid Institutional aid
Total aid Total grants Total loans
(excluding PLUS)
Total aid Total grants Total loans
(excluding PLUS)
Campus-based aid
(Perkins, SEOG,
FWSP)
Total aid Total aid
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
All undergraduates 63.1 6,892 50.7 4,019 35.0 5,816 46.4 6,085 27.6 2,609 33.7 5,055 12.3 1,768 15.6 2,069 18.8 4,257
White 61.3 6,955 47.8 4,031 35.2 5,861 42.9 6,229 21.3 2,492 33.9 5,009 10.9 1,866 14.9 2,005 19.6 4,551
Black or African
American
75.7 6,933 64.3 3,841 43.1 5,692 62.1 6,145 47.7 2,675 41.9 5,290 16.9 1,539 19.1 1,902 16.7 3,960
Hispanic or Latino 63.2 6,253 53.4 3,811 29.8 5,619 50.4 5,413 37.7 2,728 28.5 4,928 14.2 1,469 15.5 2,234 17.3 2,965
Asian 51.4 7,623 41.5 5,241 24.8 5,899 37.0 5,995 22.9 3,012 23.0 4,996 13.3 2,303 15.6 2,787 19.8 4,579
American Indian
or Alaska Native
67.4 6,413 59.1 3,678 32.4 6,011 48.7 5,769 35.8 2,857 31.4 5,420 10.5 1,452 17.9 1,750 17.0 2,864
Native Hawaiian/
other Pacifi c
Islander
51.3 6,763 37.5 4,133 26.8 6,336 36.2 6,244 20.8 2,583 25.8 5,290 7.3 1,529 10.8 2,969 13.7 4,454
Other 66.3 6,827 53.7 3,842 35.6 5,949 50.7 5,909 33.6 2,675 33.8 5,102 12.9 1,951 17.2 2,274 19.9 3,204
More than
one race
61.8 7,354 49.9 4,222 34.9 6,099 45.5 6,429 28.3 2,509 33.5 5,038 12.8 1,930 14.6 2,334 18.5 4,326
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
How Latino Students Pay for College
38
Table A8: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving federal fi nancial aid and the average amounts received,
by selected characteristics, 2003-04
Total aid Total grants Total loans (excluding
PLUS)
Federal Pell Grant Federal subsidized
loans
Federal unsubsidized
loans
Federal campus-based
aid
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
All Latino students 50.4 5,413 37.7 2,728 28.5 4,928 36.9 2,618 25.7 3,202 16.7 3,488 14.2 1,469
Gender
Male 46.7 5,743 32.9 2,747 28.6 5,067 32.2 2,630 25.8 3,317 16.6 3,573 12.6 1,511
Female 53.0 5,213 41.0 2,717 28.5 4,832 40.2 2,611 25.6 3,123 16.8 3,432 15.3 1,444
Dependency status
Dependent 53.5 5,338 37.6 2,934 29.7 4,027 36.9 2,800 25.1 3,180 12.0 3,300 16.4 1,716
Independent without
dependents
42.0 5,876 25.7 2,415 29.2 6,106 24.9 2,318 27.6 3,467 21.8 3,799 10.0 1,433
Independent with dependents 51.6 5,266 46.2 2,599 26.3 5,531 45.5 2,513 25.3 3,033 20.1 3,421 13.9 1,048
Age groups
15-23 54.0 5,361 40.1 2,890 29.5 4,256 39.4 2,761 25.6 3,129 13.8 3,279 16.9 1,601
24-29 51.7 5,522 40.2 2,463 31.5 5,717 39.6 2,370 30.6 3,351 22.8 3,410 11.6 1,315
30 or above 40.4 5,460 29.5 2,507 23.5 6,065 28.6 2,442 21.5 3,227 18.4 3,965 9.9 1,072
Parents? Highest Educational Attainment
High School or less 54.3 5,326 43.7 2,768 29.0 4,921 43.1 2,650 27.2 3,105 16.8 3,473 15.3 1,350
Some College 47.7 5,471 35.4 2,796 26.9 5,078 34.6 2,680 24.2 3,393 15.4 3,545 14.2 1,546
Bachelor?s degree 44.9 5,526 29.2 2,680 27.7 4,744 28.5 2,577 23.3 3,201 16.4 3,446 11.7 1,721
Advanced Degree 42.3 5,824 22.8 2,729 28.7 4,796 21.7 2,641 23.0 3,415 16.4 3,614 12.5 1,741
Attendance intensity
Exclusively full-time 65.4 6,157 47.6 3,123 40.7 5,030 46.4 2,987 36.7 3,251 24.1 3,535 20.4 1,480
Exclusively part-time 27.8 3,607 21.3 1,718 12.9 4,517 20.9 1,673 11.5 2,712 8.1 3,335 4.8 1,360
Mixed full-time and part-time 63.3 5,253 49.5 2,742 32.8 4,969 48.8 2,640 29.7 3,470 17.2 3,485 19.6 1,499
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
39
Total aid Total grants Total loans (excluding
PLUS)
Federal Pell Grant Federal subsidized
loans
Federal unsubsidized
loans
Federal campus-based
aid
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
Institution sector
Public 4-year 61.9 5,804 41.6 3,029 39.7 4,843 41.1 2,894 33.5 3,713 18.4 3,687 17.0 1,795
Private not-for-profi t 4-year 73.2 6,308 51.6 3,096 48.2 4,887 50.4 2,814 44.1 3,512 20.8 3,873 28.0 1,900
Public 2-year or less 28.6 3,034 24.7 2,373 6.3 3,368 24.4 2,318 5.3 2,349 3.4 2,594 7.1 1,296
Private for-profi t 84.5 6,990 64.1 2,639 66.1 5,624 61.5 2,601 64.6 2,817 55.6 3,419 23.4 666
More than one
institution or other
58.1 5,814 40.3 2,641 39.2 4,894 40.0 2,585 34.8 3,126 22.2 3,522 12.1 1,628
Income
Dependent
Less than $20,000 72.8 5,388 69.9 3,461 28.0 4,204 69.0 3,266 27.9 3,276 8.0 3,328 30.3 1,417
$20,000-39,999 68.1 4,974 59.4 2,712 32.1 4,137 58.8 2,590 31.1 3,313 9.6 3,071 17.9 1,896
$40,000-59,999 42.3 4,842 20.8 1,630 29.9 3,879 19.9 1,586 27.7 3,166 9.4 3,007 11.4 2,200
$60,000-79,999 31.0 5,921 2.4 ? 28.0 3,842 2.0 ? 21.7 2,932 14.1 3,109 8.7 1,906
$80,000 or more 31.5 6,688 1.0 ? 29.3 3,888 ? ? 11.4 2,654 23.0 3,653 5.1 1,904
Independent
Less than $20,000 61.7 5,442 55.9 2,733 31.5 5,442 55.0 2,620 30.7 3,182 22.1 3,343 21.0 1,165
$20,000-49,999 45.7 5,454 32.6 2,185 28.8 6,067 32.3 2,124 28.0 3,271 22.8 3,649 6.5 1,262
$50,000 or more 16.7 6,080 2.2 957 15.2 6,535 1.2 ? 12.0 3,249 13.8 4,344 1.4 ?
Expected Family Contribution
$0 to $1,000 68.2 5,365 65.8 3,146 28.9 4,789 64.7 3,012 28.6 3,143 15.2 3,216 24.7 1,272
$1,001 to $5,000 51.2 4,864 41.8 1,580 30.1 5,223 41.3 1,502 29.5 3,402 16.4 3,476 10.2 2,142
$5,001 to $10,000 33.5 5,860 0.6 ? 32.3 4,952 ? ? 30.7 3,252 18.0 3,335 5.5 1,916
$10,001 to $15,000 25.7 6,245 0.7 ? 23.7 5,015 ? ? 17.6 2,819 18.0 3,858 4.2 1,598
$15,001 to $20,000 30.5 6,591 0.8 ? 29.5 4,837 ? ? 12.1 2,807 26.9 4,041 4.0 ?
$20,001 plus 18.0 7,371 0.3 ? 17.6 4,482 ? ? 2.4 ? 16.6 4,392 1.0 ?
Table A8 continued
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
40
Total aid Total grants Total loans (excluding
PLUS)
Federal Pell Grant Federal subsidized
loans
Federal unsubsidized
loans
Federal campus-based
aid
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
Tuition and fees
$0 to $1,000 25.1 3,004 21.8 2,233 5.5 3,609 21.6 2,183 5.0 2,535 2.7 2,635 6.3 1,367
$1,001 to $5,000 59.5 4,731 45.4 2,808 30.1 4,477 44.5 2,726 26.3 3,159 15.5 3,336 15.7 1,265
$5,001 to $10,000 78.7 6,474 57.9 2,839 57.2 5,340 56.1 2,730 52.9 3,090 40.7 3,485 23.7 1,086
$10,001 to $15,000 86.5 8,412 56.9 3,113 78.4 5,810 55.7 2,969 73.6 3,232 56.3 3,861 22.7 1,316
$15,001 to $20,000 87.8 9,553 51.7 3,549 80.4 5,731 50.9 3,052 72.2 3,932 44.0 4,015 39.2 2,565
$20,001 plus 71.9 9,324 31.8 3,823 64.0 5,054 29.2 2,928 58.7 4,209 18.4 4,069 46.9 3,005
? Not enough cases for a reliable estimate.
Note: Federal campus-based aid includes work-study, Perkins loans, and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (SEOG).
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Table A8 continued
How Latino Students Pay for College
41
Table A9: Percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving state
and institutional aid and the average amounts received, by
selected characteristics, 2003-04
State aid Institutional aid
Total aid Total grants Total aid Total grants
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
All Latino undergraduates 15.5 2,234 14.8 2,137 17.3 2,965 16.1 2,944
Gender
Male 13.5 2,326 12.8 2,203 16.9 3,192 15.8 3,156
Female 16.8 2,192 16.3 2,101 17.6 2,816 16.3 2,803
Dependency status
Dependent 20.8 2,440 20.3 2,395 22.4 3,882 21.5 3,832
Independent
without dependents
9.0 1,959 8.1 1,673 14.0 1,889 12.8 1,808
Independent
with dependents
12.2 1,873 11.4 1,682 11.9 1,269 10.3 1,171
Age groups
15-23 19.3 2,384 18.8 2,339 21.3 3,621 20.1 3,580
24-29 10.7 1,875 10.0 1,706 12.3 1,616 11.0 1,577
30 or above 10.4 1,911 9.2 1,538 11.9 1,320 10.7 1,239
Attendance intensity
Exclusively full-time 21.3 2,540 20.5 2,439 22.0 3,940 20.4 3,971
Exclusively part-time 5.5 1,380 5.2 1,289 8.7 1,159 7.8 1,046
Mixed full-time
and part-time
23.0 1,996 22.0 1,878 24.6 2,204 23.6 2,115
Institution sector
Public 4-year 27.6 2,488 26.8 2,423 25.6 2,329 23.3 2,291
Private not-forprofi
t 4-year
24.6 3,010 24.3 2,980 37.4 6,226 36.4 6,130
Public 2-year or less 9.5 1096 9.1 1,052 10.9 871 10.2 792
Private for-profi t 11.1 2,821 9.6 2,457 9.5 1,824 7.9 1,777
More than one
institution/other
10.9 2,575 9.4 2,070 12.3 2,660 11.5 2,519
Income
Dependent
Less than $20,000 28.1 2,243 28.2 2,235 24.8 2,413 23.9 2,332
$20,000-39,999 26.9 2,616 27.0 2,590 25.3 3,367 24.3 3,293
$40,000-59,999 18.2 2,406 17.6 2,330 18.4 4,622 17.4 4,702
$60,000-79,999 14.5 2,279 13.6 2,214 20.2 5,598 19.4 5,604
$80,000 or more 7.7 2,843 7.3 2,597 20.5 5,494 19.4 5,423
Independent
Less than $20,000 14.0 1,857 13.2 1,737 17.4 1,615 15.8 1,544
$20,000-49,999 10.3 1,963 9.6 1,670 11.4 1,338 9.8 1,212
$50,000 or more 3.8 2,008 2.8 ? 3.9 1,989 3.2 1,999
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
42
State aid Institutional aid
Total aid Total grants Total aid Total grants
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
%
Received
Average
Amount
($)
Expected Family Contribution
$0 to $1,000 20.4 2,137 19.7 2,075 19.7 2,111 18.3 2,066
$1,001 to $5,000 17.8 2,413 17.1 2,285 19.8 3,015 18.6 3,006
$5,001 to $10,000 10.6 2,133 9.8 2,061 14.8 3,928 14.0 3,936
$10,001 to $15,000 6.7 2,142 5.8 1,672 10.2 5,146 9.4 5,082
$15,001 to $20,000 7.0 3,401 6.5 ? 14.2 5,173 12.9 5,350
$20,001 plus 4.5 2,400 4.1 ? 9.5 5,355 9.0 5,295
Tuition and fees
$0 to $1,000 6.3 929 6.2 898 10.8 720 10.1 643
$1,001 to $5,000 22.2 1,815 21.3 1,749 16.7 1,786 15.1 1,710
$5,001 to $10,000 21.2 3,213 19.1 2,942 21.5 2,588 19.9 2,573
$10,001 to $15,000 22.5 3,541 22.4 3,521 31.6 4,092 29.4 4,150
$15,001 to $20,000 37.6 3,493 37.4 3,427 54.7 6,526 53.0 6,185
$20,001 plus 27.4 4,886 27.2 4,777 71.2 10,930 69.3 10,946
? Not enough cases for a reliable estimate.
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Table A9 continued
Table A10: Percentage of undergraduates receiving any aid, grants,
and loans, by institutional type and race/ethnicity, 2003-04
Total aid excluding PLUS Total grants Total loans
(excluding PLUS)
% Received Average
Amount ($)
% Received Average
Amount ($)
% Received Average
Amount ($)
Public 2-year or less
All students in public
2-year institutions
46.8 3,159 39.8 2,160 12.1 3,658
White 44.6 3,100 37.1 2,018 12.8 3,709
Black or African American 64.5 3,451 56.9 2,379 16.9 3,534
Hispanic or Latino 42.9 2,856 37.4 2,276 7.1 3,273
Asian 32.4 3,076 27.7 2,398 4.4 3,888
American Indian
or Alaska Native
54.3 3,242 48.8 2,086 12.5 4,510
Native Hawaiian / other
Pacifi c Islander
31.3 2,560 25.5 1,971 4.9 ?
Other 51.9 3,656 45.1 2,536 14.2 3,703
More than one race 43.0 3,719 36.2 2,388 12.2 4,309
?continued on the following page
How Latino Students Pay for College
43
Total aid excluding PLUS Total grants Total loans
(excluding PLUS)
% Received Average
Amount ($)
% Received Average
Amount ($)
% Received Average
Amount ($)
Private for-profi t
All students in private
for-profi t institutions
89.2 8,294 65.7 3,275 73.4 6,759
White 87.3 8,357 58.3 3,218 74.0 6,959
Black or African American 92.1 8,097 76.1 3,267 77.0 6,116
Hispanic or Latino
Asian 84.2 9,606 53.0 3,652 70.2 8,161
American Indian or
Alaska Native
88.1 8,600 67.2 3,086 70.9 7,684
Native Hawaiian / other
Pacifi c Islander
93.2 10,895 61.1 5,099 79.2 8,491
Other 90.7 9,418 70.6 3,652 78.4 6,749
More than one race 88.5 9,021 66.3 3,733 73.0 6,969
Public 4-year Institutions
All students in public
4-year institutions
68.4 7,089 51.7 3,986 44.5 5,593
White 66.3 6,814 48.3 3,665 44.0 5,609
Black or African American 79.2 8,222 64.8 4,819 57.5 6,023
Hispanic or Latino
Asian 62.2 7,524 50.3 5,404 33.1 5,073
American Indian
or Alaska Native
75.1 7,314 64.9 3,862 48.2 5,700
Native Hawaiian / other
Pacifi c Islander
64.9 6,214 47.1 3,733 39.1 ?
Other 71.8 6,306 52.7 3,554 40.8 5,521
More than one race 69.3 6,972 54.6 3,757 43.4 5,587
Private not-for profi t 4 year
All students in private
not-for profi t 4-year
institutions
83.2 12,202 73.5 7,681 56.3 6,943
White 82.1 12,368 72.6 7,816 55.8 7,054
Black or African American 88.8 11,408 76.1 6,947 66.3 6,606
Hispanic or Latino
Asian 73.6 15,512 66.4 10,846 49.2 7,178
American Indian or Alaska
Native
98.6 14,888 97.1 9,013 62.9 9,067
Native Hawaiian / other
Pacifi c Islander
? ? ? ? ? ?
Other 79.3 12,028 71.5 7,079 50.5 8,096
More than one race 84.6 13,724 71.9 8,907 59.6 7,847
? Not enough cases for a reliable estimate.
Note: Students who attended other types of institutions, or more than one institution, are not included in the table.
Source: NPSAS 2003-04
Table A10 continued
Deborah A. Santiago, principal author of How Latino Students Pay for College, is Vice President
for Policy and Research at Excelencia in Education in Washington, DC. Dr. Santiago has extensive
experience in education policy and research as an analyst at the U.S. Department of Education,
as Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic
Americans, as Vice President for Data and Policy Analysis at the Los Angeles County Alliance for
Student Achievement, and as an Irvine Fellow at the Rossier School of Education, University of
Southern California as well as other positions in various education organizations. Dr. Santiago has
a bachelor?s in economics, a master?s in urban affairs, and a doctorate in education policy.
Alisa F. Cunningham, co-author of How Latino Students Pay for College, is Director of Research
for the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Her work covers varied topics, including higher
education fi nancing, student fi nancial aid, minority-serving colleges and universities, international
higher education policy, and opportunities for student access and success. She has published
numerous reports, and she compiled and analyzed extensive data on revenues, expenditures, and
prices at colleges and universities over a ten-year period for the National Center of Education
Statistics? Study of College Costs and Prices. Before joining the Institute, Ms. Cunningham
worked for the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, and served as Editor for the
Bonn International Center for Conversion in Bonn, Germany. She received her master?s degree
from the George Washington University, her bachelor?s degree from Villanova University, and
was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.