2027-28 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:28)

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI is issued by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to conduct market research for the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2027-28 (NPSAS:28). The government is seeking to determine if sufficient interest and capability exist in the marketplace for this study. This is not a solicitation, and no reimbursement will be made for responses. The attached DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS) is subject to change and will be finalized with the solicitation.

• The contract will include a 60-month base period and optional tasks for an additional 60 months.

• The primary objective is to conduct NPSAS:28, a cross-sectional study collecting data on the costs of postsecondary education and how students/families pay for them, using a nationally representative sample.

• NPSAS:28 will involve a student survey and extracts from administrative data sources (Department of Education databases, postsecondary institutions, etc.).

• Optional tasks include:

  • Administrative data-only study (Optional Task 5)
  • Adding a state representative sample (Optional Task 6)
  • Matching administrative records for prior longitudinal cohorts (Optional Task 7)
  • Conducting follow-up B&B student interviews in years 4 and 10 after graduation (Optional Tasks 8 & 11)
  • Conducting follow-up BPS student interviews in years 3 and 6 (Optional Tasks 9 & 10)

• Interested parties must submit capability statements (max 10 pages, single-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font).

• Responses must include entity name, address, UEI, email, and website.

• Respondents must address whether the DRAFT PWS contains unduly restrictive language.

• Respondents MUST answer questions 7 through 10 to enable a capability determination.

• Responses are due via email to Alyson.allman@ed.gov no later than January 30, 2026, 12:00 PM Eastern Time.

• Question 9 specifically asks about business classification as a small business (NAICS code 541720) and any socioeconomic sub-factors (Woman-Owned, HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned, etc.).

• The PWS is a DRAFT and subject to change.

• The RFI aims to strengthen the proposed requirement and determine vendor capability.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This document outlines the Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the 2027-28 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:28) and associated longitudinal studies. The primary objective is to collect data on how students and their families finance postsecondary education, and to describe students' persistence, attainment, and workforce outcomes.

The PWS includes a base contract to conduct the NPSAS:28 study, which involves a student survey and extracts from administrative data sources. It also details several optional tasks, including:

• Conducting an administrative-only NPSAS study (NPSAS:30-AC).
• Adding state-representative samples to NPSAS:28.
• Matching administrative records for prior longitudinal cohorts.
• Conducting follow-up interviews for the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B) and the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS).

The base contract period of performance is February 2026 through February 2031. Optional tasks will extend this period as applicable.

Key requirements include adherence to NCES statistical standards, data confidentiality, and data security plans. The contractor must manage project tasks efficiently, maintain communication with the COR, and ensure quality control throughout all project phases. Deliverables must be submitted electronically and meet specific formatting and content requirements. Security screening for contractor personnel is also a critical requirement.