ERIC Number: ED513711
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 160
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: ISBN-978-1-1096-0985-1
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Business Cycles and Postsecondary School Enrollment
Samitamana, Ravi
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Illinois at Chicago
Human capital theory suggests that the opportunity cost is lower during an economic recession which in turn encourages a person to enroll in a postsecondary educational institution. At the same time, the ability to pay the direct costs of education is reduced. The two effects work in an opposite direction. Using unemployment rates as a business cycle indicator this thesis examines the effect of unemployment on the enrollment and its components in postsecondary degree-granting institutions, Enrollment is subdivided by gender, institutional control, full-time and part-time status, and first-time freshmen and continuing student enrollment. The data are from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from 1948-2005. This thesis shows that there is a strong short-run procyclical relationship between the change of the unemployment rate and postsecondary institution enrollment when using time series data. The relationship is highly significant and robust to different specifications. The control variables have their expected signs. The business cycle has higher impact on male than female enrollment, full-time than part-time enrollment, public institution than private institution enrollment, continuing student than first-time freshmen enrollment, and 2-year institution than 4-year institution first-time freshmen enrollment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Human Capital, Social Theories, Economic Climate, Educational Opportunities, Enrollment Influences, Enrollment Rate, Postsecondary Education, Unemployment, Incidence, Relationship
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A