Sallie Mae has conducted "How America Pays for College" annually since 2008, providing information about the resources American families invest in an undergraduate college education. This study focuses particularly on the planning and payment behaviors in a given academic year. Now in its fifth year, the study allows tracking over time of changes in funding choices and amounts paid. "How America Pays for College" focuses on undergraduate students ages 18 to 24. Each survey year, half of the survey population is enrolled 18 to 24 year-old undergraduates and half is the parents of enrolled 18 to 24 year-old undergraduates. For details on methodology, please see the Technical Notes section. Questions about paying for college specifically reference the July 1-June 30 academic year ending in the year referenced. Thus the survey conducted in 2012 covers amounts paid in academic year 2011-2012; 2011 covers academic year 2010-2011 and so on. For year-over-year comparison purposes, the report references the survey year (e.g., 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008). (Contains 20 figures, 46 tables and 2 footnotes.) [For 2011 report, see ED540413.]