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Family Bonding with Universities

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  • Jonathan Meer
  • Harvey S. Rosen

Abstract

One justification offered for legacy admissions policies at universities is that that they bind entire families to the university. Proponents maintain that these policies have a number of benefits, including increased donations from members of these families. We use a rich set of data from an anonymous selective research institution to investigate which types of family members have the most important effect upon donative behavior. We find that the effects of attendance by members of the younger generation (children, children-in-law, nieces and nephews) are greater than the effects of attendance by the older generations (parents, parents-in-law, aunts and uncles). Previous research has indicated that, in a variety of contexts, men and women differ in their altruistic behavior. However, we find that there are no statistically discernible differences between men and women in the way their donations depends on the alumni status of various types of relatives. Neither does the gender of the various types of relatives who attended the university seem to matter. Thus, for example, the impact of having a son attend the univer-sity is no different from the effect of a daughter.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Meer & Harvey S. Rosen, 2009. "Family Bonding with Universities," NBER Working Papers 15493, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15493
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Meer, Jonathan & Rosen, Harvey S., 2009. "The impact of athletic performance on alumni giving: An analysis of microdata," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 287-294, June.
    2. Monks, James, 2003. "Patterns of giving to one's alma mater among young graduates from selective institutions," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 121-130, April.
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    5. Jonathan Meer & Harvey S. Rosen, 2009. "Altruism and the Child Cycle of Alumni Donations," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 258-286, February.
    6. Ronald G. Ehrenberg & Christopher L. Smith, 2001. "The Sources and Uses of Annual Giving at Private Research Universities," NBER Working Papers 8307, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Brendan M. Cunningham & Carlena K. Cochi-Ficano, 2002. "The Determinants of Donative Revenue Flows from Alumni of Higher Education: An Empirical Inquiry," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 37(3), pages 540-569.
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    12. Cameron Howell & Sarah E. Turner, 2003. "Legacies in Black and White: The Racial Composition of the Legacy Pool," NBER Working Papers 9448, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Florkowski, Wojciech J. & Moon, Wanki & Resurreccion, Anna V. A. & Jordanov, Jordan & Paraskova, Pavlina & Beuchat, Larry R. & Murgov, Kolyo & Chinnan, Manjeet S., 2000. "Allocation of time for meal preparation in a transition economy," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 173-183, March.
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    15. Marc Ground & Steven F Koch, 2008. "Hurdle Models Of Alcohol And Tobacco Expenditure In South African Households1," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 76(1), pages 132-143, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bae, Kee-Hong & Kim, Seung-Bo & Kim, Woochan, 2012. "Family control and expropriation at not-for-profit organizations: evidence from korean private universities," MPRA Paper 44029, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid

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