PHD, Kent State University, 2021, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The purpose of this narrative study was to explore undergraduate college students' experiences with borrowing beyond that which is needed to cover the institution's tuition and fees, their motivations for and perceptions of borrowing, and increased indebtedness within the context of their lived experiences. This research utilized Clandinin and Connelly's (2000) “three dimensional narrative inquiry space” (p. 50) in an effort to capture the participants' inward perceptions of student indebtedness; the outward environment and circumstances that motivated additional borrowing; the backward and forward influence of life experiences, and the place(s) or sequences of places used to describe their college environment. Those invited to participate in the study were current undergraduate students, attending at least part-time, at a large midwestern public institution who had borrowed an additional $1000 or more through federal student loans. The seven research participants completed an initial questionnaire and then a semi-structured, in-person interview. Data collected throughout the research process were then utilized to create additional prompts as a journal response for the participants to consider and return via email. This study resulted in five emergent themes regarding the participants' experiences with, motivations for, and perceptions of their additional borrowing and student indebtedness: (a) Interweaving of Place and Finances, (b) Presence and Influence from Within the Support System, (c) Individual Drive, (d) Financial Understanding and Approaches to Student Debt, and (e) Concerns, Plans, and Hopes for the Future. These findings suggest the possible benefits of approaching student indebtedness and general financial education and research holistically.

Committee: Tara Hudson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Stephen Thomas Ed.D. (Committee Co-Chair); C. Lockwood Reynolds Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stina Olafsdottir Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Finance; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, EDU Policy and Leadership

Two-thirds of college students will borrow money to attend college or university. Among them is a group categorized as `independent' according to federal criteria, including age, income, familial status, veterans, and those for whom dependency is not possible, such as foster children. This qualitative study explores the meaning that independent undergraduate students ascribe to the debt they encumber while enrolled in college. What is their perception of their student debt? Do they believe their education is worth the debt? The researcher originally sought to ask twenty independent undergraduate students in their junior year or above about their experience of student debt while enrolled at a large regional public university in the Midwest. In addition to interviewing, twenty individuals who met the original criteria, an additional eight were interviewed who expanded the original definition of independence beyond the federal criteria and the need to focus on those close to graduation. Results suggest that student debt is considered a necessity by all of the participants as it relates to their college attendance and their lifestyle choices. College attendance was seen as a requirement to gain access to future employment. Student loans often were used to supplement or provide full support for external living expenses. Acceptance of this syllogism may explain expanded levels of debt tolerance, consistent with the application of prospect theory to the data. Their own needs and networks facilitated the participants' understanding of their student debt. Some of the participants viewed the impact of debt on their academic and social experience as negative, while the majority recognized student debt as a “necessary evil” and a personal “investment” in their own human capital. Student debt was viewed as distinctly different from other kinds of debt. While all of the participants recognized the value of their education, some level of distrust of the current structure of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ada Demb Ed.D. (Advisor); Scott Sweetland Ph.D. (Committee Member); Chris Zirkle Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education; Education Finance; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Public Administration; Public Policy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Economics

The Effects of Financial Aid on College Completion I examine effects of grant aid and education loan amounts on the college completion decision of students attending four-year colleges. The goal is to determine whether a given amount of financial aid reduces the dropout probability, and whether it has differential effects when given as grants versus loans. Using data from the Second Follow-up Survey of the 1994 Beginning Post-secondary Students Longitudinal Study, I estimate a probit model of the college dropout decision, accounting for the endogeneity of grant and loan amounts. My estimates show that grants reduce the dropout probability although loans do not affect individuals' college completion decisions. The result suggests that current federal government policies of promoting loans as the main form of financial aid (in higher education) are not consistent with the stated objective of increasing access to college. Education loans are found to influence college quality choices of meritorious students from low to middle income families. The Effects of State Characteristic College Enrollment I examine how state policies on tuition, grant aid and appropriations influence high school graduates' two-year versus four-year college attendance decisions. Using data from 1994-99 October Supplements of the Current Population Survey, I estimate a multinomial logit model of college choice. My estimates show that higher four-year college tuition motivates prospective students to attend two-year colleges. I also find positive effects of two-year college appropriations on two-year college attendance. These results illustrate the on-going interaction of state policies and individual decisions. In recent years, increased earnings of college educated individuals have resulted in large increases in college enrollments. States have adjusted to the enrollment pressure by raising four-year college tuition. In response, students have switched to two-year colleges, requiring states to a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Audrey Light (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

The financial transition to medical school process is a complex one. This action research project aims to bring to light the financial experiences of medical students at a public midwestern medical school to better understand challenges faced by medical students, particularly low-income and underrepresented in medicine students. Additionally, the purpose of this project is to provide insights that will allow for the creation of a front-end intervention to provide students with solutions for better outcomes. The data for this project was collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with students enrolled in a medical doctor program at a public mid-western medical school. The findings of this action research project indicate the need for a front-end financial intervention that is individualized for students as well as a need for additional support and education to support students in external scholarship searches.

Committee: Davin Carr-Chellman (Committee Chair); Jason Booza (Committee Member); Mary Ziskin (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education Administration; School Administration

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2017, Educational Studies

America's total educational debt recently surpassed the $1.3 trillion mark, concerning students, educators, and policymakers alike. Most research on student loans focuses on either the pre-college phase, examining how students develop an understanding of and attitude toward debt, or the post-college phase, when they have completed their education and are dealing with the lump-sum implications of the borrowing decisions they have made. Few studies have considered the decision-making process itself, even though most students will make dozens of individual borrowing choices during their educational journey. This study uses a series of binary logistic regression models to explore the relationship between the sources of information students consult when making choices about loans and the borrowing decision factors they. It finds that students who consult parents, financial aid counselors, themselves, or the internet are significantly more likely to use budgets, to borrow as little as possible, to think about their total debt at graduation, and to think about the amounts they have borrowed in the past, while controlling for selected academic, demographic, and socioeconomic variables. Because students who sought advice about loans made more considered borrowing decisions, institutions of higher education should do more to encourage and facilitate these types of conversations.

Committee: Tatiana Suspitsyna (Committee Chair); Matt Mayhew (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Finance; Education Policy; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; School Counseling

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Higher Education (Education)

Advising students on college admissions and financial aid is an important pillar of most high school counseling programs. This work has become more challenging for many school counselors since the pandemic, so it is imperative to find new ways to explore how counselors approach college advising today. This novel research utilized Hansen's (1995) vocational learning theory to contribute to understanding how working with students on postsecondary pathways connected to a counselor's identity, both professionally and personally. Through the methodology of basic qualitative study and the method of semi-structured interviews, this research presents the perspectives of 16 public high school counselors at suburban, urban, and rural high schools in the Midwestern United States. It investigates how they connected to the idea of vocation, learned about college advising work, and leveraged their learnings with students in practice post-pandemic. Participants demonstrated service, identity, and learning orientations across the findings, including those related to guiding students on college and career. They largely came to school counseling to serve students and were mostly satisfied in their role choice due to meaningful work with students. All identified ways in which their positionality as a school counselor was a part of their personal identity and shared stories of helping students with an eye to access and equity. The counselors in the study engaged with professional development to improve services and adapted to student needs, including implications from the pandemic. Students, and people in general, were the counselor's central concern, pointing to school counseling as a vocation. In consideration of the findings, this study provides participant-informed ideas for future research and policy. This includes the recommendation that K-12 and higher education leaders prioritize and nurture the human aspects of school counseling and college advising work.

Committee: Peter Mather (Advisor); Gordon Brooks (Committee Member); Christine Bhat (Committee Member); David Nguyen (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; School Counseling; Vocational Education

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of chief enrollment management officers in the state of Ohio. Using a constructivist phenomenological approach, the study was conducted to make meaning of the chief enrollment officer's lived experiences that have led them to serving as a chief enrollment officer at their respective institution. Data were collected from eight chief enrollment management officers from Ohio's various 4-year institutions through a semi-structured interview. The research led to 6 key findings related to research question 1, which was “What experiences have influenced chief enrollment management officers' ability to lead?” There were 8 key findings related to research question 2, which was “Through their experiences, what competencies are essential for chief enrollment management officers to be successful in this area of the country?” The 6 key findings related to RQ1 were: the need to take on more responsibility before the role, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the technology revolution and push toward automation, CEMOs' professional development opportunities, CEMOs being mentored, and the length of time spent in their role. The 8 key findings related to RQ2 were: understanding enrollment management trends and practices, understanding and utilizing data, the ability to lead, successful supervising, being technologically savvy, having an ability to work with presidents, having an ability to work with campus partners, and recognizing your weaknesses. With a better understanding of these individuals, one can learn more about how to be successful recruiting students in the study's context.

Committee: Mark Kretovics (Committee Chair); Christa Porter (Committee Member); Jennifer Kulics (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Finance; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2019, Higher Education (Education)

The cost for higher education increased nearly 55% from 2002 to 2012, while state appropriations decreased 12% over the same time period (Government Accountability Office, 2014). The cost burden has been shifted heavily on students and their families as institutions have raised the cost of attendance in order to make up for declines in state support dollars. As the country continues to face a student loan bubble that impacts the housing market, marriage rates, and birth rates it will be important to the future of higher education to figure out other sources of revenue to balance budgets (Choi, Zhu, Goodman, Ganesh, & Strochak, 2018). Higher education philanthropy topped $41 billion in 2016 (Council for Aid to Education, 2017). While university endowments currently make up about 9.7% of the overall operating budget for institutions, philanthropy has the potential to make a substantial impact on colleges and universities (National Association of College and University Business Officers, 2016). By looking at how federal student loans, federal grant aid, state appropriations, and the top tax rate impact philanthropy at private and public four-year, non-profit institutions will be added add to existing research on private philanthropy. The findings of this study are that while the tax rate did not influence higher education philanthropy, all the other independent variables had statistically significant results. When the amount of student loans increased, philanthropic support decreased. This was in line with existing research. As federal grants increased there was a parallel response with private support. Finally, state appropriations had an inverse relationship with private philanthropic dollars. In response to the results of this research, this paper includes strategies for higher education institutions to better lobby for students and their families with both state and federal officials. Furthermore, the study can be used to inform and shape current and future financi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lijing Yang PhD (Committee Chair); Andrew Fodor PhD (Committee Member); David Nguyen PhD (Committee Member); Sara Helfrich PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Policy; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

PHD, Kent State University, 2019, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The purpose of this comparative quantitative study was to examine the relationship between institutional gift-aid and the persistence and graduation rates for low-income students in a large, public four-year university in the Midwest. Data from the 2011 cohort of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students were examined. Using a non-experimental approach, the researcher analyzed descriptive statistics, life tables, and logistic regressions to answer the research questions. A supplementary analysis with conditional inference trees was also included. The goals of the analysis were twofold. The first was to test the hypothesis that there exists a statistically significant outcome gap between low- and higher-income students at the institution. The second was to test the hypothesis that institutional financial aid has practical significance in addressing said outcome gap. The research design of this study can be employed by researchers studying low-income students and financial aid at other institutions. Overall, the findings supported the researcher's hypotheses and aligned with extant educational theory. In this study, low-income status was negatively related to desirable student outcomes (i.e., persistence and timely graduation). Further, different types of gift-aid may have been differentially effective in addressing institutional departure behavior. The amount of merit-aid, in particular, was positively associated with student persistence. The interaction effects of income and aid did not reach statistical significance in most cases, indicating that income may not have been a mediating factor in aid-persistence and aid-graduation relationships.

Committee: Stephen Thomas (Committee Chair); Mark Kretovics (Committee Member); Curtis Reynolds (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

Doctor of Education (EdD), Wright State University, 2018, Leadership Studies

For decades, U.S. higher education enrollments have been stratified with students from wealthier households consistently attending postsecondary institutions at higher rates than low-income students. The disparity in postsecondary participation rates by family income is a systemic issue (M. J. Bailey & Dynarski, 2011), meaning the phenomenon is the result of a combination of factors within society rather than one factor alone. Guided by a critical theory perspective and the assumptions behind Perna's (2006) proposed conceptual model for student college choice research, the current study sought to examine the extent to which policies and practices at the postsecondary institution level may be contributing to the inequity in higher education enrollments by family income. Based upon theory and findings from prior research, the presumed causal effects of tuition costs, student financial aid, selectivity, and proximity on the average amount of enrolled undergraduate students' aggregate capital (i.e., cumulative available resources) was constructed in one hypothesized structural model. Four-year, public postsecondary institutions were the unit of analysis. The purpose of the current study was to test the hypothesized structural model. Using data from the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, student-level data were combined by postsecondary institution to establish a final sample of N = 330 (rounded to the nearest ten) four-year, public postsecondary institutions. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to (a) assess the overall fit of the hypothesized structural model to the sample data; (b) determine the amount of variance in the average amount of enrolled undergraduate students' aggregate capital that could be explained by the hypothesized structural model; and (c) identify the direct, indirect, and total effects among the variables included in the hypothesized structural model. Though a confirmatory SEM analysis indicated the hypothesized struc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Yoko Miura Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Suzanne Franco Ed.D. (Committee Member); Carol Patitu Ph.D. (Committee Member); Carlee Poston Escue Simon Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Economics; Education; Education Finance; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Sociology; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Organizational Behavior; Public Policy; Social Research; Social Structure; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, 2017, Engineering PhD

Enrollment Management and Financial Aid. Enrollment management is the term that is often used to describe the synergistic approaches to influence the enrollment of higher education institutions, and consists of activities such as student college choice, transition to college, retention, and graduation. Of all the factors, financial aid, institution rank, and tuition are the three most important ones that affect students' choice processes and matriculation decisions; as such, with the continuous increase of tuition over the years, financial aid serves as a marketing tool and plays an important role in attracting students. In the United States, in the 2012-2013 academic year, there were a total of 20.4 million students enrolled in degree-granting institutions and more than eighty percent of them received financial. The Optimal Scholarship Allocation Problem: The widespread use of financial aid leads to an important problem yet to be solved in the literature, i.e., how to optimally allocate the limited financial aid to students with various social and economic backgrounds so as to achieve enrollment goals. Though financial aid can be of various forms, merit-based scholarships are the primary part of the allocation process. This problem, referred to as the optimal scholarship allocation problem, has puzzled the enrollment management teams at many higher institutions and is the focus of this thesis. Solution Approach: This thesis proposes a series of predictive and optimization models to solve the optimal financial aid allocation problems. The methodology consists of three sequential phases: 1) predictive models to find the responses (enrollment and graduation probabilities and years of study) to various levels of scholarship for students with various socioeconomic backgrounds; 2) optimization models to find the maximum revenue for given budget based on the response discovered to the various levels of scholarships; and 3) data mining models to discover patterns and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Xinhui Zhang Ph.D. (Advisor); Pratik Parikh Ph.D. (Committee Member); Caroline Cao Ph.D. (Committee Member); Subhashini Ganapathy Ph.D. (Committee Member); Nan Kong Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education Administration; Industrial Engineering; Operations Research

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Higher Education (Education)

This study was designed to examine the relationship between financial aid and graduation rates for rural community college students. The main purpose of this study is to help fill the large gap in research that currently exists about rural community college students, and, more specifically, financial aid and rural community college students. This study uses data collected for the 2004/2009 Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09), as well as data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Two research questions focused on the descriptive statistics. Four additional questions used logistic regression for the findings. Two of these questions focused on all community college students, and two questions focused solely on rural community college students. All of the data for the six research questions were analyzed using STATA. The findings from this study are that there is a relationship between financial aid and graduation rates for both all community college students and rural community college students separately. Rural community college students showed the highest graduation rates through six-years for associate degree graduates, and rural community college students had the highest graduation rates through three- and six-years for associate degree and certificate graduates. In terms of financial aid, the Federal Unsubsidized Loan was found to be negatively related to graduation rates for both groups of students. The Pell Grant was found to have a positive association with graduation rates for rural community college students through three-years for associate degree and certificate graduates.

Committee: Lijing Yang (Committee Chair); Michael Williford (Committee Member); David Horton (Committee Member); Hyun-Ju Oh (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Leadership Studies

This study sought to determine which demographic variables (student gender, age, race, family income, dependency status, and parental level of educational attainment) best predict total accrued federal student loan debt for undergraduate degree recipients attending a four-year public Midwestern United States research university. The sample consisted of 1,880 first-time enrolled, full-time undergraduate students who matriculated in August 2009 and borrowed their first federal student loan during the first year of enrollment. Data was obtained from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), institutional federal student loan, enrollment, and graduation data and analyzed through the graduating class of May 2015. A multiple regression analysis for research question one generated a four-factor model: Family Income, Minority Status, Father's Level and Mother's Level of Educational Attainment were significant predictors of total accrued federal student loan debt upon graduation. A logistic regression analysis generated three models based on total accrued federal student loan debt upon graduation above/below $10,000, $20,000, and $30,000. The $10,000 model indicated one significant predictor, Mother's Level of Educational Attainment. The $20,000 model indicated two significant predictors, Family Income and Mother's Level of Educational Attainment. The $30,000 model indicated three significant predictors, Family Income, Minority Status, and Father's Level of Educational Attainment. Research question two examined differences in total federal student loan debt between four-year or less and more than four-year undergraduate degree completers. An independent samples t-test analysis revealed a significant difference in total accrued federal student loan debt for degree completion within a four-year time frame. Research question three examined differences between undergraduate degree completers and non-completers in the amount of federal student loans borrowe (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rachel Vannatta Reinhart Ph.D. (Advisor); Russell Matthews Ph.D. (Other); Paul Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Judith Jackson May Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jaclyn Schalk Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Finance

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Leadership Studies

Few research studies have examined reasons why students choose to attend small, private universities, and even fewer have captured the selection criteria of the students in a qualitative manner (Carr, 2012; Pampaloni, 2010). This study sought to identify reasons why students chose a small, private university, particularly students who chose not to participate in intercollegiate athletes or performing arts. Using a qualitative framework, the researcher conducted 26 semi-structured, in-person student interviews. The findings of this study contribute to the scholarly literature on the topic of enrollment management at private universities in terms of insight and strategies that can increase university enrollment. The researcher sought to explore students' opinions about factors that were important to them in selecting their institution of choice. Ten primary themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Aspects of affordability and scholarships were important for attending Surreal University (SU). (2) The ability to participate not only in athletics or performing arts programs but also in other activities was significant to attend SU. (3) Academic programs were cited by 20 of the 26 students as very important in their selection process. (4) Students cited the importance of internships that are built into the curriculum at SU. (5) Proximity to the university was important to students. (6) All but 2 of the 26 students interviewed began their college search via the university's website. (7) Students indicated that the university's offering of dual enrollment programs at local high schools was important. (8) Students cited local proximity to SU as a reason for their choice primarily because of name recognition and familiarity. (9) Students noted that campus visits contributed to their choosing SU. (10) Finally, students were excited to be able to take part in the study-abroad opportunity or in the university's honor programs. Given the current outlook for private (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Pat Pauken Dr. (Advisor); Ashutosh Sohoni Dr. (Other); Mark Early Dr. (Committee Member); Bonnie Tiell Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2014, Educational Leadership

This study examined differences in institutional aid among the largest 4-year private-non-profit (PNP) institutions in the Midwest. The researcher determined the levels of association between institutional grants and measures of institutional goals, determined the levels of association between institutional grants and measures of institutional goals when controlling for the effects of total-full time undergraduate headcount and institutional wealth and determined whether the practice of tuition discounting has benefited the largest 4-year PNP institutions in the Midwest over the past decade. The variables of the study were categorized as institutional goal and institutional grant variables. Institutional goal variables were further categorized as measures of diversity, enrollment and financial goals. The study population was the 30 largest 4-year PNP institutions having a primary location in a Midwest state and having students between the ages of 18 and 24 constituting at least 85% of undergraduate enrollment. Pearson's product-moment coefficients were computed to determine strength of associations. Profiles of the study colleges were created, including data for each of the measured institutional goal and grant variables. The practice of tuition discounting was associated with various positive changes in diversity, enrollment and financial outcomes over the period of this study. The primary findings of the study are summarized in five conclusive statements: 1) different levels of institutional grants have had different levels of associations with institutional goals and institutional wealth had a significant impact on these associations, 2) higher discounts were not generally associated with greater changes in institutional goals, 3) associations between institutional grants and institutional goals have waned over time, therefore, the ability to influence institutional goals through the use of institutional grants is fading, 4) total full-time undergraduate he (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Theodore Kowalski (Committee Chair); Thomas Lasley (Committee Member); Daniel Raisch (Committee Member); Joseph Schenk (Committee Member) Subjects: Economics; Education; Education Finance; Education History; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

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

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2011, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship between financial aid and three aspects of students' first-year experience: grade point averages, persistence, and housing decisions. Analyses from data obtained from one public four-year institution in the Midwest found few differences in grade point averages, persistence, and housing decisions between students who received financial aid and those who did not. However, when examining the dependent variables among students who received different types of financial aid, several significant differences were found. Students who received scholarships and work study had significantly higher grade point averages than those who did not; student loans were the most common type of financial aid received; and students who received financial aid were significantly more likely to reside on-campus. Recommendations for future research include examining other variables, such as students' socioeconomic status, prior student achievement, net price, and combinations of types of financial aid received.

Committee: Charles Ryan PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Suzanne Franco EdD (Committee Co-Chair); Joanne Risacher PhD (Committee Member); Dave Darr MBA (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Educational Policy and Leadership

The purpose of this study is to explore how students perceive their college experiences have been impacted by the merit-based aid they receive. The study population consisted of 518 seniors at The Ohio State University that receive some form of merit-based aid. The survey instrument, Perceptions of the Impact of Merit-Based Aid Questionnaire (PIMBAQ), was designed specifically for this study, and was administered as a web-based survey to the population. Questions were derived from general themes that emerged about academic and social integration from the literature review on student retention, themes generated through several focus groups, topics of interest from several instruments, and the researcher's personal experiences and insights. The 63-item PIMBAQ is divided into four sections or constructs (plus a summary section) and includes scale and free-response items related to issues involved with 1) recruitment, 2) academic integration, 3) social integration, and 4) postgraduate plans. Demographic characteristics were collected and summarized for the purposes of describing the participants and dividing them into comparison subgroups. Specifically, merit-aid level, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, and program type (Honors or non-Honors) were collected for the survey population. The aggregate results of this study yielded a rather normal distribution of sample means; however, the most interesting results were discovered through analysis of the segmented data. Quantitative analysis of the items on the PIMBAQ revealed that the sample mean of three populations (merit-aid level, race/ethnicity and program type) evidenced statistically significant differences from their comparison group. Specifically, certain demographics emerged as reporting a higher sample mean as compared to the aggregate data – students that receive substantial merit-based aid, minority and Honors students. For each of the three groups, the reported impact of the merit-based aid was evid (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ada Demb (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2012, Higher Education (Education)

This study was undertaken to (a) expand scholarship on the impact of undergraduate student loan borrowing level on the timing of initial entry to master's degree or first professional degree programs, and (b) to assist higher education policy makers and practitioners in serving the needs of students as they progress through the various stages of education leading to initial enrollment in a master's degree or first professional degree program. The study utilized secondary data from the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study Graduate and First Professional (NPSAS:08 G1P) dataset to address a series of six quantitative research questions designed to assess the topic of interest. The structure of the study was designed to (a) describe seven student background characteristics of the sub-populations of master's degree and first professional degree students enrolled between July1, 2007 and June 30, 2008, (b) test the statistical significance of relationships in the seven selected student background characteristics for individuals classified as immediate entry versus delayed entry master's degree or first professional degree students, and (c) to determine the association between any of the seven selected student background characteristics and whether an individual will enroll in a master's degree or first professional degree program immediately following baccalaureate degree completion or delay their entry. Key findings of the study include (a) low-level undergraduate student loan borrowing was a significant positive predictor of enrollment as a delayed entry master's degree student, (b) high-level undergraduate student loan borrowing was a significant negative predictor of delayed entry master's degree enrollment, and (c) low-level undergraduate student loan borrowing is a significant positive predictor of delayed entry first professional degree enrollment.

Committee: Valerie Conley Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gary Moden Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Snider Ph.D. (Committee Member); Anirudh Ruhil Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Policy

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2012, Higher Education (Education)

The purpose of this study was to determine any differences between financial aid directors' perceived effectiveness of their institution's enrollment management organizational structure. The study was national in scope and included a sample of public and private four-year institutions granting baccalaureate degrees. This study used the conceptual framework of Resource Dependency Theory for understanding the ways in which organizations respond to threats through reorganization and allocation of resources. Quantitative methods were used to conduct this study. A survey with a 4-point Likert-type scale was used to gauge levels of financial aid directors' perceived effectiveness of their enrollment management structure. The survey was administered to financial aid directors at 716 institutions with responsibility for the delivery of financial aid related services. An overall response rate of 41% was realized. The degree of reliability was assessed by using a Cronbach's Alpha test on financial aid directors' perceived effectiveness of their institution's enrollment management model. ANOVA were used to test whether any differences were discovered between enrollment management models, between public and private institutions, and between institutions of different enrollment sizes. There was a significant interaction effect found when comparing public and private institutions by enrollment management model, as identified by the financial aid directors. There was not significant interaction effect based on institutional size and enrollment management model based on survey respondents' overall effectiveness score. When comparing enrollment management model employed at the institutional level, a statistically significant difference did exist between the perceived effectiveness scores based on the model employed. The financial aid directors representing the divisional enrollment management model demonstrated higher perceived effectiveness scores than other enrollment management m (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Horton Jr (Committee Chair); George Johanson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Peter Mather Ph.D. (Committee Member); Candace Vancko Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership