Money Matters: The Influence of Financial Factors on Graduate Student Persistence
Vol. 40 No. 3, 2010 p. 4
by Terrell L. Strayhorn
National statistics indicate that approximately 50 percent of all graduate
students fail to complete their degree; thus, understanding the factors that
influence their persistence is an important research objective. Using data from a
nationally representative sample of bachelor's degree recipients, the study aimed
to answer three questions: What proportion of 1992-1993 bachelor's degree
recipients enrolled in graduate school by 2003? Of those, what proportion
persisted in graduate school? Controlling for background and academic differences,
what effect do financial factors have on persistence in graduate school? Descriptive
and hierarchal binomial logistic regression results suest that 36 percent of
bachelor's degree recipients has enrolled in a graduate program by 2003; 74
percent of initial enrollees has persisted by 2003, and financial factors (e.g., total
loan, tuition reduction, deferment status) were related to persistence. Implications
for future policy, practice, and research are highlighted.