The National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) examined how the federal law was implemented and federal funds were distributed under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. This part of the study examined the federal role in supporting vocational education at the postsecondary level. It examines enrollments, course-taking, educational attainments, and labor market outcomes associated with postsecondary vocational education. It compares different groups of students at various types of institutions and considers the relationship between the act and other policies, both federal and state, that also finance postsecondary vocational education. The study found that postsecondary education is a growing enterprise that is central to the educational mission of less-than-baccalaureate institutions. There are 4.3 million vocational students at these schools. The major problem facing postsecondary vocational education is that many students do not stay in school long enough to receive in-depth training. For students who accumulate substantial amounts of vocational credits or complete programs, postsecondary vocational education pays off in economic terms. These findings strongly indicate the need to help students choose a field of study, complete the program, and find a related job. Perkins Act support of postsecondary education is low compared to state and local support. Federal policy in postsecondary vocational education should aim to improve rates of program completion and placement in related jobs, to provide special assistance to at-risk populations, and to improve the transition from secondary to postsecondary vocational education. (KC)