The Relationship Between Student Loan Debt and Fertility Among Female College Graduates

• In Event: 109 - Student Forum Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Student Forum Roundtable Session. Table 01.

Abstract

This study uses the data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97) cohort to examine the role of educational loans on fertility behavior among college-educated women. The relationship between student loan debt and fertility among female college graduates is explored by employing event history analysis methods to model the impact of the time varying measures of age and debt on first birth. This study reveals those with student loan debt are more likely to have a nonmarital birth than those without educational loans. Surprisingly, this study also reveals that student loan debt among married women also increases their probability of birth. The results provide a foundation for deeper investigation into the heterogeneity that exists among college-educated women in terms of their family formation behaviors.

Author

• Stella Min, University of Colorado-Denver