A quality education is the primary instrument of social and economic mobility in the United States. As open-access institutions, community colleges are the gateway to postsecondary education for millions of Americans. Many of these students would be unable to afford college without federal resources, such as student financial aid and tax credits.…

The ways middle-income families pay for college are examined, based on a national survey of student aid recipients, especially traditional undergraduate dependent students. Information is provided on the mix between loans, grants, work, and family contribution, as well as the relationship between federal, state, and college-sponsored aid. Examples…