IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/reihed/v59y2018i3d10.1007_s11162-017-9471-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Financial Aid and College Persistence: Do Student Loans Help or Hurt?

Author

Listed:
  • Serge Herzog

    (University of Nevada, Reno)

Abstract

Using data from two freshmen cohorts at a public research university (N = 3730), this study examines the relationship between loan aid and second-year enrollment persistence. Applying a counterfactual analytical framework that relies on propensity score (PS) weighting and matching to address selection bias associated with treatment status, the study estimates that loan aid exerts a significant negative effect on persistence for students from low-income background (i.e., Pell eligible), and those taking up high amounts of loans in order to meet total cost of attendance, including students who exhausted the available amount of subsidized loan aid. However, no significant incremental effect associated with unsubsidized loan aid, net of subsidized loan aid, could be detected. The estimated effect of loan aid on persistence controls for first-year academic experience and takes into account 26 factors related to loan selection and persistence in order to match students with loan aid to a counterfactual case in covariate adjusted regression. Comparison with results from non-matched-sample analysis suggests selection bias may mask the negative effect of loans detected with matched-sample estimation. Validity of covariates determining the loan selection process and criteria for acceptable balance in the matched data are discussed, and implications for future research are addressed.

Suggested Citation

  • Serge Herzog, 2018. "Financial Aid and College Persistence: Do Student Loans Help or Hurt?," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 59(3), pages 273-301, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:59:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11162-017-9471-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11162-017-9471-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11162-017-9471-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11162-017-9471-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lechner, Michael, 1999. "Identification and Estimation of Causal Effects of Multiple Treatments Under the Conditional Independence Assumption," IZA Discussion Papers 91, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Marco Caliendo & Sabine Kopeinig, 2008. "Some Practical Guidance For The Implementation Of Propensity Score Matching," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 31-72, February.
    3. Booij, Adam S. & Leuven, Edwin & Oosterbeek, Hessel, 2012. "The role of information in the take-up of student loans," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 33-44.
    4. Adam Looney & Constantine Yannelis, 2015. "A Crisis in Student Loans? How Changes in the Characteristics of Borrowers and in the Institutions They Attended Contributed to Rising Loan Defaults," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 46(2 (Fall)), pages 1-89.
    5. Brian C. Cadena & Benjamin J. Keys, 2013. "Can Self-Control Explain Avoiding Free Money? Evidence from Interest-Free Student Loans," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(4), pages 1117-1129, October.
    6. James J. Heckman, 2000. "Causal Parameters and Policy Analysis in Economics: A Twentieth Century Retrospective," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(1), pages 45-97.
    7. Christopher Avery & Sarah Turner, 2012. "Student Loans: Do College Students Borrow Too Much--Or Not Enough?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(1), pages 165-192, Winter.
    8. Ho, Daniel & Imai, Kosuke & King, Gary & Stuart, Elizabeth A., 2011. "MatchIt: Nonparametric Preprocessing for Parametric Causal Inference," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 42(i08).
    9. Meta Brown & Andrew F. Haughwout & Donghoon Lee & Joelle Scally & Wilbert Van der Klaauw, 2014. "Measuring student debt and its performance," Staff Reports 668, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    10. Rong Chen & Stephen L. DesJardins, 2010. "Investigating the Impact of Financial Aid on Student Dropout Risks: Racial and Ethnic Differences," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 81(2), pages 179-208, March.
    11. Singell Jr., Larry D., 2002. "Merit, need, and student self selection: is there discretion in the packaging of aid at a large public university?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 445-454, October.
    12. Matthew T. Johnson, 2013. "Borrowing Constraints, College Enrollment, and Delayed Entry," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(4), pages 669-725.
    13. Joshua Angrist & David Autor & Sally Hudson & Amanda Pallais, 2014. "Leveling Up: Early Results from a Randomized Evaluation of Post-Secondary Aid," NBER Working Papers 20800, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. repec:mpr:mprres:7891 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Scott-Clayton, Judith & Minaya, Veronica, 2016. "Should student employment be subsidized? Conditional counterfactuals and the outcomes of work-study participation," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1-18.
    16. Sekhon, Jasjeet S., 2011. "Multivariate and Propensity Score Matching Software with Automated Balance Optimization: The Matching package for R," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 42(i07).
    17. Stephen L. DesJardins & Dennis A. Ahlburg & Brian P. McCall, 2002. "Simulating the Longitudinal Effects of Changes in Financial Aid on Student Departure from College," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 37(3), pages 653-679.
    18. Benjamin M. Marx & Lesley J. Turner, 2015. "Borrowing Trouble? Student Loans, the Cost of Borrowing, and Implications for the Effectiveness of Need-Based Grant Aid," NBER Working Papers 20850, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Eric P. Bettinger & Bridget Terry Long & Philip Oreopoulos & Lisa Sanbonmatsu, 2009. "The Role of Simplification and Information in College Decisions: Results from the H&R Block FAFSA Experiment," NBER Working Papers 15361, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Matthew T. Johnson, 2013. "Borrowing Constraints, College Enrollment, and Delayed Entry," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 57fc00235c3a47ff92cb253f9, Mathematica Policy Research.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Espinoza, Oscar & Corradi, Bruno & González, Luis & Sandoval, Luis & McGinn, Noel & Maldonado, Karina & Larrondo, Yahira, 2023. "The effects of free tuition on the persistence of university students in Chile," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    2. David B. Monaghan & Olivia K. Sommers, 2022. "And Now for Some Good News: Trends in Student Retention at Community Colleges, 2004–2017," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(3), pages 425-452, May.
    3. Shuyu Qi & Qiutong Ma & Xiaohui Ji, 2022. "The Influence of Financial Aid Systems on Student Academic Development in Higher Education in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-20, October.
    4. Maurice Shirley & Amanda Olsen & Sehee Kim & Michelle Dimino & Mehmet Kaplan, 2023. "Heading in the Right Direction? Examining the Relationship of Transfer Patterns and Income Status on College Student Outcomes," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 64(6), pages 808-833, September.
    5. Silva, Polyana Tenório de Freitas e & Sampaio, Luciano Menezes Bezerra, 2023. "Does student aid make a degree more likely? Evidence of the permanence scholarship program from survival models," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    6. Jason Jabbari & Mathieu Despard & Olga Kondratjeva & Brinda Gupta & Michal Grinstein-Weiss, 2023. "Nothing to show for it: Financial Distress and Re-Enrollment Aspirations for those with non-degreed debt," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 64(1), pages 1-32, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Benjamin M. Marx & Lesley J. Turner, 2019. "Student Loan Choice Overload," NBER Working Papers 25905, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Marx, Benjamin M. & Turner, Lesley J., 2020. "Paralysis by analysis? Effects of information on student loan take-up," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    3. Catherine P. Montalto & Erica L. Phillips & Anne McDaniel & Amanda R. Baker, 2019. "College Student Financial Wellness: Student Loans and Beyond," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 3-21, March.
    4. Lance Lochner & Alexander Monge-Naranjo, 2014. "Student Loans and Repayment: Theory, Evidence and Policy," Working Papers 2014-40, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    5. Fernando Furquim & Kristen M. Glasener & Meghan Oster & Brian P. McCall & Stephen L. DesJardins, 2017. "Navigating the Financial Aid Process: Borrowing Outcomes among First-Generation and Non-First-Generation Students," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 671(1), pages 69-91, May.
    6. Benjamin M. Marx & Lesley J. Turner, 2019. "Student Loan Nudges: Experimental Evidence on Borrowing and Educational Attainment," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 11(2), pages 108-141, May.
    7. Rajeev Darolia, 2016. "An Experiment on Information Use in College Student Loan Decisions," Working Papers 16-18, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    8. Finocchiaro Castro, Massimo & Guccio, Calogero & Rizzo, Ilde, 2023. "How "one-size-fits-all" public works contract does it better? An assessment of infrastructure provision in Italy," EconStor Preprints 270729, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    9. Mueller, Holger M. & Yannelis, Constantine, 2019. "The rise in student loan defaults," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(1), pages 1-19.
    10. Andrews, Rodney J. & Imberman, Scott A. & Lovenheim, Michael F., 2020. "Recruiting and supporting low-income, high-achieving students at flagship universities," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    11. Looney, Adam & Yannelis, Constantine, 2022. "The consequences of student loan credit expansions: Evidence from three decades of default cycles," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(2), pages 771-793.
    12. Dominique J. Baker & William R. Doyle, 2017. "Impact of Community College Student Debt Levels on Credit Accumulation," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 671(1), pages 132-153, May.
    13. Ji, Yan, 2021. "Job Search under Debt: Aggregate Implications of Student Loans," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 741-759.
    14. Elena Mattana & Juanna Joensen, 2014. "Student Aid, Academic Achievement, and Labor Market Behavior: Grants or Loans?," 2014 Meeting Papers 707, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    15. Catherine, Sylvain & Yannelis, Constantine, 2023. "The distributional effects of student loan forgiveness," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(2), pages 297-316.
    16. Buly A. Cardak & Joe Vecci, 2016. "Graduates, Dropouts and Slow Finishers: The Effects of Credit Constraints on University Outcomes," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 78(3), pages 323-346, June.
    17. Henningsen, Arne & Mpeta, Daniel F. & Adem, Anwar S. & Kuzilwa, Joseph A. & Czekaj, Tomasz G., 2015. "A Meta-Frontier Approach for Causal Inference in Productivity Analysis: The Effect of Contract Farming on Sunflower Productivity in Tanzania," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 206200, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. Juan Cándido Gómez Gallego & María Concepción Pérez Cárceles & Laura Nieto Torrejón (ed.), 2017. "Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación," E-books Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación, Asociación de Economía de la Educación, edition 1, volume 12, number 12, April.
    19. Wendimu, Mengistu Assefa & Henningsen, Arne & Gibbon, Peter, 2016. "Sugarcane Outgrowers in Ethiopia: “Forced” to Remain Poor?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 84-97.
    20. Finocchiaro Castro, Massimo & Guccio, Calogero & Rizzo, Ilde, 2023. "“One-size-fits-all” public works contract does it better? An assessment of infrastructure provision in Italy," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 45(5), pages 994-1014.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:59:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11162-017-9471-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.