The purpose of this longitudinal study is to explore the relationship between the national unemployment rate and college enrollment and success outcomes (retention, and completion), controlling for student characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status), as well as state and national economic and institutional factors. The study finds that college enrollment and success outcomes at public 4-year institutions of higher education (IHEs) are impacted in a statistically significant manner by variations in the national unemployment rate. A positive relationship was found between the national unemployment rate and undergraduate enrollment, full-time retention, and college completions. However, the impact differed for students with different characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status). Enrollment in public 4-year IHEs of both males and females was found to increase by 1.2 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively, when the national unemployment rate increased by one percent. Blacks and Whites were found to increase enrollment in public 4-year IHEs by 1 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively, or decrease (American Indian, Asian, and Hispanics) enrollments when the national unemployment rates increased. Finally, enrollments of students from the lowest SES quintiles (Q1, Q2) were found to decrease by more than five percent while the ones from the mid to highest quintiles (Q3-Q5) were found to increase by more than 1 percent when the unemployment rates increased. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2015. / December 3, 2014. / completions, enrollment, retention, unemployment / Includes bibliographical references. / David A. Tandberg, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jinfeng Zhang, University Representative; Brad Cox, Committee Member; Toby Park, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_252922 |
| Contributors | Barbu, Diana G. (Diana Giorgiana) (authoraut), Tandberg, David A. (professor directing dissertation), Zhang, Jinfeng (university representative), Cox, Bradley (committee member), Park, Toby J. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Education (degree granting college), Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (154 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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