As students pursue undergraduate degrees, many are challenged with paying for college. Costs include direct charges for tuition, fees, books, room and board, and meal plans, as well as indirect costs such as transportation, utilities, insurance, cell phone, internet, and more. Many students borrow loans to cover these costs, but their understanding of financial aid may not always be clear. Students come from varying backgrounds and their comprehension of financial aid can vary significantly. This can lead to uneducated borrowing of student loans and unintentional misuse of financial aid. The purpose of this study is to (1) discover how financial aid utilization differs by race/ethnicity, gender, age, and income status for undergraduate students at a Midwest regional comprehensive university; (2) identify what percentage of each demographical group borrows more than necessary; and (3) analyze how these demographical groups relate to the amount of excess loans students receive as refunds. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]