NCES is authorized by Congress to conduct these studies in the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543) and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA 2008, 20 U.S.C. §1015). Each study has been approved by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

For the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), institutions are sampled from all Title IV institutions included in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a repository of data on all Title IV institutions.

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) is the primary source of data used by federal government agencies and higher education associations to analyze the effectiveness of current federal student financial aid programs. NPSAS provides comprehensive data on postsecondary students’ enrollment status, education goals, employment, and demographic characteristics. Many agencies and organizations, including the U.S. Department of Education, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the American Council on Education (ACE), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) use NPSAS data to prepare reports that influence the direction of federal student aid policies.

NPSAS also serves as the base year study for two longitudinal postsecondary studies, the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS) and the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B). These studies follow students over time and capture both education and employment outcomes for postsecondary students across the nation. The combination of data collected by these studies allows for analyses of the important links between the cost of postsecondary education, financial aid burden, academic performance, and employment and financial outcomes over time.

The data collected through the studies are used by researchers, policymakers, and administrators to analyze and nationally benchmark information about current postsecondary students; to analyze national trends over time; and to inform decisions about postsecondary education at the institutional, state, and national levels.

Participation of each sampled institution is critical to the success of the study. Full participation assures that the data used accurately represent students attending all different types of postsecondary institutions in the United States.

No. Student or parental consent is not required for release of student record information for the purposes of these studies. The data request for NPSAS fully conforms to the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). FERPA, under provision of 34 CFR §§ 99.31(a)(3) and 99.35, permits institutions to disclose without consent individual student education records to NCES, as an authorized representative of the Secretary of Education, in connection with an evaluation of federally supported education programs. Student data are subject to strict protections that are adhered to by NCES and its contractor organizations. You can review this regulation on the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/reg/ferpa.

FERPA regulations also stipulate that all disclosures be reported in the student record, with an indication of who received the information and their legitimate interests in the information. For schools without electronic student record systems, a Disclosure Notice can be printed from the Resources page of this website. These notices fulfill the requirements of 34 CFR 99.32(a) pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. §1232g). Electronic student record systems will require the insertion of a similar statement. The Resources page also includes a FERPA Fact Sheet, which includes more information about how NPSAS conforms to FERPA requirements.

Both NCES and RTI International follow strict procedures to protect study participants’ information. For more information on confidentiality and data security see https://postsecportaldev.rti.org/Home/Confidentiality.

The Help Desk at RTI International is available to answer your questions about the studies and navigating this website. Please call 1-855-500-1441 or e-mail PortalHelp@rti.org with your questions or concerns. Help Desk staff are available Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM in Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific time.