Research on financial assistance points out the impact of aid on academic achievement, educational commitments, student engagement, and persistence to graduation. What is more, the availability of funds to meet tuition and other college-going expenses not only bears on a student’s decision to attend college but also affects to a great extent the choice of college made by that student. This article looks at the influence that financial aid exerts on different aspects of a student’s life, provides a financial aid profile of first-time-in-college students across 6 academic years, and reviews different financial resources used by low-income students.
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