scholarly journals A New Measure of College Quality to Study the Effects of College Sector and Peers on Degree Attainment

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Smith ◽  
Kevin Stange
Keyword(s):  
Degree Attainment ◽  
High School Graduates ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Two Year Colleges ◽  
Two Year College ◽  
Attainment Gap ◽  
Bachelor's Degree Attainment ◽  
Using Data

Students starting at a two-year college are much less likely to graduate than similar students who start at a four-year college, but the sources of this attainment gap are largely unexplained. This paper investigates the attainment consequences of sector choice and peer quality among recent high school graduates. Using data on all Preliminary SAT (PSAT) test-takers between 2004 and 2006, we develop a novel measure of peer ability for most two-year and four-year colleges in the United States—the average PSAT of enrolled students. We document substantial variation in this measure of peer quality across two-year colleges and nontrivial overlap between the two-year and four-year sectors. We find that half the gap in bachelor's degree attainment rates across sectors is explained by differences in peers, leaving room for structural barriers to transferring between institutions to also play an important role.

Access and Mobilization: How Social Capital Relates to Low-Income Youth’s Postsecondary Educational (PSE) Attainment

2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariam Ashtiani ◽  
Cynthia Feliciano
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
College Entry ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Bachelor's Degree Attainment

Youth from advantaged backgrounds have more social relationships that provide access to resources facilitating their educational success than those from low-income families. Does access to and mobilization of social capital also relate to success among the few low-income youth who “overcome the odds” and persist in higher education? Using nationally representative longitudinal data over a 14-year period, this study shows that although access to social capital in families, schools, and communities is positively related to entry into higher education, most forms of adolescent social capital are not independently associated with degree attainment. However, the mobilization of social capital through certain types of mentorship benefits both the college entry and bachelor’s degree attainment of low-income youth, more so than for their more economically advantaged peers. Findings suggest that developing enduring mentoring relationships and new social resources rooted in the higher education context may be especially important in facilitating degree attainment for young adults from low-income backgrounds.

How Does High School Extracurricular Participation Predict Bachelor’s Degree Attainment? It is Complicated

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 753-768
Author(s):  
Margo Gardner ◽  
Stephen Hutt ◽  
Donald Kamentz ◽  
Angela L. Duckworth ◽  
Sidney K. D’Mello
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Extracurricular Participation ◽  
Bachelor's Degree Attainment

A Psychosociocultural View of Hispanic First-Generation College Students’ Graduation Rates

2021 ◽  
pp. 152102512110562
Author(s):  
Christian A. Latino ◽  
Justine Radunzel ◽  
Jason D. Way ◽  
Edgar Sanchez ◽  
Alex Casillas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Bachelor's Degree Attainment ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

First-generation college students (FGCS), nearly 50% of which identify as Hispanic, are an underserved population. The psychosociocultural theoretical framework posits that individual, environmental, and cultural factors contribute to the academic success of Hispanic students. This study examined the relationship between these factors (i.e., demographics, academic self-efficacy, meeting with professors, and attending cultural programming) to 6-year bachelor’s degree attainment and time to bachelor’s degree attainment among Hispanic students at a Hispanic Serving Institution ( n  =  358). Being better prepared academically, being female, and having greater academic self-efficacy were positively related to bachelor’s degree attainment; FGCS status was negatively related. Among students who graduated ( n  =  208), entering college being better prepared academically, and having greater academic self-efficacy were related to quicker bachelor’s degree attainment; FGCS status was not significantly related. Practitioners may pay more attention to Hispanic students’ academic self-efficacy and the success of Hispanic male students.

Does Free Community College Improve Student Outcomes? Evidence From a Regression Discontinuity Design

2021 ◽  
pp. 016237372199314
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Bell
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Regression Discontinuity ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Regression Discontinuity Design ◽  
College Gpa ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Bachelor's Degree Attainment

In this article, I utilize a regression discontinuity design to estimate the effects of Tulsa Achieves—a prevalent and understudied type of tuition-free college program. In contrast to concerns regarding tuition-free community college suppressing bachelor’s degree attainment, I find that Tulsa Achieves increased the likelihood of transferring to 4-year colleges by 13 to 14 percentage points and increased bachelor’s degree attainment by approximately 2 percentage points. The estimates for shorter outcomes are underpowered to detect policy relevant effects, but suggest Tulsa Achieves increased college GPA and had a null impact on credit accumulation, retention, and graduation from Tulsa Community College.

Two-Year College Students Report Multiple Benefits From Participation in an Integrated Geoscience Research, Coursework, and Outreach Internship Program

2021 ◽  
pp. 009155212110266
Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Stofer ◽  
Jhenai W. Chandler ◽  
Stephanie Insalaco ◽  
Corene Matyas ◽  
Heidi J. Lannon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Program Analysis ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Two Year Colleges ◽  
Two Year College ◽  
Comparison Results ◽  
Two Year College Students ◽  
The Impact

Objective: Despite the availability of high-paying, high-demand careers, few women and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities enter undergraduate programs understanding what the geosciences are and associated available career opportunities. This problem is compounded for students from backgrounds underrepresented in the United States. High-impact practices, such as mentoring, internships, undergraduate research experiences, and cohort-building, increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and math at 4-year institutions. What is not yet clear is the impact these interventions have on underrepresented students at two-year colleges, where the STEM pathway has become a main postsecondary school entry point for these students due to the affordability, flexibility, and academic support provided. Therefore, we designed, implemented, and researched a year-long program providing underrepresented students at a two-year college exposure to several of these experiences. Methods: We interviewed program participants about their perceptions and experiences in the program. Analysis proceeded using constant comparison. Results: Participants reported benefits from networking opportunities, gains in confidence, and gains in job skills, while some reported challenges for participation such as communication and time expectation conflicts; participants also struggled to balance the program with employment needs on top of school requirements. Different aspects of the program benefited different students, suggesting that all of these experiences could support recruitment and foster interest in geoscience for underrepresented students at two-year colleges. Conclusion: We conclude with implications for future research, program enhancements, and time constraint and mentoring needs related to characteristics of two-year college students.

scholarly journals Heterogeneity in the Returns to Credits for Public Two-Year College Entrants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Schudde ◽  
Meghan Shea
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Two Year Colleges ◽  
College Credits ◽  
Two Year College ◽  
Fixed Effects Models ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Different Types

AbstractPublic two-year colleges offer an entry point to postsecondary education for many Americans who might otherwise forgo college. Most students leave college without a credential. A growing body of research examines the returns to higher education among two-year college entrants but primarily focuses on returns to credentials. This study examines the returns to different types of credits, including academic, technical, and developmental credits. In a series of individual fixed effects models, we use state administrative data following a population of public two-year college entrants to understand which college credits yield the greatest returns and how returns to credits vary across degree attainment. Our findings illustrate that average estimates of the returns to credits obscure varied patterns of returns among two-year college students, where sub-baccalaureate credential recipients appear to experience different returns to academic and technical credits compared with their peers.

Can Free Community College Close Racial Disparities in Postsecondary Attainment? How Tulsa Achieves Affects Racially Minoritized Student Outcomes

2021 ◽  
pp. 000283122110035
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Bell ◽  
Denisa Gándara
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Native American ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Bachelor's Degree Attainment ◽  
Tuition And Fees ◽  
Postsecondary Attainment ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Promise programs, or place-based tuition-free college policies, have become increasingly popular among policymakers looking to expand postsecondary attainment. In this article, we examine Tulsa Achieves, a widespread, albeit understudied type of promise program that covers the balance of students’ tuition and fees after other aid is exhausted at a single community college. Utilizing a difference-in-differences and event-study design, we investigate the role Tulsa Achieves eligibility plays in promoting or hindering vertical transfer and bachelor's degree attainment across racial/ethnic groups. We find that Tulsa Achieves eligibility is associated with increases in bachelor's degree attainment within 5 years among Native American and Hispanic students and an increased likelihood of transfer within 4 years for Hispanic students.

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