The reasons a student may choose to enroll and matriculate at a particular postsecondary institution are many. Yet a sense of belonging and a strong emotional connection often supply all the incentive students need. Campus environments play a central role in the college choice process as the ecology, climate, and culture of an institution…

There is a little information about whether and if so how student aspirations for college change over time. We introduce a conceptual model to explain how student aspirations may change over time, utilize panel methods to examine the extent to which this happens during high school, and investigate which factors are associated with such changes. We…

This study used data from online focus groups collected from November 2014 to April 2015 to understand college students' decision-making processes when borrowing money to finance their education. Data were collected using an online course management system. Results suggest that (a) students relied heavily on advice from parents, guidance…

This section shares recent dissertations and theses with the "Journal of International Students" readers. There were about 139 graduate dissertations and theses related to the issues and challenges of international students in 2016. The complete versions of these selected dissertations are available in the ProQuest, Michigan-based…

Private and public 2-year technical colleges survive side-by-side within the same communities. However, little is known about their characteristics, similarities and differences. The question is whether the 2-year technical institutions are duplicating each other, or are they significantly different in their missions, admission requirements,…

A longitudinal study compared Indiana ninth graders (n=178) with and without postsecondary education plans. Results indicate decided and undecided students can be differentiated by the amount of time spent thinking about postsecondary options, amount of information received regarding those options, academic achievement, and student and parent…

A study investigated the variables associated with high school students' sensitivity to tuition in the college-choice process, interaction of tuition and student aid, relationship of family and student characteristics to this sensitivity, and the roles of student perceptions and student institutional connections in price sensitivity. Subjects were…

A model of college student choice for male and female ninth graders using LISREL is examined. Variables examined included parents' expectation regarding higher education for their children, parents' savings for college, students' discussion of college with their parents, and students' aspiration for postsecondary education. (Author/MLW)

National Merit scholars from Indiana were surveyed to determine where they went to college and how they paid for their education. Many respondents expressed bitterness because, although among the best and the brightest, they had received no financial aid due to family income. Corporations should provide scholarships for this group. (RM)