Comparing tertiary graduates with and without student loans in Latvia

摘要

Using a nationally representative sample, this paper describes the profile of student borrowing in Latvia. The paper, more specifically, explores whether higher education graduates with student loans are significantly different from graduates without student loans in Latvia. We compare two groups of university graduates in terms of their demographic and household characteristics, income, and activity in the labor market in terms of the rank of appointment in the company and supplementary income job. Using data from the survey Professional Activity of Graduates of Institutions of Higher and Vocational Education conducted in 2006, differences are observed in the characteristics of their households, ethnicity, and age. We conclude that, on average, student debt holders and higher education graduates without student loans are rather similar in terms of gender, employment pattern, and income.