This study is about the amount of need-based financial aid awarded to college students compared to their financial need. It involves a group of students who entered public higher education in Washington State in the first year after their high school graduation. They all received need-based financial aid in the first year of attending college. The students were followed for six years. They differed in the amounts of financial aid they received relative to their financial need. This study is an attempt to identify the key determinates as to why some students received more aid than others. Study highlights include: