Earning a college degree in the United States, especially from a college or university deemed elite or prestigious, is seen as the path to a more financially secure and prosperous life for the student and their family. Competition for financial aid or admission to top-ranked colleges and universities is fierce. For this reason, families of all…

This dissertation investigates the impact of information and policy on the efficiency of higher education financing, particularly for low-income students in Latin America. Through three empirical studies, it addresses the barriers posed by information asymmetries and institutional discretion in student loan and college admission processes and…

The major topic considered for this qualitative research study was the identification of the factors that encourage women, according to the female athletes themselves, to make the four- season commitment as players on an intercollegiate sports team at the Division III level (D-III). More specifically, this study focused on the reasons that caused…

This dissertation consists of three chapters examining issues relevant to current higher education policy debates. In the first chapter, I use surveys, in-depth interviews, and administrative records from a sample of Wisconsin Pell Grant recipients who chose among Wisconsin public colleges and universities to explore whether students' initial…

Recent studies have revealed how large shares of college-ready students "undermatch", or enroll in colleges with less competitive admissions processes than they are eligible to attend. Undermatch sits at the nexus of both college access and completion agendas, as undermatching to a less selective institution results in a decreased…