Factors Related to College Enrollment. Final Report

摘要

As the returns to a college education have increased, there has been concern thataccess to postsecondary education (PSE) is not as widespread as is desired. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), a survey that follows more than 13,000 students from the eighth grade through the second year after high school, this study examines factors related to PSE enrollment. The emphasis is on how early indicators, such as expectations and course-taking behavior in the eighth grade, are related to college attendance six years later. We examine attendance at all types of PSE, and at 4-year public, 4-year private, less than 4-year public, and less than 4-year private institutions. However, we do not examine selectivity of institutions attended. A secondary goal of the study is to examine whether financial aid availability is a critical factor in determining PSE attendance. We examine knowledge and attitudes toward financial aid and the relationship between such beliefs and PSE attendance. We also examine the effect of financial aid receipt on PSE attendance, as well as the effect of predicted financial aid amounts on PSE attendance.