For the past 14 years, Sallie Mae's "How America Pays for College" report has surveyed college students and parents of undergraduate students about their attitudes toward higher education and how they are paying for it. The research examines families' attitudes toward the value of a college education, as well as their key considerations about what school to attend and how to pay for that education. "How America Pays for College" considers the range of financial resources families draw on--from federal financial aid programs to extended family support, and from college savings plans to credit cards--and evaluates trends in attitudes and payment resources over time. The annual study reflects the results of online interviews Ipsos conducted, in English, with: (1) 985 parents of children ages 18-24 enrolled as undergraduate students; and (2) 1,000 undergraduate students ages 18-24. The research was conducted between April 8 and May 4, 2021. Dollar and proportional amounts in this report are averages that reflect composite representations intended to illustrate how the "typical" family pays for college. The composite is a computed formula that spreads individual responses across all survey respondents. [For the 2020 report, see ED608915.]