Claims have been made over the years that federal student aid is responsible for tuition increases. A letter from the President of the American Council on Education (ACE) to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions indicates that the concept has been rigorously explored and the full body of available research data does not support it.
The letter can be obtained at http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Documents/Letter-Senate-HELP-Committee-Affordability.pdf.