The Role of Community College Financial Aid Counselors in Helping Students Understand and Utilize Financial Aid

McKinney, Lyle; Roberts, Toya

doi:10.1080/10668926.2011.585112

Cited by 21 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Many community college financial aid offices are severely understaffed (College Board 2010), with counselor-to-student ratios higher than 1-to-1,000 at many campuses (McKinney and Roberts 2012). Clearly this ratio is a barrier to providing thorough and timely advice to each student seeking guidance about using loans.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Helping or Hindering? The Effects of Loans on Community College Student Persistence

McKinney

Burridge

2014

Res High Educ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

More community college students are taking out loans than ever before and their median debt levels are increasing. This trend is disconcerting because community college borrowers are overrepresented among loan defaulters and those who dropout without having earned a degree. While not without criticism, a growing number of community colleges are choosing not to participate in the federal student loan programs, citing a desire to protect their students from future financial hardships. This study used data from the Beginning Postsecondary Student (BPS:04/09) survey and propensity score matching techniques to examine the effects of loans on persistence for students enrolled in associate's degree programs. Results indicated that borrowing during the 1st year had a positive effect on persistence at the end of year one, but had a negative effect on persistence measured three and 6 years after initial enrollment. As community college students assess their prospects for degree completion and the return on their financial investment in higher education, we hypothesize that borrowers are more likely to become dissatisfied with their investment decision than non-borrowers and choose to dropout rather than take on additional loan debt. Findings from this study suggest the need to carefully reconsider current policies and practices regarding loan use among community college students.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Helping or Hindering? The Effects of Loans on Community College Student Persistence

McKinney

Burridge

2014

Res High Educ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As they strive to serve students, community college financial aid offices already face multiple barriers, such as "limited space and resources, staff turnover, communicating effectively with a diverse and dispersed student populations, keeping technology up to date, and making sure the college is compliant with ever-changing regulations" (College Board Advocacy and Policy Center, 2010, p. 4). At many large community colleges, the counselor-to-student ratio in financial-aid offices can be 1:1,000 or higher, making it nearly impossible to provide each student with tailored advice and guidance (McKinney & Roberts, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Collectively, these findings help explain why so many community college students arrive on campus lacking even the most basic understanding of the financial-aid process. A survey of community college financial aid counselors in California, Florida, and Texas revealed that two thirds of the counselors agreed or strongly agreed that their students do not understand what the term financial aid means (McKinney & Roberts, 2012). Similarly, many community college students are unaware that financial aid programs exist and that funding is available to help make college more affordable (Matus-Grossman & Gooden, 2002).…”

Section: Knowledge About College and Financial Aidmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between FAFSA Filing and Persistence Among First-Year Community College Students

McKinney

Novak

2012

Community College Review

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In 2007-2008, approximately 42% of community college students who were eligible to receive Pell grant funding did not file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Using data from the Beginning Postsecondary Student Study, this study examined the relationship between FAFSA filing status and persistence from the fall to spring semesters among first-year community college students. Results indicate that when controlling for other relevant predictors of persistence, filing a FAFSA was associated with higher odds of within-year persistence among all students and was particularly strong for the restricted sample of students enrolled part time. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of the national completion agenda and recent calls to improve the utilization of financial aid among community college students.

show abstract

“…e use of academic advising services has been positive for retention [34,35] and persistence [36] rates. Consulting with financial aid counselors can also positively influence student retention through financial guidance regarding college costs and financial aid [37].…”

Section: Connections With Existing Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in College Engagement Benchmark Scores as a Function of Honors Course Enrollment for Community College Students: A Nationwide Study

Korah

Slate

Moore

et al. 2019

Education Research International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this investigation, the extent to which differences were present in benchmark scores as a function of community college student honors course enrollment status was investigated using data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement. Statistically significant differences were revealed for all 5 benchmark scores (i.e., active and collaborative learning, student effort, academic challenge, student-faculty, and support for learners). Students who had been enrolled in an honors course had benchmark scores that were 9 to 16 points higher than their peers who had not been enrolled in an honors course, reflecting higher levels of scholastic engagement, deeper connections with instructors and peers, and greater use of academic and student support services.

show abstract

The Role of Community College Financial Aid Counselors in Helping Students Understand and Utilize Financial Aid

Cited by 21 publications

References 12 publications

Helping or Hindering? The Effects of Loans on Community College Student Persistence

Helping or Hindering? The Effects of Loans on Community College Student Persistence

The Relationship Between FAFSA Filing and Persistence Among First-Year Community College Students

Differences in College Engagement Benchmark Scores as a Function of Honors Course Enrollment for Community College Students: A Nationwide Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About