Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2014, College of Social Justice and Human Service

Community colleges now serve more than 13 million students annually, nearly half of all American undergraduates. Because of their open access mission, community colleges are a primary point of entry for many students, particularly underserved populations. Timely degree completion for associate-degree seeking students is important for promoting social equality and economic development. This dissertation examined what influence if any input and environmental variables, specifically the amount and type of federal financial aid received have on a community college student's time to associate degree attainment. Data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) 2004-2009 dataset were used to conduct a multiple regression analysis using a weighted total of 288,436 graduates. The final model identified 124 variables that were significantly related to months enrolled prior to associate degree attainment, and explained 42.3% of variance. Initial and ongoing goals and commitments emerged as the strongest predictors of time to associate degree attainment, followed by financial aid variables. This study supports Vincent Tinto's student departure model; it provides a foundation for future research, and can inform theory, policy and practice.

Committee: Ronald Opp Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Debra Gentry Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sunday Griffith Ph.D. (Committee Member); Edward St. John Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education Administration