Direct Federal grants led to higher tuition and states to starve public universities.

(In the 2000’s)

The Fed dollars didn’t replace state funding (other than a small growth in the PELL amounts). Instead colleges raised tuition and found ways to cut cost or create revenue (more adjuncts, more OOS students, combine departments…)

Fed backed Student loans may have increased, due to the tuition increases, but I’m not sure how much that would have been.