The series of exhibits in this Board Report present 1997-98 academic year need based and non need based student financial aid information for Wisconsin resident undergraduates. The majority of the information reflected in these exhibits was provided by the colleges and universities within the three different Wisconsin Higher Education Sectors. The three sectors of colleges and universities include the Independent Colleges and Universities, The University of Wisconsin System, and the Wisconsin Technical College System. The first grouping of exhibits reflects all students from all sectors who receive need based assistance. The second, third, and fourth groupings show the same information as the first except that each is specific to a sector of schools. The last two groupings are a new addition to this report. They incorporate the non need based assistance received by students who also receive need based assistance.

EXHIBITS A-H (Need Based Assistance - All Sectors)
These exhibits show the number of student financial aid recipients, total cost of education, total expected family contribution, total aid received by type and source along with total unmet need. As the data indicates, the number of aid recipients rose slightly in 1997-98. The average expected family contribution rose from the prior year as did the cost of education. Financial need increased due to the cost of education rising at a higher rate than the expected family contribution. Total need-based financial aid decreased. However, it is suspected that prior year information may include unsubsidized Stafford Loan assistance (non need based) which is now reflected in the final two sections of this report and short term loan assistance which is not considered part of this report. Loan assistance went down compared to grant and work assistance. Again, keep in mind my previous comments about unsubsidized Stafford loan and short term loan assistance. Loans, however, continue to be the primary type of assistance students relied on in 1997-98. In terms of need based aid sources, state funded assistance increased as the other two sources slightly decreased. The primary source of assistance in 1997-98 was, as it has been in the past, federally funded aid.

EXHIBITS I-L (Need Based Assistance - Independent Colleges and Universities)
The Independent College and University data for 1997-98 in some areas reflects different trends when compared to the combined data of all sectors. The number of recipients decreased. The cost increased. Therefore, the financial need and aid increased even though the family contribution also increased (the contribution did not increase to the extent the cost of education increased). The primary type of assistance continues to come in the form of grant assistance for students attending Independent Colleges and Universities. The majority of assistance is funded by the federal government, but to a much lesser extent compared to all sectors combined.

EXHIBITS M-P (Need Based Assistance - University of Wisconsin System)
The average cost of education and family contribution increased for students attending schools witin the University of Wisconsin System. The number of recipients increased, as did the financial need and total aid in 1997-98 compared to 1996-97. The great majority of funds in 1997-98 continue to come from loan sources and from programs funded by the federal government.

EXHIBITS Q-T (Need Based Assistance - Wisconsin Technical College System)
The number of recipients increased within the Wisconsin Technical College System. The cost of education, family contribution, and financial need increased. The average financial assistance decreased due to the exclusion of non need based assistance in this section of the report. There is now a section specifically dedicated to non need based assistance. Just over half of assistance awarded was funded by grants. The great majority of aid awarded to students attending Wisconsin Technical Colleges was federally funded.

EXHIBITS U-X (Non Need Based Assistance - All Sectors Combined and Each Individual Sector)
This section is new to this report. It identifies the non need based assistance received by the students reported in the previous sections of this report. The first page combines all three sectors. The following three pages shows a breakdown by sector.

EXHIBITS Y-Z (Need Based and Non Need Based Assistance Combined - All Sectors)
This section is also new to this report. It combines both the need based and the non need based assistance information. How students finance the total cost of education is provided as is the source and type of need based and non need based assistance. The majority of the cost of education is met by assistance that is based on financial need. Note that 11.82% of the total cost of education is met by unknown sources. The majority of need based and non need based assistance combined is funded by federal loan assistance.

TABLES ONE-FOUR (National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs)
These tables reflect the amount of Student Financial Assistance provided by each state throughout the country. A rank order is not provided. However, based on the information included, fifteen other states provide more assistance than Wisconsin. Please note that this is a DRAFT.