This quantitative research study builds on existing theoretical concepts of human capital management, expectancy theory, and psychological contracts to show that utilization of employer-sponsored tuition benefits (ESTB) by higher education employees directly correlates to increased employee tenure and retention. ESTB utilization over a 10-year…

It has been demonstrated that obtaining a postsecondary degree has a variety of financial and social advantages. This quantitative study sought to explore the impact of Pell Grant receipt on retention and completion in a community college. Pell status and rurality, as well as Pell status and race, were examined in further detail. The findings…

In the United States, postsecondary educational attainment positively correlates to the probability of a person being employed and the amount of money they earn (U.S. Department of Labor, 2018). Financial aid programs attempt to help students afford, remain in, and finish their postsecondary pursuits, but Levin (1989) asserted some forms of…

The Parent PLUS loan covers the financial gap of a student's educational expenses after other forms of financial assistance. Depending on the unmet need, the PLUS loan amount borrowed can be tens of thousands of dollars for a single academic year. In this research article, I provide results from evaluating financial aid offers at Missouri public,…

Financial Aid Awards for first-time college students include a variety of offerings, including scholarships, grants, and loans. One award of financial assistance, Federal Work-study, is different from other types of financial aid awarded in that students must work to earn the funds. Yet, it is included as estimated financial assistance (EFA) and…

Current Title IV financial aid eligibility is limited to students enrolled in eligible programs as defined in 34 C.F.R. §668.8. Historically, eligibility requirements revolved around several factors including whether the programs were tied to a credential, the length of the program, and whether a student made satisfactory academic progress (SAP).…

This report presents trend data on nonfederal grant and scholarship aid awarded to undergraduate students in selected years between 2003-04 and 2015-16. Nonfederal grant and scholarship aid is typically awarded by states, institutions, employers, and private sources. Unlike loans, grant and scholarship aid does not need to be repaid. Grants and…

Understanding how students with low socioeconomic status finance their tuition over time can help us comprehend the impact of students' decisions on their subsequent curricular progress, graduation, or dropout. This work presents a curricular analytics approach using process mining techniques to study educational funding trajectories as processes.…

Knowing the academic outcomes of students who received contextual offers to higher education is important in understanding whether or not Scotland's Widening Access efforts have been successful in delivering impact to those from socio-economically deprived backgrounds. This study showed that once controlling for academic cohort, sex, ethnicity and…

Pursuant to California Education Code Section 69655(b), the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office and the Board of Governors for California Community Colleges are pleased to release the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) Legislative Report. The Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) program provides eligible,…

Approximately one in five undergraduate students, including around a quarter of first-generation students, are parents. These learners are highly motivated in their pursuit of postsecondary education, but face many challenges including time poverty, financial insecurity, and a low sense of belonging with their institution. To better understand the…

The pursuit of a master's degree is a significant academic endeavor, one that is influenced by a complex interplay of factors extending beyond traditional academic performance. In this study, we estimate the determinants of timely master's degree completion (i.e., within 3 years) using modern machine learning models such as random forest, decision…

Disabled college students face significant barriers to degree completion, including systemic inequities in financial aid policies. This Issue Article investigates financial aid policies that unfairly limit aid to disabled students, at times forcing them to choose between maximizing their financial aid and the recommended accommodations to which…

The present study examines the impact of on-campus childcare on student parent success. Researchers believe the role stress they experience while balancing their responsibilities as students and parents, combined with their increased likelihood of experiencing financial stressors relative to their peers, impact their success outcomes. Supports…

Recently new types of scholarships have emerged known as promise scholarships. A promise scholarship aims to increase collegiate attainment by promising financial aid to eligible students. Promise scholarships differ from traditional scholarships in that promise scholarships are non-competitive and not necessarily needs based. Typical eligibility…