Reducing Enrollment Disparities for Prospective Racially Minoritized Graduate Students Through Financial Aid: Evidence from an Online Survey Experiment in the U.S.

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender Roundtable: Mapping Disparities and Creating "Seats at the Table" for Student Access and Success

Abstract

This experimental study examines how financial aid and learning delivery modes (in-person, hybrid, and online) influence graduate school enrollment decisions among racially minoritized adults holding bachelor's degrees. Employing a randomized factorial design, the study assesses enrollment intentions, perceived improvement in job prospects, salary expectations, enrollment status (part-time vs. full-time), anticipated reliance on loans, and expected return on investment. Results indicate that financial aid significantly increases students' intentions to enroll, enhances perceptions of improved job prospects, and influences decisions toward full-time enrollment. Conversely, delivery mode had no significant effect on enrollment decisions or perceived economic outcomes. The study leverages human capital theory and integrates intersectional perspectives to contextualize findings within broader structural inequalities affecting racially minoritized populations.

Authors

• Da'Shay P. Templeton, California Lutheran University

• Ruslan Korchagin, California Lutheran University