Abstract: American is the world powerful nation of higher education. The federal financial assistance has become the most important external development driving force of America modern university, and leads it to a healthy development. American federal government experience is worth researching and referencing. Based on the analysis of a large amount of financial data, using literature research method, historical research method and the paradigm of education ecology research, this paper that comprehensively summarizes the historical process of American federal government to implement financial aid for higher education. Research shows that, by the influence of the political, economic conditions, and the social development trend in different historical periods, American federal financial assistance form has experienced “society laissez-faire, administrative intervention strengthen, market-led decentralized” stages. Finally under the perfect legal protection, the federal financial assistance realizes the ecological morphology for the integration of government and market.

Key words: the Federal Government, Financial Assistance, Higher Education, Education Ecology