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:

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

# Example: Get codebook for FSA grants.
# get_codebook_url() is a Python helper; in R, construct the codebook URL from
# the mirror root in mirrors.yaml (codebooks are .xls files co-located with data).
# Mirror failover: see `education-data-query/references/fetch-patterns.md` (R pattern).
config <- yaml::read_yaml("mirrors.yaml")
mirror <- config$mirrors[[1]]
url <- paste0(mirror$root_url, "/", "fsa/codebook_colleges_fsa_grants", ".xls")

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

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))

library(arrow)
library(dplyr)

# fetch_from_mirrors() is a Python helper; in R, build the URL from the mirror
# root in mirrors.yaml, read directly, and filter years locally.
# Mirror failover: see `education-data-query/references/fetch-patterns.md` (R pattern).
config <- yaml::read_yaml("mirrors.yaml")
mirror <- config$mirrors[[1]]
# NOTE: illustrative only — mirror parquet files are Polars-written and may
# declare string_view columns, so a plain read can fail under R arrow
# ("cannot handle Array of type <utf8_view>"). Real fetch scripts must use the
# view-safe parquet read from `education-data-query/references/fetch-patterns.md`.
url <- paste0(mirror$root_url, "/", "fsa/colleges_fsa_grants", ".", mirror$format)
df_grants <- arrow::read_parquet(url) |>
  filter(year %in% c(2019, 2020, 2021))

# Filter by grant type (1 = Federal Pell Grant)
df_pell <- df_grants |> filter(grant_type == 1)

# Filter by institution
df_inst <- df_grants |> filter(unitid == 110635)

# Filter by year range
df_recent <- df_grants |> filter(between(year, 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