Journal of Student Financial Aid
Short Title
Unsubsidized federal loans and six-year degree attainment by income
Abstract
This study examined the effects of unsubsidized federal Stafford loans on six-year degree attainment at 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S., and how these differentially impact students across income groups. For this, nationally representative data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS:04/09) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) was merged to analyze N=6,561 students attending n=651 four-year institutions. To account for possible selection bias in loan borrowing and the nested data structure, this study employs a propensity score matching, multilevel modeling approach. In addition to financial aid measures, the analytic model draws from the heterogeneous research approach and incorporates students’ college experiences and institutional context to estimate effects. Results reveal a comparatively large, negative association with the outcome measure for low-income students. For every $1,000 borrowed additionally in unsubsidized loans, low-income students are found to be 5.45% (p
Recommended Citation
Franke, Ray
(2019)
"Take It, or Leave It? Analyzing How Unsubsidized Federal Loans Affect Six-Year Degree Attainment Across Income Groups,"
Journal of Student Financial Aid: Vol. 48
:
Iss.
3
, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55504/0884-9153.1666
Available at:
https://ir.library.louisville.edu/jsfa/vol48/iss3/2
Included in
Education Economics Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons