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Consumer Risk Preferences and Higher Education Enrollment Decisions

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  • Stuart J. Heckman
  • Catherine P. Montalto

Abstract

Although there are widespread concerns that consumers are making poor choices regarding higher education, the fact that human capital investments are risky is often overlooked in the national conversation. Therefore, this research investigates the effect of risk preferences on higher education enrollment decisions. A sample from the 1997 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97) was analyzed, and the results indicate that consumer risk preferences have a significant effect on the likelihood of enrollment. Specifically, there was a robust, positive relationship between risk tolerance and the likelihood of enrollment even after controlling for time preferences and risk perceptions. Consistent with previous findings, ability, parental education, family net worth and income, and being female were positively associated with the likelihood of enrollment. The results suggest that risk preferences may be an important source of omitted variable bias in previous studies of higher education investment choices.

Suggested Citation

  • Stuart J. Heckman & Catherine P. Montalto, 2018. "Consumer Risk Preferences and Higher Education Enrollment Decisions," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 166-196, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jconsa:v:52:y:2018:i:1:p:166-196
    DOI: 10.1111/joca.12139
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    Cited by:

    1. Caliendo, Marco & Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Obst, Cosima & Uhlendorff, Arne, 2023. "Risk preferences and training investments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 668-686.
    2. Zhu, Alex Yue Feng, 2019. "Financial risk tolerance of Hong Kong adolescents: A hierarchical model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 193-200.
    3. Yang, Guanyi & Casner, Ben, 2021. "How much does schooling disutility matter?," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 87-95.
    4. Alex Yue Feng Zhu, 2020. "Impact of Financial Education on Adolescent Financial Capability: Evidence from a Pilot Randomized Experiment," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(4), pages 1371-1386, August.
    5. Stuart J. Heckman & Jodi C. Letkiewicz & Kyoung Tae Kim, 2023. "A Fracturing Social Contract? How Perceptions of the Value of Higher Education are Changing," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 156-174, March.

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