The Influence of Gift Aid on Degree Completion at a Large, Public University

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: College Student Experiences and Outcomes: Core Curriculum, Career Exploration, Degree Completion (Table 3)

Abstract

This in-progress study addresses the problem of low college completion rates by examining the relationship between gift financial aid and bachelor's degree completion while considering students' race/ethnicity and financial need. Event history analysis is used to analyze 2015-2023 data from a large public university. Preliminary findings suggest that meeting students' unmet financial need with a higher proportion of gift aid is associated with higher rates of six-year graduation. This study is significant because it addresses a gap in the literature by suggesting that not only are larger amounts of gift aid positively associated with graduation, but the exact amount of gift aid in the context of a student's individual financial need is also relevant.

Author

• Caroline Neary, University of Houston