STUDENT FINANCIAL AID IN MONGOLIA: THE EFFECT ON BACHELOR’S DEGREE COMPLETION
Open Access
- Author:
- Sukhbaatar, Javzan
- Graduate Program:
- Higher Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- November 17, 2006
- Committee Members:
- Donald E Heller, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
David Post, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Edgar Paul Yoder, Committee Member
Regina Deil Amen, Committee Member
John C Weidman, Committee Member - Keywords:
- higher education
comparative education
student financial aid
developing nations
education finance
educational policy - Abstract:
- ABSTRACT This study investigates the relationship between background, college experience, and financial aid variables and baccalaureate degree completion for a cohort of students enrolled in six public colleges and universities in Mongolia. A specific aim of this study is to determine the extent to which the receipt of financial aid influenced degree attainment and if this influence varied by different types of financial aid, apart from, and in combination with, background and college experience variables. The status data as of Fall 2005 for the students enrolled in the fall 2000 served as the target population of the study. The sample consisted of 4,398 cases and an imputation resulted in a dataset of 4,821 cases. Analysis methods include descriptive statistics and two models of logistic regression for both sample and imputed data. The study finds that aid recipients are 11-14% more likely to complete their undergraduate degree than non-recipients, and this effect varies by types of aid. Need-based grants have the greatest impact, followed by loans. Merit-based grants had the smallest impact on degree completion. Other significant predictors are college GPA, field of study, institution, residence, and parents’ occupation. The study suggests that: a) the impact of receiving financial aid may be enhanced in a low-income and transitional context and when linked to tuition level; b) need-based tuition grants are the most effective, and c) soft loans may be as effective as grants if linked to tuition and directed towards low-income students.