The impact of student earnings in offsetting “unmet need”

Abstract

The amount of financial aid awarded to students who lack sufficient resources to attend college often falls short of amounts suggested by standard needs analysis systems, giving rise to what is called “unmet need”. This study explores the effects of earnings from work, a resource not fully accounted for by needs analysis systems, in offsetting unmet need. The results indicate that aid recipients who work while attending college are in many cases able to offset if not exceed unmet need, while those who do not, or cannot work, are at a relative financial disadvantage.