The effect of local labor market conditions in the 1990s on the likelihood of community college students’ persistence and attainment |
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| Authors: | Gregory S Kienzl Mariana Alfonso and Tatiana Melguizo |
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| Institution: | (1) American Institutes for Research, 1990 K St, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20006, USA;(2) Research Department, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, USA;(3) Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA |
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| Abstract: | This study analyzes the influence of local labor market conditions on the year-to-year persistence and attainment decisions
of a sample of traditional-aged students who attended community colleges during the 1990s. The findings suggest that the enrollment
and attainment decisions of these first-time community college students were not made purely as a response to changes in tuition
costs, but rather the result of a more interconnected process whereby changes in tuition, local labor market conditions, and
the relative change in both are considered. For those who are sensitive to these relative costs, the likelihood of dropping
out is increased. Of those who remained enrolled, the evidence suggests that an increase in tuition appears to provide an
incentive or extra motivation to finish a degree, especially an associate’s degree. This finding does not support the raising
of in-state tuition to improve student outcomes; rather it draws attention to the complexity involved in student persistence
and attainment decision-making. |
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| Keywords: | community colleges local labor markets persistence attainment commuting zones |
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