Three need-based student financial aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA)--Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program, the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, and the Federal Perkins Loan program--are collectively referred to as the "campus-based" programs. These programs are considered campus-based because federal funds are awarded directly to institutions of higher education (IHEs) that administer the programs and provide institutional funds to match the federal funds they receive for them. The campus-based programs are unique in that the mix and amount of aid awarded to students are determined according to institution-specific award criteria, rather than according to non-discretionary award criteria such as those applicable to Pell Grants and Direct Loans. The campus-based programs are among the oldest of the federal financial aid programs. As federal aid has largely transitioned to a system that allows for "portability" in receipt of student aid, meaning that most forms of aid are made available to students at whichever participating institution a student chooses to attend, the campus-based programs have come to play a relatively smaller role in the federal student aid effort. As lawmakers consider reauthorization of the HEA, several issues related to the campus-based programs may be considered. These include the extent to which the campus-based programs provide types of aid to students that are not provided via other postsecondary aid programs, whether the current formula for allocating funds to institutions is optimal, and the potential role of the campus-based aid programs in a redesigned federal aid system. This report begins with a brief discussion of the history of each of the campus-based programs and the formula used to allocate funds among IHEs participating in them. This is followed by a discussion of institutional and student participation in the programs relative to participation in other federal aid programs. The report concludes with a discussion of issues related to the campus-based programs that might garner attention as the 115th Congress considers reauthorization of the HEA. [For a more complete description of the campus-based programs and trends in participation, see "Campus-Based Student Financial Aid Programs Under the Higher Education Act," ED593484.]