Summary: Some Members of Congress disapprove of allowing college students to use federal student financial aid to pay for remedial education--classes designed to raise students' proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics. These policymakers often believe that a large portion of financial aid is awarded to students enrolled in remedial education courses and that this aid finances remedial education courses. GAO surveyed 430 colleges offering remedial instruction and found that underclassmen who enrolled in these courses received a relatively small portion of financial aid dollars. Of all financial aid awarded to underclassmen at these schools, about 13 percent went to freshmen and sophomores enrolled in at least one remedial class. In addition, GAO calculated that no more than four percent of the financial aid granted to underclassmen could have paid for remedial classes. Consequently, it is unclear whether eliminating financial aid associated with remedial education would offer meaningful opportunities to reprogram federal student financial aid money.
