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Student perceptions of the impact of their merit-based financial aid on their college experiences

Orefice, Brian Mark

Abstract Details

2007, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Educational Policy and Leadership.
The purpose of this study is to explore how students perceive their college experiences have been impacted by the merit-based aid they receive. The study population consisted of 518 seniors at The Ohio State University that receive some form of merit-based aid. The survey instrument, Perceptions of the Impact of Merit-Based Aid Questionnaire (PIMBAQ), was designed specifically for this study, and was administered as a web-based survey to the population. Questions were derived from general themes that emerged about academic and social integration from the literature review on student retention, themes generated through several focus groups, topics of interest from several instruments, and the researcher’s personal experiences and insights. The 63-item PIMBAQ is divided into four sections or constructs (plus a summary section) and includes scale and free-response items related to issues involved with 1) recruitment, 2) academic integration, 3) social integration, and 4) postgraduate plans. Demographic characteristics were collected and summarized for the purposes of describing the participants and dividing them into comparison subgroups. Specifically, merit-aid level, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, and program type (Honors or non-Honors) were collected for the survey population. The aggregate results of this study yielded a rather normal distribution of sample means; however, the most interesting results were discovered through analysis of the segmented data. Quantitative analysis of the items on the PIMBAQ revealed that the sample mean of three populations (merit-aid level, race/ethnicity and program type) evidenced statistically significant differences from their comparison group. Specifically, certain demographics emerged as reporting a higher sample mean as compared to the aggregate data – students that receive substantial merit-based aid, minority and Honors students. For each of the three groups, the reported impact of the merit-based aid was evident in the recruitment, academic, extracurricular and postgraduate sections of the study. This study supports the idea that merit-based aid has an impact beyond recruitment for these student populations. Therefore, the debate surrounding changes in merit-based aid policy should focus on the entirety of students’ college experiences.
Ada Demb (Advisor)
296 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Orefice, B. M. (2007). Student perceptions of the impact of their merit-based financial aid on their college experiences [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1187024773

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Orefice, Brian. Student perceptions of the impact of their merit-based financial aid on their college experiences. 2007. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1187024773.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Orefice, Brian. "Student perceptions of the impact of their merit-based financial aid on their college experiences." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1187024773

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)