Income-Share Agreements and U.S. Postsecondary Education Finance: Individual, Organizational, and Systemic Perspectives

• In Event: School Finance Policy, Equity, and Resource Allocation: Evidence From K–12 and Higher Education

Abstract

This exploratory multiple case study examines an emerging finance tool known as income-share agreements (ISA) across five different sectors of postsecondary education. The purpose of this study is to understand how ISA influence student and institutional behavior. Initial analysis revealed five individual level findings: 1) ISA’s contribute to full-time enrollment, 2) ease of access, 3) the administrative (in)consistency influence students’ use, and 4) a wide variation in students’ understanding of requirements and regulations. We further found wide variation in the organization of ISA across institutions, suggesting ISA can be configured and perhaps regulated to specific goals and purposes.

Authors

• Ryan Evely Gildersleeve, University of Denver

• Alice Eunjung Lee, The University of Arizona

• Becket C Duncan, University of Denver