“Longer than I Would’ve Originally Liked and Originally Thought”: Postsecondary Debt and Marriage Plans for Young Adults Coming of Age in the Great Recession

While student loans play a large role in the financing of higher education, there has been relatively little qualitative work on how young adults understand their debt burdens and the debt’s perceived future impact. We examine this topic utilizing a sample of 105 young people from working-, middle-, and upper middle-class backgrounds who experienced young adulthood during the Great Recession. While most respondents are accepting of debt at the time of postsecondary enrollment, their inability to meet the demands of their debt leads to frustration and anxiety. Further, many respondents are concerned that this debt will impact their ability to support themselves and transition into the role of a marital partner, although this varies across social class backgrounds and debt levels. We argue that this debt, and its corresponding repercussions, are likely to contribute to the continued bifurcation of family life in the United States.

The Postsecondary Enrollment of African American Men: Perceptions of Environmental Variables

Higher education has made progress in the enrollment of under-represented minorities, yet very notably, African American men continue to enroll in college at very low rates. The current study explores the factors that lead to the college enrollment of African American men, using the lived experiences of 8 undergraduates at mid-western universities. The study findings are consistent with the emerging theory of Community Expectancy, suggesting that many informal factors play important roles in encouraging the academic performance and ultimately the college enrollment of African American men.

Impact of a Low-Cost Postsecondary Enrollment Intervention: Evidence from Louisiana

While it is well understood that postsecondary education increases lifetime earnings, the complexity of the college application process creates a barrier to postsecondary enrollment. This paper investigates a whole-school external application assistance program run by a nonprofit student support services organization, Career Compass of Louisiana. We employ panel data of Louisiana high schools in a difference-in-differences framework and find that exposure to Career Compass increases postsecondary enrollment by 3.9 percentage points. Moreover, the effect of exposure is larger in school districts with a majority of black students as well as districts with a majority of low-income students. By providing services to all schools within a district the program is able to achieve low costs relative to similar programs, and effects that are in line with many more expensive programs suggest that scaling this model to new areas could provide a cost-effective approach to increasing postsecondary enrollment among high school graduates.

Correlation Between Tolerance for Disagreement and Postsecondary Enrollment Among African American Men

The study explored the concept of disagreement within family and societal structures, hypothesizing that for certain individuals to dramatically break with family and social traditions, they must have a high level of disagreement. Using McCroskey’s Tolerance for Disagreement scale, the findings indicated that those African American men who were included in the study had significantly higher levels of Tolerance for Disagreement than African American men who did not pursue postsecondary education.

The Effect of Local Labor Market Downturns on Postsecondary Enrollment and Program Choice

We examine how workers invest in human capital following unanticipated local labor market downturns. We find that, on average, two-year college enrollment increases by three students within three years for every one hundred workers laid off. This rise in enrollment accounts for half the observed increase in labor force nonparticipation following mass layoffs. Completions in career-technical programs also increase, especially in short-term certificates, but vary by field of study. We find the effect on completions is strongest in fields of study with larger earnings returns.

Motivation and Postsecondary Enrollment Among High School Students Whose Parents Did Not Go to College

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between motivation in high school and postsecondary enrollment among 10th-grade students whose parents did not go to college. Specifically, this study (1) identified distinct groups of students’ self-reported reasons for attending schools among 10th graders, (2) examined whether these groups were differentially associated with indicators of college preparation and enrollment, and (3) investigated whether the time to postsecondary enrollment differed across groups. A latent class analysis was conducted to classify students into different motivation orientations. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, the current study found three distinct classes of school motivation, with different reasons for attending school. The largest class (53%) was characterized by high intrinsic, identified/introjected, and external motivations for attending school. Patterns of college preparation and enrollment outcomes varied across motivation orientations. Implications for school professionals and supporting programs are discussed.

Upstream and Downstream Impacts of College Merit-Based Financial Aid for Low-Income Students: Ser Pilo Paga in Colombia

How does financial aid affect postsecondary enrollment, college choice, and student composition? We present new evidence based on a large-scale program available to high-achieving, low-income students for attending high-quality colleges in Colombia. RD estimates show financial aid eligibility raised immediate enrollment by 56.5 to 86.5 percent, depending on the complier population. This rise, driven by matriculation at private, high-quality colleges, closed the SES enrollment gap among high achievers. Moreover, a DID approach suggests enrollment of aid-ineligible students also improved because college supply expanded in response to heightened demand. With ability stratification largely replacing SES stratification, diversity increased 46 percent at private, high-quality colleges. (JEL I22, I23, I24, I26, J24, O15)

Predicting Postsecondary Enrollment With Secondary Student Engagement Data

As the economic landscape changes, a college degree has become increasingly necessary for securing employment in an information-based society. Student engagement is an important factor in predicting and preventing high school dropout, and improving student outcomes. Although the relationship between secondary school engagement and high school completion is well supported in existing research, the relationship between secondary school engagement and postsecondary enrollment and persistence is unclear. In this study, we examined whether students’ engagement in high school predicts postsecondary matriculation and persistence in the first year after accounting for demographic and school-level variables. Results indicated secondary student engagement does predict postsecondary enrollment and persistence beyond academic and behavioral variables. Consistent with research among secondary students, the Future Goals and Aspirations Scale of the Student Engagement Instrument was the strongest engagement predictor. Results have implications for early warning systems and college retention efforts.