Campus-Based Financial Aid Programs: Trends and Alternative Allocation Strategies. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kelchen, Robert
• Is Part Of: Educational policy. Volume 31:Number 4(2017:Jun)
• Page Start: 448
• Page End: 480
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: campus-based aid -- Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant -- Federal Work-Study -- financial aid; Education and state -- United States -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; 379.2
• DOI: 10.1177/0895904815604213
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0895-9048

Abstract

Two federal campus-based financial aid programs, the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) and the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS), combine to provide nearly US$2 billion in funding to students with financial need. However, the allocation formulas have changed little since 1965, resulting in community colleges and newer institutions getting much smaller awards than long-standing private colleges with high costs of attendance. I document the trends in campus-level allocations over the past two decades and explore several different methods to reallocate funds based on current financial need while limiting the influence of high-tuition colleges.