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

The Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences is seeking a contractor to conduct the 2027-28 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:28), a comprehensive cross-sectional research study on postsecondary education financing. The primary objectives include generating precise national financial aid estimates and collecting data on how students and their families finance postsecondary education through student surveys and administrative data collection from a nationally representative sample of undergraduate and graduate students. Key qualifications include the ability to meet all Performance Work Statement requirements, possession of an Authority to Operate a FIPS-Moderate computing environment, and the capability to manage a complex, multi-year research initiative. The Department will use a fixed-price contract model and will evaluate responses based on vendor capability statements addressing specific technical and operational requirements. The Request for Information (RFI) deadline is January 30, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, with responses limited to a 10-page PDF submission to Alyson.allman@ed.gov.

No set-aside designations apply to this procurement. The base contract performance period extends from February 2026 through February 2031, with optional tasks potentially extending to February 2036, providing a substantial 5-year primary commitment with possible 10-year total duration. The contract includes base tasks such as project management, technical review panels, the main NPSAS:28 study, and ad hoc information requests, along with optional tasks including additional NPSAS studies, state representative samples, administrative records matching, and longitudinal follow-up interviews for the Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) and Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) study cohorts at various post-graduation intervals. While specific budget information is not disclosed in the pre-solicitation notice, the fixed-price contract structure and the comprehensive scope of work spanning five years with potential extensions suggest a significant federally funded research initiative. Key deliverables will include data collection products, publication materials, data file products, and ongoing maintenance of study datasets to provide comprehensive insights into postsecondary student aid and educational experiences.