IlFinancial Aid Effect on the Matriculation Decisionn

In order to examine the link between offering financial aid and a potential student's decision to attend a particular college, a case study of matriculation and financial aid offerings at a private, four-year liberal arts college in the northeast was undertaken. The study was prompted by a fourth straight year of significant decline in the college's number of entering students. The study focused on entering students for 1985 and 1986. In the course of these 2 years the college modified only one variable: a significant change in financial aid policy. T-tests on all subjects confirmed an acceptable level of homogeneity across the two pools. The 1985 group received awards averaging approximately 78 percent of their estimated need. The 1986 group received significantly higher levels of financial aid across the board and generally had 98 percent of their estimated need satisfied by their financial aid award in the form of institutional grants. Results indicated that the change in financial aid award sum and percent of estimated need for the 1986 group resulted in a significant increase in the rate of matriculation. Included are 3 tables and 15 references. (JB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document