Education Commons^™

Get Skilled, Get A Job, Give Us More: An Early Review Of G3, Melissa R. Colangelo, Melanie Graham, Bhavika Sicka

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

If community colleges are to remain relevant, they must be future-oriented, and responsive to demographic and labor force shifts. The Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back initiative (G3) was implemented during the 2021-22 academic year to retain economically disadvantaged students, improve community college completion, and help students graduate into productive jobs with the ultimate goal of boosting Virginia’s economy. G3 is an attempt to make postsecondary education and workforce development systems in Virginia more capable and successful in preparing Virginians for available jobs. The aim of this policy review is to examine the current details of the …

“I Don’T Even Know What That Is”: Deprivation, Censorship, And Responsibility In Administering The Pell Grant In Prison, Erin L. Castro, Cydney Y. Caradonna, Mary R. Gould

Journal of Student Financial Aid

The violence of incarceration creates greater responsibility for higher education administrators in supporting students who are in prison. Using focus group data with incarcerated students and formerly incarcerated alumni who participated in or are actively participating in Second Chance Pell, we explore their perceptions and understandings of the Pell Grant and eligibility for the Pell Grant, including lifetime eligibility used limits. Through a lens of Witnessing, we argue that deprivation and censorship of information negatively influence students’ access to accurate and timely information about federal student aid and their ability to fully participate in the process. Accordingly, college and university …

The Impact Of Institutional Merit Aid On Student Enrollment And Persistence, Richard Scott Verzyl

Theses and Dissertations

Institutional merit-based financial aid awards are widely utilized by enrollment management practitioners to attract and retain students desired by the institution and to increase net tuition revenue. While much research has been conducted on federal need-based aid and statewide merit aid, relatively few studies have been conducted on merit aid awarded at the institutional level. This study sought to contribute to the literature by examining the effect of institutional merit aid on initial enrollment as well as student persistence at a large public research university located in the Southeastern United States. A quasi-experimental design was used to study two nearly …

Women With Student Loans: Relational Impacts On Self, Family, And Work, Annie Pocklington

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the relational impact that student loans have on the lives of women across Washington state, with specific attention to their parents, partners, children, and workplaces. This research utilizes Feminist Relational Work as a theoretical framework, which combines feminist theory and Zelizer’s notion of relational work to attend to the gendered dynamic that Zelizer’s relational work does not specifically name. Participants in this study named sexism as a constant in their lives, whether within family dynamics growing up, throughout the college going process, or in professional post-college spaces that a degree granted them access to. The …

Effect Of Financial Factors On The Postsecondary Participation And Choice For First-Generation Students, Deanna L. Pickney

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

As first-generation students make the decision to pursue postsecondary education and choose a specific college, they are currently met with the reality of rising tuition costs and a student loan debt crisis. First-generation students come often from low socio-economic backgrounds and their comprehension of the higher education financial system can vary significantly. This quantitative study uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 to examine the financial factors that contribute to first-generation students’ postsecondary education participation and choice by age 22. The guiding theoretical framework is Bourdieu's theory of capital that supports the notion that acquisition of college …

Selling Graduation: Higher Education And The Loaning Of Liberation, Annie Pocklington, Elizabeth J. Flanagan, Christopher Bodenheimer Knaus

Essays in Education

While the costs to attend college continue to rise exponentially, a bachelor’s degree is held up as required for economic stability within the U.S. and across the globe. With drastic disparities in earning potentials after graduation reduced by racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, and related structural disparities, the value of a degree continues to be questioned, especially for historically marginalized communities. As the loan industrial complex continues to profit off of students, President Biden has offered $10,000 in student loan relief for some borrowers, though this action has been blocked by federal courts and is currently on hold. Whether Biden’s …

Indebted To My Education: Examining College Graduates’ Perceptions Of Student Loan Repayment, Vincent D. Carales, Mauricio Molina

Journal of Student Financial Aid

In this paper, we examine college graduates’ perceptions of entering student loan repayment and how they navigated this process. Findings highlight the importance of helping students make informed borrowing decisions, particularly as they begin repaying their student loan debt. Policy makers wishing to hold institutions accountable for keeping college affordable while enhancing financial aid policy will gain further insight.

Financial Aid As A Predictor For Retention Of First-Year Black Male Community College Students, Malcom Jamar Morgan-Petty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractBlack male students are retained in higher education at less than half the rate of their Hispanic and White counterparts. At Southwestern Community College (SWCC, a pseudonym), there were indicators that the amount of financial aid received was related to retention; however, the extent of the relationship was unknown. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the amount of financial aid received and the retention of first-to-second-year Black male students at SWCC. Bean and Metzner’s model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition provided the theoretical foundation. The research question sought to clarify the extent …

Financial Aid As A Predictor For Retention Of First-Year Black Male Community College Students, Malcom Jamar Morgan-Petty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractBlack male students are retained in higher education at less than half the rate of their Hispanic and White counterparts. At Southwestern Community College (SWCC, a pseudonym), there were indicators that the amount of financial aid received was related to retention; however, the extent of the relationship was unknown. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the amount of financial aid received and the retention of first-to-second-year Black male students at SWCC. Bean and Metzner’s model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition provided the theoretical foundation. The research question sought to clarify the extent …

Navigating The Financial Aid Application Process: The Voices Of First-Generation College Students, Holly Kirkpatrick

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative case-study explored how the financial aid application process contributed to or detracted from the persistence of first-generation college (FGC) students. FGC students are the first in their families to attend college and make up one-third of college-going students each year (RTI International, 2019). FGC students use financial aid at a higher rate than their continuing generation peers, are less likely to have funding from outside sources, such as their parents (Martinez et al., 2009), are more likely to default on their student loans, and do not persist to graduation at the same rate as their non-FGC peers. Semi-structured …

Exploring Challenges Of Undocumented Students In Their Pursuit Of Post-Secondary Education, Yveline Gaspard Dulis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the mindsets and challenges faced by undocumented Latino students who are pursuing a post-secondary education. The study sought to explain the challenges of the DREAM Act and DACA and its challenges for approval in Congress. This study also sought to examine how undocumented students pursue a college education without financial assistance. Understanding immigration laws helped shape Americans’ perception of undocumented Latino students’ status, struggles, and financial hardships. Three leading factors that contribute to undocumented students’ persistence were analyzed in this study: financial assistance, academic issues, and legal issues. This study was conducted …

Scholarships For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Shelby Bates, Cate Weir

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Paying for college is hard. However, there are scholarships available for students with intellectual disability who want to go to college. This resource was created to help families and others locate scholarship money to help pay for college. There are scholarships listed that any student is eligible for, and many that are for students with specific disabilities. The information included in this document is up-to-date as of January 2023. The information will be reviewed and updated every year.

Financial Literacy Among Buffalo State College Undergraduate Students, Toni Martinucci

Public Administration Master’s Projects

Financial literacy can be complex and difficult for college students to comprehend. Many students struggle to afford college and are faced with large amounts of student loan debt. Financial awareness needs to be addressed early on for students to make informed decisions about college costs, student debt, and financial aid. However, financial aid applications, terms and conditions, and eligibility requirements are difficult for many students to comprehend on their own. The purpose of this study is to access financial literacy among undergraduate students at Buffalo State College. A quantitative approach is used in this study by implementing a web-based cross-sectional …

Predicting International Student Enrollment By Institutional Aid: A Random And Fixed Effects Approach, Daniel C. Posmik

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Since the fall semester of 2016, first-time international student enrollment (ISE_ft) has declined at U.S. colleges and universities. This trend disrupts a steady upwards trajectory of ISE_ft rates. Previous research has demonstrated that various political, social, and macroeconomic factors influence the number of international students studying in the U.S. Exploiting data from the Common Data Set (CDS), I focus on the role financial aid plays as an enrollment predictor for international undergraduate students. A fixed effects model reveals that financial aid is strongly and significantly predictive of ISE_ft, yielding a 1.8% enrollment increase per 10% …

Is The Early Promise Of Money Enough? Examining High School Students’ College Knowledge And Choice In A Promise Scholarship Program, Tangela Reavis

Journal of Student Financial Aid

This study is part of a randomized control trial examining the results of a promise scholarship program, the Degree Project (TDP). Half of the ninth graders in one Midwestern urban school district were notified about a $12,000 promise scholarship offer if they met certain GPA and attendance requirements (2.5 GPA and 90% attendance). This analysis draws on interview data to understand students’ financial knowledge over four years (grades 9-12). The study examined how treatment students (those who were offered the scholarship) and control students (those who were not offered the scholarship) explained and understood the methods they intended to use …

Fafsa And Beyond: How Advisers Manage Their Administrative Burden In The Financial Aid Process, Meredith S. Billings, Ashley B. Clayton, Rachel Worsham

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Access to financial aid is crucial in ensuring that students can afford college. Students must file the FAFSA to access federal financial aid and usually the FAFSA is also required for state and institutional aid (U.S. Department of Education, n.d). Prior research has shown, however, that the FAFSA is complicated and burdensome to complete and often acts as a barrier instead of an entry point to college (Bettinger et al., 2012; Bird & Castleman, 2016; Dynarski & Scott-Clayton, 2006, 2008; Dynarski et al., 2013). Given these barriers in accessing aid, some high schools employ college advisers or other school staff …

How To Win Dissertation Arguments And Influence Readers: Reflections On Conducting Focused Ethnographic Research Online, Saralyn Mckinnon-Crowley

The Qualitative Report

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a radical and rapid change in qualitative research. My planned in-person dissertation research shifted almost overnight to an online-only setting. Methodologically, I had to adapt my research quickly into an Internet-friendly format. I adapted focused ethnographic methods for use in online spaces in my research. Using vignettes and reflections on the dissertation experience, this essay offers a behind-the-curtain look at the work required to gain access to an online research site and tips for conducting online qualitative research.

Broadened Possibilities: Undocumented Community College Student Course Enrollment After The California Dream Act, Federick Ngo, Juanita K. Hinojosa

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

Some states have enacted inclusive policies that reduce constraints and uncertainty for undocumented students, potentially changing their academic decisions and postsecondary goals. We explore shifts in continuing undocumented community college students’ course-taking before and after the California DREAM Act, which provided access to state financial aid. We use difference-in-differences comparisons with permanent residents, refugees, and U.S. citizens who were unaffected by these policies to examine policy impacts. After its implementation, continuing students increased their enrollment intensity, primarily in degree-applicable and transferable courses, and decreased coursework in career/technical education. This suggests state financial aid may have broadened postsecondary possibilities and made …

Does The Timing Of Money Matter? A Case Study Of The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, Jessica Goldstein, Jonathan N. Mills, Albert Cheng, Collin E. Hitt

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

This paper examines the effect of a state-financed merit-aid scholarship—the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (ACS)—on post-secondary outcomes at a large university in Arkansas. Exploiting scholarship eligibility requirements, we implement a fuzzy regression discontinuity design to identify the scholarship’s causal impacts on college outcomes. The analysis focuses on currently enrolled sophomores, juniors, and seniors who receive the scholarship to investigate the broad impacts of receiving money at nontraditional points in an individual’s college trajectory. Findings indicate small, negative impacts of scholarship receipt on short-run outcomes such as GPA and credit accumulation, but large statistically significant declines in the likelihood of graduating …

The Lasting Effects Of The Pandemic On Graduate And Professional Education, Robert Kelchen

Journal of Student Financial Aid

The coronavirus pandemic caused a shift in the American higher education system. Many institutions switched from in-person to virtual platforms. Since graduate and professional students are more likely than undergraduate students to enroll in a hybrid or online program, they were less affected by the transition to online education. However, the decrease in undergraduate enrollment during the pandemic further squeezed institutional finances showing a decline in international graduate enrollment in the United States. As universities place additional scrutiny on program finances, departments will face pressure to reduce the number of assistantships that are not supported by external grants and contracts, …

Centering The Marginalized: The Impact Of The Pandemic On Online Student Retention, Joshua Travis Brown, Joseph M. Kush, Frederick A. Volk

Journal of Student Financial Aid

During the pandemic, much of the focus of administrators and scholars has been on its impact on residential students and the sudden shift to online instruction. While justified, researchers have yet to focus on online students—who often represent marginalized communities in higher education—to ask whether they were impacted by factors related to the pandemic other than the modality shift. In this study, we examined how the first-year retention of online students was affected during the pandemic, and whether it differed from first-year residential students who transitioned online. We examined records of two student cohorts (Fall 2017 and Fall 2019) from …

The Impacts Of Covid-19 On The Experiences Of Students With Basic Needs Insecurity: Evidence From A National Survey, Allyson Cornett, Carla Fletcher

Journal of Student Financial Aid

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected college students’ basic needs, financial security, academic success, caregiving responsibilities, mental health, and more, according to the Fall 2020 Student Financial Wellness Survey (SFWS) conducted by Trellis Company. Researchers surveyed 37,936 students at 62 two- and four-year colleges and universities from October to November 2020 and found 53 percent (n=20,095) indicated one or more forms of basic needs insecurity (BNI). This brief examines data from students with BNI with a special lens on their mental health, familial responsibilities and finances, employment, and financial security. These results highlight the disparate impacts of the pandemic among basic …

Economic Capital And Hispanic Economically Disadvantaged Student Persistence At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Griselda C. Castilla

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between college persistence and family income, parental education level, and type of financial aid for first-time, full-time Hispanic economically disadvantaged students selected from a South Texas Hispanic-serving institution. The dependent variable, college persistence, was measured by completed college credit hours per academic year. Predictor variables included family income, collected from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and parental education level, collected from the FAFSA for Parent 1 and Parent 2, as provided, indicating level of schooling received. Type of financial aid was the category of aid received, such …

Addressing First-Generation College Students’ Gap In Financial Literacy Through The First-Year Seminar, Mary G. Wright

Culminating Experience Projects

There is a gap in the financial literacy of first-generation college students. Research on first-generation college students and their unique barriers to financial resources, financial literacy, financial aid, and first-year seminars is reviewed. Research indicates that higher education funding, first-generation students’ intersecting identities, and the unique barriers related to their identities impact first-generation college students’ ability to succeed in higher education. A first-year seminar is proposed with financial literacy topics threaded throughout the entirety of the course and a financial literacy unit to address the gap in financial literacy. First-generation college students graduate at disproportionately low rates in comparison to …

Displaced Promises?: Examining The Impact Of Financial Aid Displacement, Sarah Haas

Reports and White Papers

This brief is one in a series aimed at providing higher education policymakers and advocates with an evidence base to address how to best serve students in light of the challenges facing higher education. This brief was authored by a University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate student in the M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration program as a course assignment for EDUC 674B: Higher Education Policy and was reviewed for accuracy by Professor Sade Bonilla.

Financial Aid Knowledge And Resources Among First-Generation College Students, Carmelitia J. Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFirst-generation, freshmen students struggle to complete the financial aid process at a 4-year private university in Louisiana, impacting their financial and academic well-being. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore first-generation, freshmen student perceptions of how they construct knowledge about the financial aid process and resources needed to help them complete the process. The conceptual framework of the study was comprised of Piaget’s theory of constructivism, which is grounded in the idea of learners constructing their own knowledge based on experience. The first research question addressed how first-generation, freshmen students constructed knowledge about the financial aid process. …

Paying For College: Exploring Funding Sources For An Inclusive Postsecondary Education Program, Cate Weir

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Any student preparing for college must have a plan to pay for college and students with intellectual disability (ID) are likely to use many of the same resources as other college students to pay for college. There are some resources specific to individuals with disabilities to consider, as well. Students are using numerous approaches to pay for college, often braiding together several different funding sources to cover the costs. This brief reviews some information about a variety of possible funding sources that students and their families can consider as they determine what will work for their specific situations:

• Federal financial …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Emergency Grant Persistence Rates, Rachel Sherlock

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

I conducted a correlational quantitative study to determine whether an emergency grant program at a four-year public institution is correlated with increased student persistence, and if students’ socioeconomic status and race are correlated with their likelihood to persist after receiving an emergency grant. I studied how students’ demographics influenced persistence rates based on race, socioeconomic status, gender, first-generation status, age and grade level. I found that Black or African students, students 24 years and older, and first-year students had significantly lower persistence rates than other categories of students after receiving the emergency grant. In comparison, white students, students 23 years …

Who Do College Students Turn To For Financial Aid And Student Loan Advice, And Is It Advice Worth Following?, Casandra E. Harper, Lisa Scheese, Enyu Zhou, Rajeev Darolia

Journal of Student Financial Aid

In this article, we examine the sources of information that college students turn to as they make decisions related to financial aid and student loans. Based on interview data from 25 undergraduate students from one public, four-year institution, our results reveal a great amount of variation in the number and nature of sources on which students rely. Across nearly all cases, students believed their access to assistance to be insufficient. This was true even for students with parents who attended college—commonly considered to be a high-quality source of support for students, when available—as students often found their advice outdated, confusing, …

Hidden Inequality: Financial Aid Information Available To College Students With Disabilities Attending Public Four-Year Institutions, Emily L. Perlow, Ryan S. Wells, Mujtaba Hedayet, Jenny Xia, Heather Maclean, Emily Ding, Angela Mccall

Journal of Student Financial Aid

College students with disabilities often encounter systems and processes that do not serve them well. Financial aid, structured in ways that can be particularly burdensome to students with disabilities, is one such system. This study used web-based content analysis of the largest public four-year institution in each state to explore how institutions explain and provide information and resources related to financial aid and whether they are equitable, consistent, and useful for students with disabilities specifically. The findings suggest that available information most often does not assist students in understanding how their disability-related needs can be supported or hindered by financial …