PRIVATE SCHOLARSHIPS COUNT

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PRIVATE SCHOLARSHIPS COUNT 

• ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE CRITICAL ROLE
  OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Alisa F. Cunningham, Director of
Research Courtney M. McSwain, Research
Associate Yuliya Keselman, Research
Analyst Institute for Higher Education Policy
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Presentation outline

• Introduction
• Methodological approach including limitations
• Findings
• Challenges and Next Steps

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Introduction Why examine Private Scholarship
Aid?

• Private scholarships are often excluded from
  analysis on student financial aid
• There are no previous estimates on the total
  dollar amount of private scholarship aid
• Little is known about who provides or who
  received private aid

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Introduction What are private scholarships?

• Broadly, private scholarships are thought of as
  money from private donors that is awarded to
  students for college and does not have to be
  repaid
• Private scholarship providers range from large
  corporations and foundations to small community
  organizations

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Methodological approach

• Analysis of 2003-04 National Postsecondary
  Student Aid Study (NPSAS) data on private
  scholarship recipients
• Original survey of private scholarship providers
  (N 537)
• Structured interviews with private scholarship
  providers

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Findings Estimate of private scholarship aid
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Findings Comparative Size of Private
Scholarship Aid
Source Institute Survey, 2004-05 College Board
2004
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Findings Scholarship recipients

• 7 percent of undergraduate students received an
  average award of 1,982
• 5 percent of graduate students received an
  average award of 3,091
• 10 percent of professional students received an
  average award of 5,029
• Source US Department of Education. National
  Center for Education Statistics (NCES). National
• Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2003-2004.

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Findings Demographics of scholarship recipients

• The typical private scholarship recipient was an
  undergraduate, middle-income, dependent student
  aged 15 to 25 attending a four-year institution
  in 2003-04
• Some private scholarship recipients do not fit
  the typical characteristics. These included
  students with disabilities, low-income
  undergraduate and graduate students, or students
  of color.

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Characteristics of undergraduate recipients of
private grants, 2003-2004 Total income by
dependency
Source US Department of Education. National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES). National
Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2003-2004.
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Characteristics of undergraduate recipients of
private grants, 2003-2004 Age
Source US Department of Education. National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES). National
Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2003-2004.
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Characteristics of undergraduate recipients of
private grants, 2003-2004, NPSAS Institution
Type
Source US Department of Education. National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES). National
Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2003-2004.
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Findings Provider practices

• Private scholarship providers differ from one
• another in many ways
• Type of organization and size
• Number and amount of awards given
• Established criteria for eligibility and awards

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Findings Eligibility criteria
Source Institute Survey, 2004-05 459
respondents
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Findings Award criteria
Source Institute Survey, 2004-05 473
respondents
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Findings Case studies

• Case studies point to
• Unique ways providers work with colleges and
  universities
• Added benefits for students besides money
• Intense fundraising efforts by communities
• Importance of personal connection that is
  associated with private scholarship donations

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Challenges and Next Steps

• The findings suggest that private scholarships
  play a unique role in the financial aid landscape
• There were many challenges to obtaining data that
  provide a representative picture
• Plans to build upon the study in the future

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