Approximately 20 percent of undergraduates did not apply for any financial aid in 2011-12, while as much as 30 percent didn’t apply for federal student aid, according to a Data Point report released by the National Center for Education Statistics.
The report, which uses data from the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, analyzes the types of students that did not apply for financial aid and reveals their reasons for not doing so.
The most common reasons reported by undergraduates for not applying for financial aid was that they thought they would be ineligible, or they thought they could afford college without it.
Students attending public two-year colleges were less likely report they could afford college without financial aid compared to students attending other institutions. However, this student population was also least likely to complete the aid process.
To access the full report click here.