ERIC Number: ED651382
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 207
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3819-7512-3
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Strategic Enrollment Management, Tuition Discounting, and Student Enrollment by Income: A Test of Demand Theory
Rocky Christensen
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Missouri - Columbia
This study applies demand theory to investigate how college discounting practices impact student enrollment across income categories for members and affiliates of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. The dependent variable for this study, student enrollment by income category, comes from the Student Financial Aid and Net Price Survey in IPEDS. The independent variables fall into several key categories that form the foundation for demand theory including institutional cost, taste and preferences, competitors prices, institution level covariates, and year effects covariates. The study presents three models that all used log-log fixed effects regression to understand how control variables, and competitors' prices provide greater explanatory power. The results indicate that the third model, which had both control variables and competitors' prices, provided the highest R[superscript 2] value and the most statistically significant results. The results from the regression demonstrated that students form different income categories had varying elasticities in response to price paid and the decision to enroll. Students who are inelastic have a result number that is less than 0 and are more likely to enroll as price increases. Students who are elastic have a result number that is greater than 0 and are less likely to enroll at the colleges in this sample. The results from this study show that students from families with incomes less than $110,000 were inelastic, whereas the highest income category of students with incomes greater than $110,000 were elastic. This showed that families with less than $110,00 of total family income would continue to enroll at increase rates as price increased opposed to higher income peers who would choose to enroll at another college if the average net price increased for the. These elasticity values show a difference from 0 either positive or negative that never exceeded 0.37. These values are moderate, and indicate a less pronounced sensitivity to price fluctuations. The findings from this study provide insight that can equip researchers with future research on topics like Strategic enrollment management, tuition discounting, demand theory, College enrollment by income categories, CCCU student enrollment behavior. Before the initiation of this research project, no studies had been conducted on IPEDS data categorized by income, using net price as a metric to gauge price responsiveness at CCCUs. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Tuition, Enrollment Management, Enrollment, Income, Need Analysis (Student Financial Aid), Student Financial Aid, School Choice, Higher Education
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
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