The 2015-16 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:16) is a data collection that is part of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) program; program data is available since 1989 at https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/getpubcats.asp?sid=013. NPSAS:16 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/npsas/about.asp) is a cross-sectional survey that is designed to compile a comprehensive research dataset based on student-level records, on financial aid provided by the federal government, the States, postsecondary institutions, employers, and private agencies, along with student demographic and enrollment data. The study was conducted using multiple sources, including institutional records, government databases, and student interviews. Students enrolled in a postsecondary institution were sampled. The data are representative of all undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional students enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that were eligible to participate in the federal financial aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act as amended. Key statistics produced from NPSAS:16 are reliable national estimates of characteristics related to financial aid for postsecondary students.