The Impact of Financial Aid on College Enrollment: An Analysis of the Higher Education System.

8/22/2019 The Impact of Financial Aid on College Enrollment: An Analysis of the Higher Education System.

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The Impact of Financial Aid Availability on College Enrollment: An Analysis

of the Higher Education System.

Dr. Laura Ullrich and Christina Gossweiler


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Table of ContentsAbstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Section I: Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4

Section II: Background ................................................................................................................................. 5

2.1 Surging Tuition Costs ......................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 Financial Aid ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Section III: Analyzing Growth ...................................................................................................................... 8

3.1 Rate of Growth .................................................................................................................................... 9

3.2 Absolute Size ...................................................................................................................................... 9

3.3 Proportion of Relevant Age Grade.................................................................................................... 11

3.4 Transition from Privilege to Right .................................................................................................... 12

Section IV: Too Big to Fail, or Not? ........................................................................................................... 12

4.1 Higher Education Bubble .................................................................................................................. 13

4.2 Student Loans.................................................................................................................................... 14

Section V: Data ........................................................................................................................................... 16

Section VI: Results and Data Analysis ....................................................................................................... 18

Section VII: Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 20


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Abstract

Over the past half-century, higher education has undergone a steady transition from privilege to

right; today, earning a post-secondary degree is seen as more of an obligation. Receiving at least

an undergraduate degree from a post-secondary institution is now considered essential in

achieving future success. Unfortunately, the increased demand for higher education has created

a spike in the cost of tuition and fees for post-secondary institutions; this increase in cost leads to

an increased need for financial assistance. Financial assistance in higher education is split into

two categories: need-based and merit based. Unfortunately, with the increase in student

enrollment, surging tuition costs,and decreased support from state funds, many students enrolled

in post-secondary institutions find themselves without either type of financial aid and instead

with growing debt from student loans. The purpose of this study is provide an understanding of

how higher education has changed over the past half-century, what issues have arisen from these

changes, and what problems exist on the horizon. Furthermore, an interpretation of data

gathered from surveying Winthrop University students will provide a basis for understanding the

motivations and opinions of the average student currently working toward earning a four-year

degree.


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Section I: Introduction

It is universally known and accepted that the attainment of higher education is positively

correlated with monetary success. Over the past few decades, the structure of wages has

reflected a substantially higher wage differential for those holding degrees from post-secondary

institutions. In light of this truth, an immeasurable amount has been spent on the construction of

universities, colleges, and institutes of technology in an attempt to achieve the most efficient,

effective, and desirable systems worldwide. Higher education institutions continually focus on

making enhancements to maintain a competitive status on the post-secondary level. With the

association of success serving as the primary motivation, the demand for a degree from a post-

secondary institution has been ever-increasing. Unfortunately, as the demand for a degree from a

post-secondary institution increases, so do the costs associated with attaining such a degree.

The surging costs associated with attaining a degree from a post-secondary intuition have

become an increasing cause for concern. Universities and colleges alike are faced with the

challenge of determining the most effective way to spend tax revenues as a way to attract

students that will produce promising levels of productivity. In reference to merit and need-based

aid, pinpointing the appropriate response as a way to induce educational improvement has been a

controversial topic of discussion in U.S. higher education for many years. Different types of

student aid yield diverse responses. In recent years, as economic conditions have worsened and

college tuition has increased, financial aid has become as important as being accepted into a

college. Tuition has become so expensive that most cannot afford to attend a secondary

institution without some tuition assistance; not to mention the other added costs of books, living,

and course fees. Increased awareness of the rise in costs associated with pursuing higher

education has produced a dire need for higher education reform.


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As the demand for financial assistance rises, and the cost of tuition surges, consumers are

starting to wonder whether the ridiculously priced commodity is worth the investment. Over the

past 25 years, the average cost of tuition has risen aunbelievable 440 percent. Not only is college

becoming nearly impossible to pursue without financial assistance, but many consumers are

starting to wonder if higher education could be the next market on the verge of collapse.

Section II: Background

2.1 Surging Tuition Costs

In recent years the costs associated with attending a post-secondary education have

skyrocketed. As tuition rates continue to rise at an ever-increasing rate, middle class incomes and

financial aid assistance have failed to keep up. Increased tuition costs have made attaining a

degree from such an institution nearly impossible for most middle class families to achieve

without some form of student aid. The increasing disparity between tuition costs and the inability

of middle class households to keep up with the rising costs has attracted an enormous amount of

attention from public sector universities and the government alike. As worries concerning the

post-secondary dilemma continue to attract public attention, increased efforts to remedy the

class disparity and promote future higher education reform have been deemed necessary.

Increasing tuition costs are a direct result of the change in scale and structural shape of

modern higher education systems. It has been increasingly difficult to maintain a balanced

relationship between college tuition prices, financial aid availability, and the decisions that

potential students make about enrolling in college (Heller). Traditionally debt from loans

acquired through the pursuit of higher education is not awarded the same stigma as other types of

debt. The reason being, debt incurred during the advancement of education is thought to have

long-term payouts. Historically, college graduates have a much lower unemployment rate than


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students whom discontinued schooling after high school. In addition, college graduates are

estimated to accumulate $1 million more throughout the duration of their lifetime; however, the

idea that too much of good thing can actually be bad is starting to catch on.

According to CNN Money journalist Annalyn Censky, two-thirds of students graduating

with four-year degrees recently did so with loans hanging over their heads, and their average bill

comes in at a whopping $23, 186. This accumulation of debt has prompted middle class

families to search for alternate means. One such alternative has been to opt for only a two-year

degree. Unfortunately, many of these students are capable, and perhaps more worthy than others

in four-year institutions, of pursuing a four-year degree. Although the number of middle-income

students enrolled in four-year colleges has declined; this can be attributed majorly to the fact that

these families lack the funds to pursue more education; the number of middle-income students

enrolled in two-year colleges has actually risen over the last decade and still continues to rise

(Censky).

2.2 Financial AidTwo students apply for student aid; the first is a high-achieving student possessing the

financial means to pursue secondary education without needing assistance from an outside

source and the second is a student lacking the financial means to pursue secondary education

without the assistance of aid or loans. However, the second student has only achieved mediocre

standards from an academic perspective. The question stands: which of these students is more

deserving of the reward of student aid? How can we determine which way to reward is more

efficient, and what are the effects of rewarding based on need as opposed to merit?

Need-based aid is aid granted to students based on financial need and may not depend at

all on factors such as grade point average, test scores, athletic talent, or any other excelled


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ability. Need-based aid focuses on those who may otherwise be unable to attend a secondary

institution without outside financial assistance. Merit-based aid is awarded to students based on

academic, artistic, athletic, or any other type of talent or merit a student may possess. Merit-

based aid generally does not incorporate a students income or financial ability into the awarding

process; it is solely based on talent and achievement.

Different theories provide arguments for different types of aid. The assumption that

merit-based aid is more effective and more ethical dates back to the times of Aristotle and Kant.

This research suggests that awarding merit-based scholarships will increase the velocity of

intellectual progression and yield more promising results. Moreover, awarding students with

promising talent and enabling them to attend secondary institutions with further ease, will yield

higher outcomes and contribute more to the overall benefit of society.

The opposing view would argue in favor of the benefits that follow awarding aid based

on need. Need-based aid allows students coming from lower income families the opportunity to

advance their social and economic status by attending a secondary institution and bettering their

academic standing. As mentioned before, need-based aid does not recognize academic or

athletic excellence, but instead recognizes a lack in substantial funds to send one to college.

Supporters in favor of need-based aid argue that it is necessary because it provides opportunity to

those unable to provide opportunity for themselves.

Recent findings suggest that need-based aid is losing its appeal among competitive

universities. The most recognized difficulty with offering need-based aid is that it deters

exceptional students from attending prestigious universities. Potential students find the costs

associated with attending such universities to be too high, and the amount of financial aid offered


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based on merit leaving much to be desired. Even students coming from relatively high income

families are left unable to afford the tuition and associated costs so they instead choose to attend

universities offering more aid or lower tuition. As a result, highly competitive universities may

be losing some of the best and brightest students. Currently merit-based aid is frequently used as

a lure tactic. As a result, smaller universities and institutions able to offer merit-based aid are

recruiting students with higher aptitudes that would have otherwise gone to more prominent

universities.

The efficiencies of university and federally-finance student aid are becoming more hotly

debated as the funds provided for higher education have dwindled in the past few years. As

states, and the federal government, move out of the great recession of 2007-2010, they are

beginning to question more readily how they spend their precious tax revenues and which

programs are worthy of increased funding.

Section III: Analyzing Growth

As the number of individuals pursuing higher education continues to rise at an ever-

increasing rate, so do the obstacles for the educational systems and societies responsible for

facilitating that pursuit. This increased demand for higher education serves as the fundamental

problem in the current struggle to keep the attainment of higher education possible.

Problems associated with rapid growth and expansion arise in nearly every part of higher

education. This type of growth is fundamentally described as the historical transition from elite

to mass higher education to universal education. This mass higher education has essentially

granted universal access to any person or persons wishing to advance their academic expertise in

a higher education institution. Unfortunately, the availability of mass higher education has


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created a pattern of development that has led to rapid growth and expansion. This growth has

created a surfeit of difficulties for everyone involved.

The characteristics of growth can essentially be broken down into three separate

categories: (1) rate of growth, (2) absolute size, and (3) proportion of relevant age grade. Each

of these underlying concerns has contributed to a new set of issues requiring attention by policy

makers focused on higher education reform.

3.1 Rate of Growth

The rate of growth of students wishing to pursue higher education poses the threat of

overwhelming the educational system. Higher growth rates create problems for all facets of

higher educational attainment; for example, in a university where a large proportion of the total

student population is made up of new students, the current system is overwhelmed and unable to

maintain the preexisting academic environment. The reason being there exists too much of a

disparity in the ratio of new students to current students. This disparity obstructs the ability of

the faculty to maintain standards and the ability of the current students to uphold the norms of

academic life. As this trend of a disproportionate amount of new students continues, the

longstanding standards and norms begin to falter and fade until they no longer exist in many

academic environments. It has been seen, despite the constant efforts by universities to maintain

a certain level of education offered, many are unable to hold to their academic standard s and

have experienced a gradual deflation in the quality of education provided by their institution.

3.2 Absolute Size

The consequences associated with an ever-increasing growth rate extend far beyond the

loss of standards and social norms. With the student population in higher education institutions

increasing, students are becoming less and less able to form relationships with their faculty.


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Without the formation of relationships with faculty, students lose the advantage of learning

directly from a mentor or creating a close academic relationship with a member of the faculty.

Instead, students are exposed and thereby forced to socialize primarily with other students in

their academic environment. This type of socialization has a dramatically negative effect on the

intellectual and academic development of students in higher education institutions. Perhaps it is

true that increasing the number of students increases the chance for brilliant minds to discover

groundbreaking innovations; however, the loss of standards, norms, and processes by which

teachers and students are taught to function within an academic environment are arguably not

worth the sacrifice.

Absolute size develops on the aforementioned problems created by the patterns formed

from an ever-increasing growth rate. In the past two decades every advanced nation in the world

has experienced substantial growth in the number of students participating in nearly all

disciplines. In addition, these institutions have doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled in size. This

increase in size poses a great threat for teachers and faculty working within those disciplines.

Despite the rapid growth in numbers, professors are expected to manage the change and maintain

responsibility for students within their discipline. Unfortunately, the increased demand for their

time hinders their focus on academic research, study, and creative innovation. An increase in

student population induces a need for faculty increases. Though the student-faculty ratio has

been maintained thus far, this still leads to other problems. An increase in any population means

an increase in the level of activity and pace of the community. Professors are spending more

time consulting on other professors works, attending conferences, referring papers to multiple

journals, and baring the burden of administrative hardships associated with a large institution;

this leaves them with very little uninterrupted time to focus on scholarly work and research. The


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end result is a weakened academic community that educates students below traditional academic

norms and standards.

3.3 Proportion of Relevant Age Grade

Growth is again manifested in the ever-growing proportion of students enrolled in

institutions of higher education from a particular age grade. Post-World War II approximately 5

percent of the relevant age grade was enrolled in a higher education institution. Twenty years

later that percent fell between 10 and 20. Today approximately 25 percent of Americans

between the ages of 18 and 21 are enrolled in higher education institutions. Though the age at

which students generally enroll in college has remained the same, the other demographics of

these proportions have changed considerably over time. Today students enrolled in higher

education institutions come from a variety of different religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic

backgrounds. Nearly four decades ago one of the greatest focus issues of higher education

institutions was enrollment discrimination based on social class; the same issue, however now in

reference to a different social class, has become an increasing problem now again decades later.

Nearly half a century ago, access to higher education was absolutely limited to those who could

afford to attend. The initial expansion and growth of higher education enabled upper and middle

classes to attend while keeping the working class separate. This became a political issue and

raised democratic and egalitarian concerns. As the pursuit of higher education goes hand in hand

with monetary success, higher education institutions were pressured into reducing the

discrepancy in group rates of enrollment. This pressure catalyzed the end of intellectually elite

institutions admitting only the socially and economically elite and laid the foundation for need-

based aid becoming a substantial competitor in the fight for public expenditures (Trow). I will

return to this concept later but the issue to remember is this: despite the history of the students


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enrolled or reduction in social class education disparity, the increase in the number of students

pursuing a degree from an institution of higher learning means a lower percentage of the

population is learning the trade skills needed to fill jobs that are open (Censky).

3.4 Transition from Privilege to Right

The rising growth rate and rate of enrollment per age group bred another cause for

concern. As more and more students from a particular age group began enrolling in higher

education institutions, the meaning of higher education institutions changed. When higher

education is made available and even encouraged to every economic and social class, students

begin to feel a sense of entitlement. The pursuit of a higher education degree then no longer is

seen as a privilege but more of a right or obligation to students having received their high school

diploma. As the traditional definition of higher education fades with each generation, so does

the quality of education received, and thus the transition of higher education continues.

Section IV: Too Big to Fail, or Not?

In recent years the amount of students opting to pursue a two-year degree has risen while

the amount choosing to pursue a four-year degree right out of high school has declined. The

reason: insufficient funds and accumulating debt.

The American public is all too familiar with the term bubble. In 1974 gold was priced

at around $100 an ounce. By 1980 the price of gold had shot up to around $850 an ounce and

then collapsed for the next 25 years. Later, in 2000, the dot-com bubble burst after the internet

boom. More recently, in 2007, the housing bubble burst which triggered a credit meltdown and

then took the stock market down with it. Now, with tuition fees and room and board at countless

higher education institutions adding up to nearly $50,000 a year, consumers are beginning to

wonder if higher education will be the next bubble to burst.


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4.1 Higher Education Bubble

Over the past 25 years, average college tuition and fees have risen by more than four

times the rate of inflation (Cronin). As a series of unfortunate events has reduced the amount of

private student-loans available, those who rely on taking out loans, namely the middle class, are

now have more difficulty doing so. There are a number of other factors that have made the

pursuit of higher education difficult for consumers and contributed to the idea that higher

education will be the next bubble to burst. Endowments, which allow colleges to give generous

tuition discounts, decreased dramatically directly following the housing market collapse.

Furthermore, when the housing bubble burst, the rapid decline in home value took away the

ability of families to rely on home-equity loans to finance college (Gentile). As it happens, even

when the value exists in a home, consumers tend to be more risk averse and refuse to rely on

home-equity loans fearing they still lack job security. These discouraging circumstances

produced the need to ask: is a college degree worth spending thousands of dollars to receive, or

is higher education overpriced, overvalued and heading for collapse? According to Peter Thiel,

PayPal co-founder, venture capitalist, and member of Facebooks board of directors: higher

education in America bears the same markings as the technology and housing bubbles that

preceded it: unbridled investment, wildly overvalued assets, and a lower rate of return than in

years past. Like all economic bubbles. higher education is destined for disaster (Infographic).

The unfortunate truth is college has been, and continues to be, getting more expensive

while the availability of jobs for students post-graduation has been in steady decline. Economic

bubbles are essentially formed when the price of an investment continues to rise beyond its real

value; in the case of higher education, the cost of tuition is rising, but the return on a four-year

degree is going down. With college becoming more and more expensive, student debt


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accumulating at an astonishing rate, and graduates left unable to find job to pay off their debts,

one could easily argue the higher education system is facing the same difficulties that caused the

housing bubble to burst (Infographic).

Uncertainty may result from the argument supporting the higher education bubble, but at

least one thing we know is true: prospective students are facing a catch -22. With the decrease

in availability of financial, students are forced to choose between temporarily opting out of a

four-year degree or taking out student loans; but with the relatively recent collapse of the

housing market and uncertainty of the stock market, it is no wonder students wish to avoid the

current job climate by pursing a college degree. Perhaps a suggested middle-ground, enrollment

in community colleges and some public institutions has increased by as much as 40 percent in

recent years, and community college enrollment is expected to continue to grow significantly as

a result of cheap tuitions costs and the ability of students to live at home while attending

(Cronin). The cost of tuition for a four-year degree has a lot of consumers rethinking their

motives. This poses a new question: is higher education really not worth the risk, or is the cost

of a four-year degree not worth the risk?

4.2 Student Loans

In the case of the higher education bubble, the root of the issue can be traced to the need

for student loans. It is true that college may not be right for everyone; unfortunately, as

mentioned earlier, the attitude concerning higher education has undergone such a transition that

students now believe higher education is no longer a privilege but a right, and now, an

obligation. In the last year alone, the amount borrowed in federal student loans by U.S. college

students to pay tuition, fees, and room and board costs has reached an incredible $117 billion.

Robert Reich, public policy professor at University of California-Berkeley and Labor Secretary


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during the Clinton administration, said during an interview with The Daily Ticker: With more

than $1 trillion worth of student debt outstanding, a huge credit pile of debt, I can only hope this

isnt another bubble, but it certainly could be. A lot of students and their families understand a

four-year degree is necessary in order to have a chance in this new economy. It used to be that

with a four-degree a person would earn 70 to 100 percent more than someone with just a high

school diploma--so it paid those debts off. But now, graduates especially, are facing dim

unemployment prospects and it is going to become harder and harder for students to repay their

debts (Korn).

During his State of the Union address this past January, President Obama stated: It

(higher education) is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to

afford. As states continue to cut funding and shift the burden of education costs to students and

their families, the responsibility of funding college inevitably creates a greater strain on student

and family budgets (Gentile). Students have then shifted the responsibility of holding this

burden to the federal government by seeking out additional scholarship aid to help pay for

surging tuition costs. According to Robert Reich, these trends are likely to continue into the

foreseeable future.

Recent data suggests it is still almost a prerequisite to earn a four-year degree if you want

to do well in this economy. In addition, college graduates still statistically earn at least 70

percent more over their lifetime than people with only a high school diploma. Reich emphasizes,

however, his belief that it is absurd to think all young people need a four-year degree in order to

get a decent job. As mentioned earlier, the increase in the number of students pursuing a degree

from an institution of higher learning means a lower percentage of the population is learning the

trade skills needed to fill jobs that are open (Trow). Furthermore, all factors mentioned up to this


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point surrounding higher education have contributed to the severe lack of people willing to

pursue the technical training needed to fill blue collar jobs and skilled trade positions in the

United States. Other countries like Germany, for example, have a sophisticated set of programs

in place that provide citizens with the technical training necessary to fill skilled trade positions.

These workers make, on average, as much money as German citizens with a four-year degree,

and there is no stigma attached to choosing to pursue technical training over a four-year degree

(Korn). Unfortunately, in the United States, the belief that a four-year degree is necessary to

achieve success is a heavy burden that has majorly contributed to the student loan crisis.

When asked what the education industry could do to alleviate some of the burden, Reich

responded: I believe there is going to be a greater emphasis on online learning. Private and

public institutions alike have started offering a number of classes online. These classes are far

less expensive and give students the ability to take tests and receive certification to prove they

have learned the material (Korn). Despite their positive effect on student budgets, online classes

will not fully eliminate the problems presented by student loans.

Section V: Data

Using various statistical methods accompanied by an econometric model specified to

accommodate cross-sectional data, I have obtained data with the ability to explicate the impact of

financial aid availability on student enrollment decisions. Statistical data for this analysis was

collected from a 13 question survey conducted using 150 Winthrop University students.

Winthrop University students act as the sample population for data observation in this

examination. Data results from this survey were coded and used in the choice regression model.


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The 13 question survey focused on why students chose Winthrop University, what their

financial situations were prior to enrollment, what they are now, what financial aid needs they

have, the impact of the availability of scholarships on their post-secondary education enrollment

decision, and whether or not they currently receive financial aid. Several demographic questions

including: number of American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian Pacific Islander, African

American, Hispanic and Caucasian students, gender, employment status, estimated household

income, and class year, were also asked in this survey. Proper analysis of this survey data can

provide insight into college students opinions concerning aid systems across U.S. colleges and

universities.

The following independent variables have been incorporated into the data analysis:

effects of aid packages on students decisions, the availability of scholarships, the absence of

scholarships, student employment status, total household income, current financial aid status,

student race, and student gender. Certain independent variables may be omitted to measure the

extent of the impacts on the dependent variable of others. Independent variables are subject to

change throughout manipulation of the regression model.

The dependent variable used in this experiment is labeledBigFactorFa and symbolizes

financial aid as the single biggest factor in students decision to attend Winthrop University over

other colleges. When asked on the original survey, options for biggest factor included:

geographic location, availability of financial aid, availability of desired major, attractiveness of

campus, pressure from family/friends, and number of students enrolled. However, I have coded

the data and created the new variableBigFactorFa to yield significance only in the case ofavailability of financial aid.


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Because of the use of cross-sectional data in this analysis, we need a regression that will

be able to evaluate many subjects (students) over the same period of time. I used the results of

this 13 question survey to test the impact of financial aid on current students decision to earn

their undergraduate degrees at Winthrop University as opposed to an alternative post-secondary

institution. Note that we cannot declare with certainty the impact of financial aid on students

decision to enroll at Winthrop University; we can only describe the current proportion based on

our findings.

Section VI: Results and Data Analysis

Table I: Regression Results

variable dy/dx Standard Error z P>z [95% Confidence Interval] X

income -0.0133648 0.01701 -0.79 0.432 -0.046705 0.019975 3.112

black -551489 0.03666 -1.5 0.132 -0.127001 0.016703 0.304

other -0.0014698 0.06149 -0.02 0.981 -0.121983 0.119043 0.056

schol 0.2596292 0.0713 3.64 0 0.119885 0.399373 0.4

currecaid 0.0264557 0.05158 0.51 0.608 -0.07463 0.127541 0.824

employ -0.0215074 0.03894 -0.55 0.581 -0.097828 0.054813 0.4

gender -0.0279469 0.04018 -0.7 0.487 -0.106708 0.050814 0.2

Table I shows the results after the following probit regression was run through STATA:

probit bigfactorfa income black other schol currrecaid employ gender

Leaving the data in this form makes it rather difficult to comprehend. Therefore, to make

the data easier to interpret, I ran the marginal effects command on the original probit regression

used to create Table I. Commanding STATA to yield the marginal effects of the probit

regression enables the regression coefficients to take derivative form. In other words, a marginal


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effects interpretation shows how a percent change in one of the coefficients leads to a related

change in probability of the binary dependent variables; in this case the binary dependent

variable becomes one, confirming that financial aid was the biggest factor in choosing Winthrop

University.

Table II shows the results after testing for marginal effects:

Table II: Marginal Effects

bigfactorfa Coefficient Standard Error z P>z 95% Confidence Interval

income -0.126922 0.1586428 -0.8 0.424 -0.4378562 0.1840123

black -0.623438 0.4267403 -1.46 0.144 -1.459834 0.2129577

other -0.0141014 0.5962848 -0.02 0.981 -1.182798 1.154595

schol 1.699065 0.4621888 3.68 0 0.7931913 2.604938

currrecaid 0.2925364 0.6842734 0.43 0.669 -1.048615 1.633688

employ -0.2107705 0.3956606 -0.53 0.594 -0.986251 0.56471

gender -0.3074577 0.5114856 -0.6 0.548 -1.309951 0.6950356

_cons -1.821761 0.9076091 -2.01 0.045 -3.600642 -0.0428801

We interpret the variables using coefficients and standard errors as shown in Table III:

Table III: Probit Results

Dependent Variable:bigfactorfa

Independent Variables Coefficient Standard Error

INCOME-total household income -0.0134 -0.017

BLACK -0.0551 -0.0367

OTHER -0.00147 -0.0615

SCHOL-availability of scholarships 0.260*** -0.0713

CURRECAID-current aid status 0.0265 -0.0516

EMPLOY-current employment status -0.0215 -0.0389

GENDER -0.0279 -0.0402

N=125 ***Indicates Significance at the 1% level


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According to the data listed in Table III, students who based their college enrollment

decision on the availability of scholarships are 26% more likely to say that financial aid was the

biggest factor in choosing to attend Winthrop University over other universities. Though none of

the other independent variables yielded significance at the 1, 5, or 10 percent level, this does not

mean that these results are unimportant. The income variable yielding insignificant results, for

example, indicates students were no more or less likely to have made their decision to attend

Winthrop University based on the availability of financial aid.

Section VII: Conclusion

Post-secondary education reform is by no means an easy feat. As it stands, increasing

access to post-secondary institutions through public policy reform is at the top of the political to-

do list. Ever-increasing enrollment rates, insufficient funds to satisfy current students financial

needs, and surging tuition costs are hardly new concepts for policymakers and higher education

leaders. The amount of time it would take to reform and redirect the mindset of concerning

earning a four-year degree, alone, is unforeseeable. Fortunately, data analyses such as the one

performed in this paper serve as reasons to catalyze reform in hopes that the direction in which

higher education systems are heading will change. It is not yet certain which changes to the

current higher education system would prove most effective, but one thing is for certain: if

tuition rates continue to rise at unprecedented rates while taxpayer dollars fail to be replenished,

there is no telling how long the higher education system in the United States will be able to

sustain itself in the future. Furthermore, with the ever-increasing pressure on secondary

education graduates to pursue post-secondary education at any expense, policymakers are going

to have to develop a way to remedy the lack of financial aid funds if they wish to avoid a student

loan default disaster.


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Censky, Annalyn. "Rising College Costs Price out Middle Class." CNNMoney. Cable News

Network, 13 June 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.

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The Impact of Financial Aid on College Enrollment: An Analysis of the Higher Education System.

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