FSA Data Source Reference

Federal Student Aid (FSA) — institutional-level Title IV aid data for ~5,500 postsecondary institutions, covering Pell Grants, Direct and PLUS loans, campus-based aid (FWS, FSEOG, Perkins), financial responsibility composite scores, and 90/10 revenue metrics (1999-2021, varies by dataset). Use when analyzing Pell Grant distribution by institution type, student loan volume, campus-based aid allocation, or for-profit financial health and 90/10 compliance. Identified by IPEDS unitid.

Reference guide for FSA data available through the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. FSA data provides institutional-level information on Title IV federal student aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

> CRITICAL: Value Encoding > > The Education Data Portal converts categorical variables to integers. This differs from original FSA documentation which may use string codes. All categorical columns in the Portal parquet files are integer-typed. > > | Variable | Example Value | Meaning | > |----------|---------------|---------| > | grant_type | 1 | Federal Pell Grant | > | loan_type | 1 | Subsidized Direct Loan - Undergraduate | > | award_type | 1 | Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants | > | fips | 6 | California | > | allocation_flag | 1 | Yes | > > Missing data codes (-1, -2, -3) apply to numeric format variables, not categorical codes. > > See ./references/variable-definitions.md for complete encoding tables.

Truth Hierarchy

When interpreting FSA data values and resolving discrepancies between this skill documentation and observed data, apply this priority:

| Priority | Source | Rationale | |----------|--------|-----------| | 1 (highest) | Actual data file (parquet) | What you observe IS the truth | | 2 | Live codebook/metadata (.xls in mirror) | Authoritative documentation; may lag behind data | | 3 (lowest) | This skill documentation (variable-definitions.md, etc.) | Summarized; convenient but may drift |

• When this skill contradicts observed data: trust the data, flag the discrepancy
• When codebook contradicts observed data: trust the data, but investigate
• When this skill contradicts codebook: trust the codebook, update this skill

Codebook Access: Use get_codebook_url() from fetch-patterns.md with paths from datasets-reference.md:

python
# Example: Get codebook for FSA grants
url = get_codebook_url("fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_grants")

| Dataset | Codebook Path | |---------|---------------| | Grants | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_grants | | Loans | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_loans | | Campus-Based Volume | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_campus_based_volume | | Financial Responsibility | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_financial_responsibility | | 90/10 Revenue | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_90-10_revenue_percentages |

> FSA naming note: The Financial Responsibility dataset uses composite_scores in its data path but financial_responsibility in its codebook path. The 90/10 Revenue dataset uses underscores (90_10) in the data path but hyphens (90-10) in the codebook path. Always use the exact paths shown above.

What is Federal Student Aid?

Federal Student Aid (FSA) is the office within the U.S. Department of Education that administers Title IV aid programs:

• Title IV Programs: Federal financial aid authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA)
• Institutional Coverage: All Title IV-eligible postsecondary institutions (approximately 5,500+ schools)
• Data Types: Aid disbursements, recipient counts, loan/grant volumes, financial responsibility metrics
• Primary Identifier: unitid (6-digit IPEDS institution ID)
• Years Available: 1999-2021 depending on dataset

Reference File Structure

| File | Purpose | When to Read | |------|---------|--------------| | title-iv-programs.md | Pell Grants, Direct Loans, PLUS, campus-based aid | Understanding aid program types | | financial-responsibility.md | Composite scores, institutional oversight | Analyzing institutional financial health | | 90-10-rule.md | For-profit revenue requirements | Working with proprietary institutions | | variable-definitions.md | Key variables, aid types, amounts | Building queries, interpreting results | | data-quality.md | Known issues, coverage, timing | Understanding data limitations |

Decision Trees

What FSA topic am I researching?

FSA research topic?
├─ Grant programs
│   ├─ Federal Pell Grants → ./references/title-iv-programs.md
│   ├─ FSEOG (campus-based) → ./references/title-iv-programs.md
│   └─ Grant amounts/recipients → ./references/variable-definitions.md
├─ Loan programs
│   ├─ Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized → ./references/title-iv-programs.md
│   ├─ Parent PLUS loans → ./references/title-iv-programs.md
│   ├─ Graduate PLUS loans → ./references/title-iv-programs.md
│   ├─ Perkins Loans (legacy) → ./references/title-iv-programs.md
│   └─ Loan volumes/disbursements → ./references/variable-definitions.md
├─ Campus-based programs
│   ├─ Federal Work-Study → ./references/title-iv-programs.md
│   ├─ FSEOG → ./references/title-iv-programs.md
│   └─ Program allocations → ./references/variable-definitions.md
├─ Institutional oversight
│   ├─ Financial responsibility scores → ./references/financial-responsibility.md
│   ├─ 90/10 rule compliance → ./references/90-10-rule.md
│   └─ Eligibility/participation → ./references/data-quality.md
└─ Data quality concerns
    └─ Coverage, timing, limitations → ./references/data-quality.md

Which FSA dataset do I need?

FSA dataset selection?
├─ Need grant data (Pell, FSEOG)
│   └─ fsa/colleges_fsa_grants (single-file, 1999-2021)
├─ Need loan data (Direct, PLUS)
│   └─ fsa/colleges_fsa_loans (single-file, 1999-2021)
├─ Need campus-based program data
│   └─ fsa/colleges_fsa_campus_based_volume (single-file, 2001-2021)
├─ Need institutional financial health
│   └─ fsa/colleges_fsa_composite_scores (single-file, 2006-2016)
└─ Need 90/10 compliance (for-profits)
    └─ fsa/colleges_fsa_90_10_revenue_percentages (single-file, 2014-2021)

Quick Reference: FSA Datasets and Codes

Datasets

| Dataset Path | Description | Years | Key Variables | |--------------|-------------|-------|---------------| | fsa/colleges_fsa_grants | Grant recipients and amounts by type | 1999-2021 | grant_type, grant_recipients_unitid, value_grants_disbursed_unitid | | fsa/colleges_fsa_loans | Loan recipients and volumes by type | 1999-2021 | loan_type, loan_recipients_unitid, value_loan_disbursements_unitid | | fsa/colleges_fsa_campus_based_volume | FWS, FSEOG, Perkins by award type | 2001-2021 | award_type, campus_award_recipients_unitid, value_campus_disbursed_unitid | | fsa/colleges_fsa_composite_scores | Composite scores by institution | 2006-2016 | financial_resp_score | | fsa/colleges_fsa_90_10_revenue_percentages | For-profit Title IV revenue ratios | 2014-2021 | rev_pct_90_10 |

> Data access: All FSA datasets are single-file (all years in one file). Fetch using fetch_from_mirrors() from fetch-patterns.md with the canonical path from datasets-reference.md. See mirrors.yaml for mirror configuration.

Key Identifiers

| ID | Format | Level | Example | Notes | |----|--------|-------|---------|-------| | unitid | 6-digit integer | Institution | 110635 | IPEDS institution ID; primary join key across FSA datasets and to IPEDS/Scorecard | | fips | 2-digit integer | State | 6 | State FIPS code |

Title IV Programs

| Program | Type | Eligibility | Max Amount (2025-26) | |---------|------|-------------|----------------------| | Federal Pell Grant | Need-based grant | Undergrad with financial need | $7,395 | | Direct Subsidized Loan | Need-based loan | Undergrad with financial need | $3,500-$5,500/yr | | Direct Unsubsidized Loan | Non-need loan | Undergrad/Grad students | $5,500-$20,500/yr | | Parent PLUS Loan | Credit-based loan | Parents of dependent undergrads | Cost of attendance | | Graduate PLUS Loan | Credit-based loan | Graduate/professional students | Cost of attendance | | FSEOG | Need-based grant | Undergrad with exceptional need | $100-$4,000/yr | | Federal Work-Study | Employment program | Students with financial need | Varies by school | | Perkins Loan | Need-based loan | Discontinued (no new loans after 2017) | N/A |

Financial Responsibility Scores

| Score Range | Classification | Meaning | |-------------|----------------|---------| | 1.5 to 3.0 | Financially Responsible | Meets all standards | | 1.0 to 1.49 | In the Zone | Provisionally certified, monitoring required | | Below 1.0 | Not Financially Responsible | Must post letter of credit or face sanctions | | -1.0 | Minimum score | Lowest possible composite score |

Grant Type Codes (grants dataset)

| Code | Grant Type | |------|------------| | 1 | Federal Pell Grant | | 2 | Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) | | 3 | TEACH Grant | | 4 | Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant | | 5 | Children of Fallen Heroes Grant |

Loan Type Codes (loans dataset)

| Code | Loan Type | |------|-----------| | 1 | Subsidized Direct Loan - Undergraduate | | 2 | Subsidized Direct Loan - Graduate | | 3 | Subsidized Direct Loan - Total | | 4 | Unsubsidized Direct Loan - Undergraduate | | 5 | Unsubsidized Direct Loan - Graduate | | 6 | Unsubsidized Direct Loan - Total | | 7 | Direct Loan, Parent PLUS | | 8 | Direct Loan, Grad PLUS | | 9 | Direct Loan PLUS (sum of Parent PLUS and Grad PLUS) | | 10 | Subsidized Federal Family Education Loans | | 11 | Unsubsidized Federal Family Education Loans | | 12 | Parent PLUS Federal Family Education Loans | | 13 | Grad PLUS Federal Family Education Loans | | 14 | PLUS Federal Family Education Loans |

Award Type Codes (campus-based-volume dataset)

| Code | Award Type | |------|------------| | 1 | Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants | | 2 | Federal Work-Study | | 3 | Perkins Loans |

Yes/No Codes (allocation_flag, combined_flag)

| Code | Meaning | |------|---------| | 0 | No | | 1 | Yes | | null | Not reported |

Missing Data Codes

| Code | Meaning | When Used | |------|---------|-----------| | -1 | Missing/not reported | Data not reported by institution | | -2 | Not applicable | Item doesn't apply to this entity | | -3 | Suppressed data | Data suppressed for privacy | | null | Not available | Field not populated for this record |

Data Access

All FSA datasets are fetched via the mirror system. Three reference files govern data access:

| Reference File | Purpose | |----------------|---------| | mirrors.yaml | Mirror URLs, read strategies, timeouts, discovery endpoints | | datasets-reference.md | Canonical dataset paths and codebook paths | | fetch-patterns.md | fetch_from_mirrors() function and codebook URL helper |

Key datasets (all single-file, all years in one file):

| Dataset | Canonical Path | Years | Codebook Path | |---------|---------------|-------|---------------| | Grants | fsa/colleges_fsa_grants | 1999-2021 | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_grants | | Loans | fsa/colleges_fsa_loans | 1999-2021 | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_loans | | Campus-Based Volume | fsa/colleges_fsa_campus_based_volume | 2001-2021 | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_campus_based_volume | | Financial Responsibility | fsa/colleges_fsa_composite_scores | 2006-2016 | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_financial_responsibility | | 90/10 Revenue | fsa/colleges_fsa_90_10_revenue_percentages | 2014-2021 | fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_90-10_revenue_percentages |

> Naming mismatches (intentional): Financial Responsibility uses composite_scores in data path but financial_responsibility in codebook path. 90/10 Revenue uses underscores (90_10) in data path but hyphens (90-10) in codebook path.

Fetch Example

python
import polars as pl

# Using fetch_from_mirrors() from fetch-patterns.md
df_grants = fetch_from_mirrors("fsa/colleges_fsa_grants", years=[2019, 2020, 2021])

# Filter by grant type (1 = Federal Pell Grant)
df_pell = df_grants.filter(pl.col("grant_type") == 1)

# Filter by institution
df_inst = df_grants.filter(pl.col("unitid") == 110635)

# Filter by year range
df_recent = df_grants.filter(pl.col("year").is_between(2015, 2021))

Common Pitfalls

| Pitfall | Issue | Solution | |---------|-------|----------| | Using string codes | Portal encodes categoricals as integers; original FSA docs may reference string labels | Always use integer codes (e.g., grant_type == 1 not "Pell") | | Ignoring missing data codes | -1, -2, -3 in numeric columns are sentinel values, not real amounts | Filter or handle missing codes before aggregation; exclude negative values from sums/means | | Stale financial responsibility data | colleges_fsa_composite_scores only covers 2006-2016 | Check year coverage before analysis; do not assume current availability | | 90/10 percentage is a proportion | rev_pct_90_10 is stored as 0-1 (e.g., 0.87), NOT 0-100 | Multiply by 100 for display; compare to 0.90 threshold, not 90 | | Perkins Loan discontinuation | Perkins Loans ended after 2017; campus-based data still includes historical records | Filter by year or award_type to avoid mixing discontinued and active programs | | Data lag | FSA data typically lags 1-2 years behind the current award year | Verify latest available year before planning analysis | | Mixing aggregate and detail loan types | Loan type codes include both individual types (1-8, 10-13) and aggregate totals (3, 6, 9, 14) | Filter to specific types or aggregates, never sum both together | | Pell recipient counts unavailable for 2020+ | grant_recipients_unitid is 100% NULL for Pell grants (grant_type==1) in the 2020-2021 data year. Disbursement amounts also appear null | Use IPEDS SFA (sfa_grants_and_net_price) as a proxy for grant recipient counts. Note that SFA type_of_aid=9 captures all grant/scholarship aid, not Pell-specific (see IPEDS skill) |

Joining FSA Data with Other Sources

| Source 1 | Source 2 | Join Key | Use Case | |----------|----------|----------|----------| | FSA Grants | IPEDS Directory | unitid | Aid by institution type | | FSA Loans | IPEDS Enrollment | unitid | Loan volume per student | | FSA Financial Responsibility | IPEDS Finance | unitid | Financial health analysis | | FSA 90/10 | IPEDS Directory | unitid | For-profit compliance | | FSA | College Scorecard | unitid | Aid and student outcomes |

Common Research Applications

| Research Question | FSA Datasets | Complementary Data | |-------------------|-------------|-------------------| | Pell Grant distribution by institution type | fsa/colleges_fsa_grants | IPEDS Directory | | Student loan burden by sector | fsa/colleges_fsa_loans | IPEDS Enrollment | | Financial stability of for-profit schools | fsa/colleges_fsa_composite_scores, fsa/colleges_fsa_90_10_revenue_percentages | IPEDS Directory | | Campus-based aid allocation patterns | fsa/colleges_fsa_campus_based_volume | IPEDS Directory | | Title IV participation trends | fsa/colleges_fsa_grants, fsa/colleges_fsa_loans | Multiple years |

Data Update Schedule

• FSA data typically lags 1-2 years behind the current award year
• Financial responsibility scores published annually
• 90/10 percentages updated after institutional fiscal year audits
• Campus-based data tied to FISAP reporting cycle

Related Data Sources

| Source | Relationship | When to Use | |--------|--------------|-------------| | education-data-source-ipeds | Institutional characteristics and enrollment | Joining aid data with institution type, enrollment, or finances via unitid | | education-data-source-scorecard | Student outcomes after enrollment | Linking aid patterns to post-college earnings and repayment | | education-data-source-fsa | Self (cross-dataset joins) | Combining grants + loans + campus-based for holistic aid picture | | education-data-explorer | Parent discovery skill | Finding available FSA datasets and variables | | education-data-query | Data fetching | Downloading FSA data from mirrors via fetch_from_mirrors() |

Topic Index

| Topic | Reference File | |-------|---------------| | Pell Grant program | ./references/title-iv-programs.md | | Direct Loan program | ./references/title-iv-programs.md | | PLUS loans | ./references/title-iv-programs.md | | Federal Work-Study | ./references/title-iv-programs.md | | FSEOG grants | ./references/title-iv-programs.md | | Perkins Loans | ./references/title-iv-programs.md | | Composite score calculation | ./references/financial-responsibility.md | | Primary reserve ratio | ./references/financial-responsibility.md | | Equity ratio | ./references/financial-responsibility.md | | Net income ratio | ./references/financial-responsibility.md | | 90/10 rule requirements | ./references/90-10-rule.md | | For-profit revenue sources | ./references/90-10-rule.md | | Grant variables | ./references/variable-definitions.md | | Loan variables | ./references/variable-definitions.md | | Campus-based variables | ./references/variable-definitions.md | | Data coverage | ./references/data-quality.md | | Missing data handling | ./references/data-quality.md | | Year coverage by dataset | ./references/data-quality.md |