Type III Concurrent Enrollment Program participation effect on time and cost to baccalaureate degree completion.

摘要

The research study on Type III Concurrent Enrollment Program Participation Effect on Time and Cost to Baccalaureate Degree Completion addressed whether participation in the University of Minnesota Duluth's (UMD) College In The Schools (CITS) Type III Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) by high school juniors and seniors facilitated the completion of a baccalaureate degree in four years. The study examined the financial implications and perceived importance of articulation and transferability of college credits earned during the high school junior and senior years in terms of saving time and cost.; The study determined that students earning UMD CITS credits during high school persisted to complete a baccalaureate degree or their planned highest degree. The importance of this study was in determining whether CITS participants achieved an academic goal of earning a baccalaureate degree in four years or less based on transfer of their college credits completed during high school. A perceived time and cost savings to students and their families was correlated with earning and transferring CITS and concurrent enrollment program credits as well as other college credits earned during high school.; A quasi-experimental 2 X 2 X 2 design was created to address these questions combining both historical UMD CITS data and a new UMD CITS End-of-Term Course Evaluation from spring 2005 drawing 676 unduplicated respondents from a census sample of 1,759 UMD CITS students. Thirty-eight percent of college graduates, fourth-year and first-year college students, and high school juniors and seniors responded to one of the six survey instruments. The UMD traditional cohorts beginning fall 1999 and fall 2000 provided suitable control groups.; Findings indicated UMD CITS participants were significantly more likely to complete a baccalaureate degree within four years or less than traditional UMD students, regardless of the number of CEP credits earned during high school. A statistically significant number reduced their time to baccalaureate degree completion though most chose to complete an enriched curriculum in four years. High school students who earned college credits were significantly more likely to persist to degree completion with cost savings perceived as more valuable than time savings.