Price and subsidy. Five variables in the price and subsidy category are significant.
Students who pay high (≥$4,054) and medium (between $1,959 and $4,053) tuition
and fees are less likely to attend a two-year school, while students who pay low (≤
$1,958) tuition and fees are more likely to choose a two-year college.
Two net cost variables are significant. Students who have a high net cost of
attendance (>$3,206) are less likely to choose a two-year college. Similarly, students
who have a low net cost of attendance (<$1,697) are also less likely to choose a
two-year college.
Debt variables. None of the debt variables is significant in the two-year/four-year
choice dichotomy.
BPS variables. Three of the BPS variables are significant to the choice dichotomy.
Two of the BPS climate variables are significant, including the ability to meet with
an academic advisor and talk to a faculty member outside of class. Students who
found these important are less likely to choose a two-year college.
Only one of the BPS goal variables is significant to the college-choice dichotomy.
Students who indicate that the ability to succeed in a career is an important factor
in the choice decision are more likely to choose a two-year college.
Question Two
How much variance do these factors explain in the two-year/four-year choice
dichotomy?
The results of the regression analysis reveal highly significant associations among
some of the factors examined in this study and a student’s decision to enroll in a
two-year college. While the presumption of cost and location are two factors that
typically influence a student’s decision to enroll in a two-year college, this study
finds that there are other factors that significantly influence the college choice
decision.
Background. One of the background characteristics that significantly influence the
two-year college choice decision is ethnicity. Both the Latino sample and the
category including all other ethnic groups besides Caucasian and African-
Americans are negatively associated with the two-year choice decision. These
minority groups are less likely to choose a two-year college over a four-year college.
In addition, females are 2.8 percentage points less likely to attend a two-year
college than males. Independent students are 8.4 percentage points more likely to
choose a two-year college versus a four-year college.
With the belief that location is important in the two-year college choice decision,
distance from home is a significant factor. Students who travel more than 100 miles
from home are 7.1 percent less likely to be attending a two-year college while
students traveling less than thirty miles from home to attend college are 3.9 percent
more likely to attend a two-year college.
High school experience. Educational achievement has long been a factor in college
choice research (Blau & Duncan 1967; Parsons, 1959; Sewell, Haller & Portes, 1969;
Sewell & Shah 1978). This study suggests that students who possess a high school
diploma are 11.7 percentage points more likely to attend a four-year college than a
two-year college. In addition, students who do not hold a high school diploma are
18.2 percentage points more likely to attend a two-year college than a four-year
college. Thus, the notion that two-year colleges offer expanded access to students
who traditionally would not or could not attend college is confirmed by this
research.
8 Journal of Student Financial Aid Volume 39 • Number 1 • 2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48