Furthering this notion that higher educational achievement equates to a
higher, more selective college going rate, students who reported having taken an
advanced placement exam are 25.4 percentage points less likely to attend a two-
year college.
College experience. In this category, a student’s desire to live on or off campus is
the most influential factor on two-year college choice. Students who want to live
on campus are 23.8 percentage points less likely to attend a two-year college. On
the other hand, students who want to live off-campus are 16.4 percentage points
more likely to attend a two-year college than those wanting to live on-campus.
Price and subsidy. The influence of tuition and fees is significant in this study.
High tuition (>$4,054) has a negative impact on the two-year choice decision.
Students who pay high tuition and fees are 17.5 percentage points less likely to
attend a two-year college. Students who pay tuition between $1,959 and $4,053
are 31.7 percentage points less likely to choose a two-year college, and students
who pay low tuition (<$1,958) are 16.3 percentage points more likely to choose
a two-year college.
Along the same lines, students who pay a high net cost (tuition and fees minus
subsidies >$3,206) are 17.5 percentage points less likely to choose a two-year
college, while students who pay a low net cost (tuition and fees minus subsidies
<$1,697) are 6.1 percentage points more likely to choose a two-year college.
BPS variables. Of the BPS variables, academic advising is the most influential on
two-year college choice. Similar to the findings for Question One, a student who
wishes to meet with an advisor about academic plans is six percentage points
less likely to choose a two-year college. This factor suggests that students who
place a high priority on traditional academic advising and mentoring are more
likely to attend a four-year college (Hossler, Schmit et al. 1999).
Discussion The finding regarding racial and ethnic background is surprising and contrary to
expectations. While few college choice models have been applied to two-year
college choice, the notion that two-year colleges are the colleges of choice for
most minority groups is not substantiated by this study. One explanation for this
finding may be that these minority groups continue to be underrepresented on
college campuses at both two-year and four-year colleges. Moreover, college
campuses have not fully realized the impact of newly passed anti-affirmative
action measures on the college choice process or the college-going rate of
minorities, which might affect minority college choice in the future.
Likewise, the finding regarding student’s gender runs contrary to the
expectation one would have about two-year colleges becoming the portals of
access for higher education.
The finding regarding independent students, on the other hand, was
anticipated. This relates to the notion that two-year colleges are more desirable
to independent students who may be more price-conscious and have fewer
opportunities to devote to full-time study at a four-year college. In addition,
independent students often have more factors influencing their college choice
process than dependent students have.
The finding concerning location affirms the idea that this is an important
consideration in the two-year college choice decision.
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators 9
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