Sallie Mae, a US private student loan provider headquartered in Newark, Delaware, and Ipsos, a global market research and a consulting firm with worldwide headquarters in Paris, France, conducted a national survey of American undergraduate students and their families' attitudes towards college, how much they spent, and the sources they used to pay for it. Key findings: 

• Scholarships and grants cover more of the cost than family contributions
  • Average percentage of  total cost paid from each source
    • 34% - Scholarships and grants
    • 29% - parent income and savings
    • 13% - student borrowing
    • 12% - student income and savings
    • 7% - parent borrowing
    • 5% - relatives and friends
• 98% of students are taking steps to make college/university more affordable
  • 4 out of 5 students attending in-state institutions with lower costs
  • 1 out 3 are attending community college before moving on to a 4-year institution
  • 77% work part time
  • 62% cut down on personal spending
  • 49% are living at home
  • 27% are working toward earning their degrees faster
• Cost ranks third when choosing a college/university
  • 31% academic program
  • 31% personal choice
  • 27% financial consideration
• 90% of families expect their student to earn at least a bachelor's degree
  • 36% expect a bachelor's degree
  • 54% expect a graduate degree
  • 10% expect an associate's degree or certificate
• 2 out of 5 families created a plan to pay for college
  • Parents who plan save 3.5 times more than non-planners
  • Students who plan borrow 1/3 less than non-planners