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A primary barrier to college access and college completion rates for students including minority, and low-income students are financial. There are several factors hindering access to higher education for students, including limited financial resources, and higher risk of accumulating debt. Owing to the significance of postsecondary education in addressing possible income inequality and access, financial aid availability and access is of paramount importance. This paper aims to study the effects of financial aid loans and assistance available to students of a mid-sized public university in Pennsylvania, to analyze whether such aid has a positive impact on student performance and access to higher education for this group.

Financial aid;gift aid; college debt