How America Pays for College 2019

Explore how families pay for college, how much they spend, and how they value their education.

Read the How America Pays for College 2019 report (PDF)
View the How America Pays for College 2019 infographic (PDF)
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On average, families spent $26,226 on college in 2018 — 19

43%

of costs were covered by family savings and income

31%

of costs were covered by scholarships and grants

24%

of costs were covered by borrowing

2%

of costs were covered by friends and family

College planning tip

Scholarships are an important resource when paying for college. They provide families with free money they don't need to pay back.

Find scholarships for college

Both parents and students believe that college is worth the investment

7 in 10 students and parents say the price of college is a good value—either appropriately priced, a bargain, or worth every penny.
79% of parents and 75% of students are willing to stretch themselves financially to pay for college.
84% of families believe college will help their student get a higher paying job.

Families are increasingly confident about how they’re paying—and planning—for college

80% feel confident about how they're paying for college

44% have a plan to pay for all years of college

College planning tip

If you're still figuring out how much you need to save for college, a cost calculator can help you understand whether your goals are on target.

Create a customized plan for your family

Nearly 6 in 10 families who borrowed (57%) say that borrowing was always part of how they planned to pay for college

Families use different strategies to help them prepare to pay for college

40%

research college costs and financial aid

36%

budget how much they’ll cover with savings, borrowing, and other resources

18%

have students taking AP classes or dual-enrolling in community college

14%

invest in their student’s talents to increase the chances they'll earn a scholarship

Cost is a top factor when choosing a college

Families are more likely to consider cost than academic criteria when choosing a college (77% vs 73%).
Students are more likely than parents to reject a school because of cost (88% vs 70%).
Students are more likely than their parents to rule out a school after reviewing the financial aid package (67% vs 54%).

Students, on average, apply to four schools and are accepted to about three schools, giving them options for their final decision

Most families decide together how they’ll pay for college

51% of families say the parent and student share the responsibility of decision-making.
12% of families say the parent is the primary decision-maker.
18% say the student is the sole decision-maker.

College planning tip

It’s never too early to begin talking about how your family will pay for college—and who will be responsible for paying back any student loans.

Get help starting the college conversation

77% of families complete the FAFSA to get access to more than $150 billion in financial aid

But 1 in 4 families are still skipping this step, missing out on potential aid

39%

of those who didn’t file a FAFSA say they thought they wouldn’t qualify for aid

29%

didn’t file because they didn’t know about it—or missed the deadline

27%

were missing information, didn’t have time, or felt the process was too complicated

College planning tip

Families can file a FAFSA beginning October 1. The FAFSA is the only way to get access to more than $150 billion in grants, work-study, and federal student loans.

Get tips on filing a FAFSA