n The proportion of students who said they drank beer as high school seniors dropped to a record low of 35.4 in 2011, down from 38.4 percent the year before, and those who indicated that they drank wine or liquor dropped from 43.3 percent in 2010 to 41.1 percent in 2011.
n Fewer incoming students stated that they are financing college through grants or scholarships, with percentage dropping from 73.4 in 2010 to 69.5 in 2011. Students also reported receiving less aid, with only 26.8 percent of students receiving $10,000 or more in grants or scholarships in 2011, compared to 29.2 percent in 2010.
“As students search for other ways to pay for college, it comes as no surprise that loan usage continues to surge,” the survey states.
In 2001, 5.6 percent of incoming freshmen said that they expected to use $10,000 or more in loans to cover the costs of their freshman year.
“By 2011,” the report states, “this figure had more than doubled, to 13.3 percent.”
