DAS Website - What's New?

July 2009

NPSAS 2008 and prior years Student Loan Comparisons

Data users who plan to compare student loan estimates from NPSAS:08 with prior years should be aware that the data on Stafford loans are currently only directly comparable with NPSAS:04.

NCES surveys use weights to inflate sample results to population totals. For NPSAS:08, weights for student loan data were based on total Stafford loan net disbursements, or the amount that students actually received after cancellations (about $57 billion in 2007-08). For NPSAS:04, the weights were based originally on Stafford loan gross commitments (about $48 billion in 2003-04). The equivalent net disbursements for NPSAS:04 were about $42 billion.

In 2008 NCES shifted its weighting procedure from gross commitments to net disbursements because it concluded that net disbursements provide a more accurate measure of student loan amounts applied to the cost of attendance than gross commitments. In June of 2009 NPSAS:04 weights were adjusted to sum to the total Stafford loan net disbursements, making them comparable to NPSAS:08.

The revised NPSAS:04 weights will produce estimates that differ from the estimates in any tables and publications produced before June 2009. Using the revised weights has the largest effect on estimates of average Stafford loan amounts, and therefore on estimates of averages of all composite financial aid variables that include Stafford loans, such as total loans, total aid, and cumulative loans. For undergraduates, the revised NPSAS:04 weights reduced the average Stafford loan amount by about $600, reduced the average total loan amount by about $500, reduced the average amount of total aid by about $300, and reduced the cumulative amount ever borrowed by about $800. There were only minor changes in average grant amounts. While the revised weights result in some changes in the estimates for nearly all variables in NPSAS:04, the differences are usually very small.

Revised weights for NPSAS:2000 will be made available in September 2009. Revised weights for NPSAS:1996 will become available in October 2009. Until these weights are provided, loan comparisons between earlier NPSAS data and NPSAS 2004 or 2008 should be avoided.

The revised weights will be announced at the NPSAS website and at the DAS website .

June 2009

NPSAS:2008 Data Analysis System updated with new and revised variables

NPSAS:2008 is available for creating Tables and estimating Covariance Analyses.

NPSAS:08 Undergraduate DAS New and Revised Variables

Variable Name	Section	Label
ACGCST	Aid Ratio	Ratio of Pell and ACG grants to student budget
ACGRAT1	Aid Ratio	Ratio of Pell and ACG grants to total aid
ACGRAT2	Aid Ratio	Ratio of Pell and ACG grants to total grants
AGEPSE	Background Demographics	Age at start of postsecondary education
ATTNINST	Institution Characteristics	Institution type and full-time status
CAGI	Finances Income	Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
COLLGRAD	Education Level	Graduating senior in 2007-2008
COMPTO87	Survey Sample	Comparable to 1987 NPSAS
CRBALDUE	Finances Debt Other	Credit cards: balance due on all credit cards
CRNUMCRD	Finances Debt Other	Credit cards: number of credit cards in own name
CRPARPAY	Finances Debt Other	Credit cards: parents help pay credit card bills
CRPAYOFF	Finances Debt Other	Credit cards: pay off or carry balance
CSTBKS	Institution Price	Cost of books and supplies (student reported)
CSTCMPTR	Institution Price	Cost of special equipment (student reported)
DELAYENR	Background Demographics	Delayed enrollment into PSE- number of years
DISABLE	Background Disabilities	Disability: has some type of disability
DISMOBIL	Background Disabilities	Disability: mobility impairment
DISOTHER	Background Disabilities	Disability: other long-lasting condition
DISSENSR	Background Disabilities	Disability: sensory impairment
DISTALL	Education Courses	Distance education: entire program
DISTEDUC	Education Courses	Distance education: took courses in 2007-08
DISTLOC	Education Courses	Distance education: location of courses
DISTYPES	Background Disabilities	Disability: main type of condition or impairment
EMPLYAM2	Aid Outside Grants	Employer aid (parents)
FEDGRPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of federal grants to total aid
FEDLNPAK	Aid Package	Federal loan package by type of loan
FEDPACK	Aid Package	Federal aid package by type of aid
FEDPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of federal aid to total aid
FGRTLN	Aid Federal	Total federal loans and grants
GPA	Education Performance	Grade point average
GRNTSRC	Aid Package	Grant package by source of grant
GRTLOAN	Aid Ratio	Ratio of grants to total loans
GRTPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of grants to total aid
GRTRATIO	Aid Ratio	Ratio of grants to grants and loans
HSDEG	Education High School	High school degree type
HSGRADYY	Education High School	High school graduation year
IMMIGRA	Background Family	Immigrant status
INSTGPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of institutional grants to total aid
INSTPACK	Aid Package	Aid package with institutional aid
INSTPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of institution aid to total aid
LOANPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of loans to total aid (excl PLUS)
LOANPCT2	Aid Ratio	Ratio of loans to total aid (incl PLUS)
LOANSRC	Aid Package	Loan package by source of loan
MAJORS	Education Program	Field of study/major (detailed)
MAJORS12	Education Program	Field of study: undergraduate (12 cat)
NEEDAID1	Aid Total	Total need-based aid
NETCST40	Aid Net Price	Student budget minus state & institutional grants
NETCST41	Aid Net Price	Student budget minus all aid except private loans
OTHTYPE2	Aid Outside	Total other type of aid including work-study
PARBORN	Parent Family	Born in the U.S. (parents)
PAREDUC	Parent Education	Parent's highest education level
PCT6D	Finances Income	Dependent student income quartiles for 6 states
PCT6I	Finances Income	Independent student income quartiles for 6 states
PCTALL	Finances Income	Income percentile rank for all students
PCTDEP	Finances Income	Income percentile dependent students
PCTINDEP	Finances Income	Income percentile independent students
PCTPOV	Finances Income	Income percent of poverty level
PDADED	Parent Education	Father's highest education level
PELLCUM	Aid Federal Grants	Cumulative Pell amount
PELLFST	Aid Federal Grants	First year received a Pell grant
PELLLST	Aid Federal Grants	Last year received a Pell grant
PELLPACK	Aid Package	Aid package with Pell grants
PELLRAT1	Aid Ratio	Ratio of Pell grant to total aid
PELLRAT2	Aid Ratio	Ratio of Pell grant to total grants
PELLYRS	Aid Federal Grants	Number of years received Pell grants
PLUSPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of PLUS loan to total aid
PMOMED	Parent Education	Mother's highest education level
PRIMLANG	Background Family	English is the primary language
PRIVCST	Aid Ratio	Ratio of private loans to student budget
PRIVPACK	Aid Package	Package of private and non-private loans
PRIVPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of private loans to total aid
PROGSTAT	Education Program	Completed degree program in 2007-2008
PSECTYR	Education Attendance	Year first enrolled in postsecondary education
RACE2	Background Demographics	Race/ethnicity (with multiple) without foreign students
RACESEX	Background Demographics	Race/ethnicity (with multiple) and gender
REMENUM	Education Courses	Remedial courses: number taken in 2007-08
REMETOOK	Education Courses	Remedial courses: took in 2007-08
REMEVER	Education Courses	Remedial courses: ever taken
SIBINCOL	Parent Family	Have siblings in college
SINCOL	Background Family	Number of family members in college (independent)
SMARTCST	Aid Ratio	Ratio of Pell and SMART grants to student budget
SMTRAT1	Aid Ratio	Ratio of Pell and SMART grants to total aid
SMTRAT2	Aid Ratio	Ratio of Pell and SMART grants to total grants
SNEED9	Aid Need	Student budget minus EFC & all aid except private loans
STAFCT1	Aid Federal Loans	Stafford subsidized maximum
STAFCT2	Aid Federal Loans	Stafford total maximum
STAFFST	Aid Federal Loans	Year of first Stafford loan
STAFLST	Aid Federal Loans	Year of last Stafford loan
STAFYRS	Aid Federal Loans	Number of years received Stafford loans
STAPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of state aid to total aid
STGRPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of state grants to total aid
STMERIT	Aid State Grants	State merit-only grants
STNOND1	Aid State Grants	State non-need grants
STWKAMT	Aid State Other	State work-study
TFEDAID6	Aid Federal	Total federal aid (excludes parent PLUS and veterans/DOD)
TFEDGRT2	Aid Federal Grants	Total federal grants and veterans/DOD
TGRTLN	Aid Total	Total loans and grants
TOTAID6	Aid Total	Total aid (excludes parent PLUS and veterans/DOD)
TOTAID7	Aid Total	Total aid (excludes veterans/DOD)
TOTAID8	Aid Total	Total aid without private loans
TOTGRT2	Aid Total Grants	Total grants and veterans/DOD
TOTGRT4	Aid Total Grants	Total state and institutional grants
TOTLOAN3	Aid Total Loans	Total loans excluding private loans
UGDEGAA	Education Program	Associate degree type
UGLVL1	Education Program	Class level
UGLVL2	Education Program	Class level (for loans)
USBORN	Background Demographics	Born in the U.S. (student)
WORKPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of work-study to total aid

NPSAS:08 Graduate DAS New and Revised Variables

Variable Name	Section	Label
BAYEAR	Education Attendance	Year received bachelor's degree
CAGI	Finances Income	Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
COMPTO87	Survey Sample	Comparable to 1987 NPSAS
CSTBKS	Institution Price	Cost of books and supplies (student reported)
CSTCMPTR	Institution Price	Cost of special equipment (student reported)
DISABLE	Background Disabilities	Disability : has some type of disability
DISMOBIL	Background Disabilities	Disability : mobility impairment
DISOTHER	Background Disabilities	Disability : other long-lasting condition
DISSENSR	Background Disabilities	Disability : sensory impairment
DISTALL	Education Courses	Distance education : entire program
DISTEDUC	Education Courses	Distance education : took courses in 2007-08
DISTLOC	Education Courses	Distance education : location of courses
DISTYPES	Background Disabilities	Disability : main type of condition or impairment
EMPLYAM2	Aid Outside Grants	Employer aid (parents)
FEDPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of federal aid to total aid
FGRTLN	Aid Federal	Total federal loans and grants
GLOANSRC	Aid Package	Loan package by source of loan
GRADGAP	Education Attendance	Years between BA and graduate school
GRADGPG	Education Program	Graduate and first-professional degree programs
GRADLVL	Education Program	Graduate class level
GRADPGM	Education Program	Graduate programs
GRADPYR	Education Attendance	Year began graduate degree
GRADSTAT	Education Attendance	Graduate degree and attendance pattern
GRNTSRC	Aid Package	Grant package by source of grant
GRTLOAN	Aid Ratio	Ratio of grants to total loans
GRTPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of grants to total aid
GRTRATIO	Aid Ratio	Ratio of grants to grants and loans
IMMIGRA	Background Family	Immigrant status
INSTGPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of institutional grants to total aid
INSTPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of institution aid to total aid
LOANPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of loans to total aid (excl PLUS)
MAJORS	Education Program	Field of study/major (detailed)
MAJORSGR	Education Program	Graduate field of study (12 cat)
NETCST40	Aid Net Price	Student budget minus state & institutional grants
NETCST41	Aid Net Price	Student budget minus all aid except private loans
OTHTYPE2	Aid Outside	Total other type of aid including work-study
PARBORN	Parent Family	Born in the U.S. (parents)
PAREDUC	Parent Education	Parent's highest education level
PCTPOV	Finances Income	Income percent of poverty level
PDADED	Parent Education	Father's highest education level
PELLCUM	Aid Federal Grants	Cumulative Pell amount
PELLFST	Aid Federal Grants	First year received a Pell grant
PELLLST	Aid Federal Grants	Last year received a Pell grant
PELLYRS	Aid Federal Grants	Number of years received Pell grants
PGMSEC	Institution Type	Graduate program and institution type
PMOMED	Parent Education	Mother's highest education level
PRIMLANG	Background Family	English is the primary language
PRIVCST	Aid Ratio	Ratio of private loans to student budget
PRIVPACK	Aid Package	Package of private and non-private loans
PRIVPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of private loans to total aid
PROGSTAT	Education Program	Completed degree program in 2007-2008
RACE2	Background Demographics	Race/ethnicity (with multiple) without foreign students
RACESEX	Background Demographics	Race/ethnicity (with multiple) and gender
SINCOL	Background Family	Number of family members in college (independent)
SNEED9	Aid Need	Student budget minus EFC & all aid except private loans
STAFCT1	Aid Federal Loans	Stafford subsidized maximum
STAFCT2	Aid Federal Loans	Stafford total maximum
STAFFST	Aid Federal Loans	Year of first Stafford loan
STAFLST	Aid Federal Loans	Year of last Stafford loan
STAFYRS	Aid Federal Loans	Number of years received Stafford loans
STAPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of state aid to total aid
STGRPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of state grants to total aid
TFEDGRT2	Aid Federal Grants	Total federal grants and veterans/DOD
TGRTLN	Aid Total	Total loans and grants
TOTAID7	Aid Total	Total aid (excludes veterans/DOD)
TOTAID8	Aid Total	Total aid without private loans
TOTGRT2	Aid Total Grants	Total grants and veterans/DOD
TOTGRT4	Aid Total Grants	Total state and institutional grants
TOTLOAN3	Aid Total Loans	Total loans excluding private loans
USBORN	Background Demographics	Born in the U.S. (student)
WORKPCT	Aid Ratio	Ratio of work-study to total aid