National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, 1987

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey (NPSAS) collected data from students, former students, parents, and institutions in order to determine how postsecondary student financial aid is targeted, received, and used. The survey, which focused on Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) recipients, was designed to address such basic questions as who received financial aid, how financial aid was distributed among different types of students and institutions, how much students borrowed to finance their education expenses, and what sources of support students used to pay for postsecondary education. The NPSAS-Student Loan Recipient Survey (SLRS) gathered information on education of respondents, loan received, employment history, and background characteristics such as sex, age, race, citizenship, residence, marital status, and current employment. A parent survey was also conducted, and data were collected on relationship to student, total number of children in family, how much respondents spent on clothing, food, and books and supplies for students, other loans taken out, when respondents started saving for their children's college expenses, and what type of savings accounts they used. The NPSAS-Student Loan Recipient Transcript Survey was designed to gather postsecondary school transcripts for the GSL recipients who were surveyed in the SLRS. The Transcript Survey utilized four levels of inquiry: student, transcript, term, and course. In order to update records on GSL recipients, postsecondary institutions attended by former loan recipients were surveyed. The survey contacted all types of institutions, including public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit two- and four-year institutions, along with schools offering only occupational programs of less than two years. Data were collected concerning financial aid award amounts, student characteristics, educational activities, programs of study elected by loan recipients, classes taken, and financial aid and registrar records.