What problems are involved in the development and organization of data sources used in a research project on student aid? Problems faced are: (1) using data from sources that had combined information into different categories; (2) incomplete data on a topic; (3) the disparity in the numbers of students or dollars reported by different data sources; and (4) the formulation of categories. Data used are from dependent and independent students, veterans, Guaranteed Student Loan Program, Basic Educational Opportunity Grant Program. Discussion of these problems indicate the arbitrary decisions necessary in building a data base from existing sources of information. (Author/KE)