By Jonah Newman. In 2011-12, the 50 states and the District of Columbia spent a total of $6.8-billion on need-based grant aid for college students, according to the most recent report from the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs. That might sound like a lot, but it averages out to $482 per enrolled undergraduate student. That’s less than one-fifth of what the federal government spent on Pell Grants, the main program for needy students. More...