How Low Income Undergraduates Financed Postsecondary Education:1992-93
Persistence and Attainment Among Low Income Students
A frequent concern is that low income students may be forced to drop out or interrupt their education for financial reasons. In fact, among undergraduates enrolling in postsecondary education for the first time in 1989-90 who were seeking a degree or certificate, low income students were more likely than other students to have not attained and not be enrolled in 1994 (44 percent compared with 36 percent) (table 17). Limiting consideration to students seeking a bachelor s degree, the relationship was the same (although bachelor s degree seekers overall were less likely to be no longer enrolled): 30 percent of low income students had not completed their degree and were no longer enrolled, compared with 24 percent of other students (table 18).
Table 17 Percentage distribution of 1989-90 first-time beginners seeking any degree according to enrollment status in 1994, by income group in 1989-90
Completed No longer
any degree Still enrolled enrolled
______________________________________________________
Total 49.7 12.9 37.5
Income group
Low income 46.6 9.9 43.5
Not low income 50.6 13.6 35.9
NOTE: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
Table 18 Percentage distribution of 1989-90 first-time beginners seeking a bachelor's degree according to enrollment status in 1994, by income group in 1989-90
Completed
bachelor's degree Still enrolled
_______________________ _______________ __________________
No With No With No Changed
inter- inter- Path inter- inter- longer degree
ruption ruption unknown ruption ruption enrolled objective
__________________________________________________________________________
Total 37.8 5.9 0.9 13.8 7.4 24.7 9.6
Income group
Low income 28.0 4.5 1.8 15.2 8.1 29.8 12.5
Not low income 39.3 6.1 0.8 13.6 7.3 23.7 9.3
NOTE: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
If low income students were more likely than other students to have to interrupt their studies for financial reasons, this should be most evident among students seeking bachelor s degrees, because they take longer to complete. However, both groups were about equally likely to have interrupted their enrollment and returned whether they completed their studies or were still enrolled in 1994.
Persistence is affected by a variety of factors other than income. This study s approach of controlling for group differences by crosstabulation has limitations with survey data: sample size limits the number of cells into which the data can be usefully subdivided, and there are complex interrelationships among variables that cannot be disentangled in tabular analyses.
To overcome these limitations, linear models are frequently used to examine several sets of variables simultaneously. One such model, linear regression, is used here to estimate these effects (adjusted means). The regression model takes into account the effect of all variables in the model simultaneously and thus controls for interrelationships among variables that can influence tabular findings. By estimating the joint effect of all variables taken together, regression models can be used to test individual parameters while holding constant the influence of other variables.
Of particular interest here is whether the pattern of greater likelihood of leaving without completing or reenrolling found among low income students is related to their low income status, or whether it is related to other characteristics associated with persistence that are more common among low income students. Table 19 shows the adjusted percentages of 1989-90 beginning postsecondary students seeking degrees who completed any degree by 1994 or were still enrolled, taking into account other student characteristics. The unadjusted means are included for comparison.
Low income was not a significant predictor of attaining any degree or being still enrolled in postsecondary education when other variables in the model were taken into consideration. Characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of attaining any degree or being still enrolled included being female, having parents with a bachelor s degree or higher (compared with high school or less), receiving parental contributions, and having taken out a loan in at least one year. Characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of attaining any degree or being still enrolled were being black, non-Hispanic (compared with white, non-Hispanic), enrolling part time to start, and borrowing from parents.
Table 19 Percentage of 1989-90 beginning postsecondary students who had either attained a degree or who were still enrolled as of spring 1994, and the adjusted percentage after taking into account the covariation of the variables listed in the table1
Unadjusted Adjusted WLS Standard
percent- percent- coeffi-
age2 age3 cient4 error5
__________________________________________________________________________
Total 64.0 64.0 0.510
Gender
Female 65.6 66.0* 0.042 0.017
Male 62.2 61.8
Race ethnicity
American Indian/
Alaskan Native - 74.7 0.109 0.089
Asian/Pacific Islander 74.1 71.6 0.078 0.044
Black, non-Hispanic 57.3 56.4* -0.073 0.036
Hispanic 64.3 71.0 0.072 0.042
White, non-Hispanic 64.2 63.7
Dependency status
Independent 47.9 62.2 -0.025 0.040
Dependent 69.6 64.7
Institution type
Private, not-for-profit
Less-than-2-year 79.9 87.6 0.210 0.120
2- to 3-year 60.3 56.6 -0.100 0.059
4-year 79.4 68.0 0.014 0.030
Private, for-profit
Less-than-2-year 68.8 72.7 0.061 0.048
2- to 3-year 56.4 57.6 -0.090 0.050
4-year 81.9 0.153 0.616
Public
Less-than-2-year 56.4 67.5 0.009 0.073
2- to 3-year 53.4 60.5 -0.061 0.034
4-year 73.3 66.6
Attendance status 1989 90
Part-time 44.0 55.3* -0.115 0.033
Full-time 70.7 66.8
Income group
Low income 58.2 61.9 -0.026 0.024
Not low income 65.7 64.5
Number of dependents in 1989 90
Dependents 48.1 65.5 0.017 0.040
No dependents 66.8 63.8
Delayed entry after high school
Delayed 47.3 62.3 -0.024 0.028
No delay 72.0 64.7
Parent's education
Some college, less than
bachelor's degree 65.3 63.2 0.038 0.021
Bachelor's degree 73.5 69.1* 0.097 0.021
Advanced degree 79.3 73.3* 0.139 0.026
High school or less 56.9 59.4
Table 19 Percentage of 1989-90 beginning postsecondary students who had either attained a degree or who were still enrolled as of spring 1994, and the adjusted percentage after taking into account the covariation of the variables listed in the table1 Continued
Unadjusted Adjusted WLS Standard
percent- percent- coeffi-
age2 age3 cient4 error5
__________________________________________________________________________
Financial contribution from parents in 1989-94
Received parent contributions 72.4 68.7* 0.146 0.028
No parent contributions 46.9 54.1
Loan from parents in 1989-94
Received loan from parents 69.4 60.3* -0.049 0.021
No loan from parents 66.2 65.2
Average hours worked/week while enrolled 1989-90
1-14 hours/week 78.6 69.1 0.049 0.028
15-24 hours/week 69.6 64.7 0.004 0.023
25 or more hours/week 58.1 62.7 -0.016 0.022
No work while enrolled 65.9 64.2
Student education loan 1989 94
Received education loan 76.0 72.7* 0.128 0.020
Did not receive education
loan 58.2 59.9
- Sample size was too small for a reliable estimate.
p <= .05, comparing to the reference group, indicated by .
| Not available for reference group.
1 The last group in each category is the reference group for comparison.
2 Estimates from BPS:90/94 Data Analysis System.
3 Percentages adjusted for differences associated with other variables in
the table (see appendix B for details).
4 Weighted least squares (WLS) coefficient (see appendix B for details).
5 Standard error of WLS coefficient, adjusted for design effect (see
appendix B for details).
NOTE: Total includes students with missing data on characteristics shown in the detail. Therefore, the percentage for all students may be higher or lower than any of the percentages shown in the detail.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study Second Follow-up (BPS:90/94), Data Analysis System.
[Sources of Support Other Than Financial Aid]
[Summary and Conclusion]