Degree Completion Hindered by Work and Family Responsibilities
From the December 2009 Issue of InFocus (PDF)
The prevailing wisdom as to why most students start but do not finish college is because they cannot afford it, are not prepared for the academic rigors, or do not value education as much as those students who complete college. Yet a report by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Public Agenda reveals that the primary reason students cite for leaving college is balancing work and school. The challenge of simultaneously juggling work, family, and education is more daunting for most of these students than being able to pay for college – and has implications for the benefits and services that students need to complete their degrees.
The college students of today are vastly different then the “traditional” college student of yesteryear. According to U.S. Department of Education figures, only 20 percent of students at two-year institutions receive a degree within three years, and only about 40 percent of students who begin at four-year institutions earn a degree within six years. Among students in four-year institutions, 45 percent work more than 20 hours per week. Only 25 percent of students attend the sort of residential college that most people associate with the traditional college experience. Nearly one-quarter of college students have dependent children.
The Public Agenda report, “With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them” is based on data collected from a nationally representative sample of 22-30 year-olds who have at least some postsecondary education. More than 50 percent of students who dropped out of college cited balancing work and school as the primary reason for leaving school, compared with only 31 percent who cited being unable to afford tuition as the primary reason. Among those students who had dropped out of college, 56 percent said that the primary reason it would be hard to go back to school is the need to work full time, followed by 53 percent citing family commitments, and only 26 percent stating they could not afford tuition.
Most students who do not complete their degree program are financially independent. Nearly 60 percent of students who left college without graduating indicated that they had to pay for college themselves, compared with 37 percent of students who completed their degree. Only 31 percent of the students who left school had received a scholarship or financial aid, compared with 57 percent of those students who graduated. Nearly 70 percent of those students who did not graduate took out loans of some sort, compared with 51 percent of those who graduated. The accompanying graph compares characteristics of students who received financial support from parents or other relatives, compared with students who did receive such support. The financially independent students are more likely than financially dependent students to choose their college based on proximity and flexible class schedules, and less likely to have received a scholarship or financial aid.
While much of the public focus has been on making more loans available and keeping tuition costs down, most students who dropped out of college support options that will help them overcome the challenges of working and going to school simultaneously. When asked which options would help students compete their degrees, more than 80 percent of students who dropped out indicated that allowing part-time students to qualify for financial aid would “help a lot;” followed by offering more courses during weekday evenings, weekends, and summer (78 percent); cutting the cost of tuition by 25 percent (78 percent); having the government offer more loans (76 percent); and providing day care for students who need it (76 percent). Many professional and continuing education organizations offer flexible class schedules and some offer day care, but allowing part-time students to qualify for financial aid will require action by the federal government. It’s time for financial aid policies to reflect the realities of the students that these policies are meant to serve.
—Timothy Sloate
| 
