Away, but not too far from home. The effects of financial aid on university enrolment decisions

Over the past several decades, a large body of research has studied student outcomes in higher education. Among them, many examined the relationships between financial aid and student dropout behavior. But this line of research focuses primarily on the effects of financial aid in general, paying limited attention to the differences in dropout behavior across socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups and how financial aid influences these gaps. In this chapter, I argue that it is important to consider the economic and racial/ ethnic diversity of students when evaluating the effects of financial aid on student dropout. Given the heterogeneous nature of the student population, researchers in higher education need to explore the possible variations in aid effects on dropout risks across different subgroups rather than just specify average effects for the population as a whole. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive conceptual framework and a more appropriate analytic approach are needed. In addition, since St. John et al.’s (2000) extensive review of the economic influence on persistence research, an updated review of this line of research will help us continue to re-conceptualize student departure models from an economic perspective. In this chapter, I develop an alternative approach for investigating the differential effects of financial aid on student departure risks by integrating economic theories with theoretical frameworks from other disciplines. This heterogeneous approach pays particular attention to the role that financial aid plays in reducing dropout risk gaps across income and racial/ ethnic groups. The chapter first describes the importance of examining the variation in the effects of aid on student departure. It then reviews and critiques various theoretical approaches, particularly the economic approach, for examining student dropout risk. Third, although prior empirical studies and methodologies have generally promoted a better understanding of how financial aid affects student departure, they are nevertheless limited. This chapter highlights some of the merits and limitations of prior persistence/dropout literature, and provides a few suggestions for future research. Third, by expanding Heller’s (1997) notion of price-demand, the chapter imports three economic concepts—liquidity constraints, price elasticity, and debt

Through a review of prior research, this chapter argues that knowledge about how student financial aid programs can best promote college enrollment is incomplete in part because existing research does not devote sufficient attention to the “context” in which these programs operate or the ways that context mediates the effects of aid. The chapter begins by explaining the need to increase educational attainment, the ways inadequate finances limit educational attainment, and the role of financial aid in addressing financial barriers. Then the characteristics of student financial aid programs are described and what is known from existing research about the effects of financial aid on college-related behaviors is summarized. A conceptual model for understanding the ways “context” may influence the relationship between financial aid and college enrollment is proposed. Building on this framework, the chapter concludes by offering questions to guide future research, as well as recommendations for fruitful research strategies.

Is accessibility in the eye of the beholder? Social inequalities in spatial accessibility to health-related resources in Montréal, Canada

We discuss the design and implementation of educational programmes aimed at increasing university enrolment. We focus on a means-test policy introduced in the Italian province of Trento, which consists of a monetary incentive in the form of a grant. To reduce inequalities in access to higher education, aid is awarded according to merit and financial need. Previous research has shown that this programme has no effect on the university enrolment. Therefore, our aim is to understand, through examination of a unique data set, why the policy failed; we also argue that the most effective design of educational policies considers the targeted population's demand for higher education, as well as socioeconomic context. In this way, we provide insight into the formalisation and efficacy of the eligibility conditions. Though our research is concerned with a province, our findings have important implications for how educational programmes should be designed and implemented nationwide and abroad.

BackgroundThe National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced in Ghana to ensure equity in healthcare access. Presently, some low and middle income countries including Ghana are using social health insurance schemes to reduce inequity in access to healthcare. In Ghana, the NHIS was introduced to address the problem of inequity in healthcare access in a period that was characterised by user-fee regimes. The premium is heavily subsidised and exemption provided for the poorest, yet studies reveal that they are least enrolled in the scheme. We used a multi-level perspective as conceptual and methodological tool to examine why the NHIS is not reaching the poor as envisaged.MethodsFifteen communities in the Central and Eastern Regions of Ghana were surveyed after implementing a 20 months intervention programme aimed at ensuring that community members have adequate knowledge of the NHIS’ principles and benefits and improve enrolment and retention rates. Observation and in-depth interviews were used to gather information about the effects of the intervention in seven selected communities, health facilities and District Health Insurance Schemes in the Central Region.ResultsThe results showed a distinct rise in the NHIS’ enrolment among the general population but the poor were less covered. Of the 6790 individuals covered in the survey, less than half (40.3 %) of the population were currently insured in the NHIS and 22.4 % were previously insured. The poorest had the lowest enrolment rate: poorest 17.6 %, poor 31.3 %, rich 46.4 % and richest 44.4 % (p = 0.000). Previous enrolment rates were: poorest (15.4 %) and richest (23.8 %), (p = 0.000). Ironically, the poor’s low enrolment was widely attributed to their poverty. The underlying structural cause, however, was policy makers’ and implementers’ lack of commitment to pursue NHIS’ equity goal.ConclusionInequity in healthcare access persists because of the social and institutional environment in which the NHIS operates. There is a need to effectively engage stakeholders to develop interventions to ensure that the poor are included in the NHIS.

This study analyzed the impact of specific types of financial aid on students' college choice, with particular focus on racial differences. For overall student populations, the receipt of grants or a combination of grants with loans had a positive impact on attending first choice institutions. In contrast, having loans only had no significant impact. Going one step further, distinct patterns were found in the effects of financial aid on college choice by racial groups. White students were more likely to attend their first-choice institutions if they received grants or a combination of grants with loans. Asian American students were strongly influenced by having loans or a combination of grants with loans when they decided to attend their first choice of colleges. In contrast, college choices of Latino and African American students were not influenced by financial aid. Implications of the findings for financial aid policy are indicated and future research on the topics recommended.

Many undocumented immigrants come to the U.S. as children. Undocumented immigrant children have a legal right to attend free public primary and secondary schools. However, in most states undocumented immigrants are treated as out-of-state students in public colleges and universities, and are therefore required to pay substantially higher tuition than other state residents. Since 2001, 21 of 50 U.S. states have implemented policies that allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state resident tuition (ISRT) at public colleges and universities. In 12 of these states undocumented immigrants are also eligible for financial aid. In this study we present strong evidence that both ISRT policies and access to financial aid significantly increase the college enrollment and graduation rates of undocumented immigrants but have no impact on the college enrollment or graduation rates of U.S.-born youth. Another important change in immigration policy that affects many undocumented immigrant children is the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA allows undocumented individuals who came to the U.S. as children to obtain legal employment. The potential of being able to work legally in the United States could represent a significant increase in earnings as well as a substantial increase in the perceived benefits of higher education. Our findings present evidence that DACA led to an increase in youth employment and a decrease in college enrollment rates. Further, we find no evidence that the introduction of DACA reduced or increased the positive impact of ISRT and financial aid policies.

The aim of this study was to analyse the occurrence of specific maternal, obstetric or neonatal factors, by performing a comparison between children with refractive error, strabismus and/or amblyopia (cases) and unaffected children (controls) in the province of Trento (north-east Italy). In 2012-2014, 14,346 children attending the second year of nursery school were assessed through the pre-school orthoptic screening scheme (covering 91% of the pre-school population). Record linkage was performed between the orthoptic screening database and birth records (birth confirmation certificate database) for the corresponding birth cohorts (2008-2010), to examine specific maternal factors (age, smoking, nationality/race), obstetric factors (type of delivery) and neonatal factors (gestational age, weight at birth, Apgar score, congenital birth defects, hospitalisation at birth). The correlations were investigated using univariate and multivariate analysis in accordance with the logistic regression method. During orthoptic screening, 6.4% of children were found to have at least one refractive error, with astigmatism being the most common condition (5.1%). 1.9% of children were found to have strabismus and 1.8% amblyopia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of developing a refractive error is associated with: maternal age ≥45 years, foreign nationality, vacuum-assisted delivery and neonatal weight <1500 grams. An excessive risk of strabismus was observed in children whose mother had smoked during pregnancy (adjusted OR 1.64). Pre-school orthoptic screening is a well-consolidated practice in the province of Trento, with adhesion values consistently over 90%. Studies of this type show the potential of record linkage between current information flows.

The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence of specific maternal, obstetric or neonatal factors, by performing a comparison between children with refractive error, strabismus and/or amblyopia (cases) and unaffected children (controls) in the province of Trento (North-East Italy). In 2012-2014, 14,346 children attending the second year of nursery school were assessed through the preschool orthoptic screening scheme (covering 91% of the preschool population). Record linkage was performed between the orthoptic screening database and birth records (birth confirmation certificate database) for the corresponding birth cohorts (2008-2010), to examine specific maternal factors (age, smoking, nationality/race), obstetric factors (type of delivery) and neonatal factors (gestational age, weight at birth, Apgar Score, congenital birth defects, hospitalization at birth). The correlations were investigated using univariate and multivariate analysis in accordance with the logistic regression method. During orthoptic screening, 6.4% of children were found to have at least one refractive error, with astigmatism being the most common condition (5.1%). 1.9% of children were found to have strabismus and 1.8% amblyopia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of developing a refractive error is associated with: maternal age ≥45 years, foreign nationality, vacuum-assisted delivery and neonatal weight <1500 grams. An excessive risk of strabismus was observed in children whose mother had smoked during pregnancy (adjusted OR=1.64). Preschool orthoptic screening is a well-consolidated practice in the province of Trento, with adhesion values consistently over 90%. Studies of this type show the potential of record linkage between current information flows.

This study examined the effect of dual enrollment (DE) on college enrollment and degree completion for students with lower prior academic achievement who attended public high schools in Texas. We employed a propensity score matching method to reduce selection bias arising from DE participation and supplemented the analysis with a bounds test. The results showed that DE students were predicted to have a higher likelihood of entering college immediately after high school by 20 percentage points and completing a degree within four and eight years of high school graduation by 7 and 14 percentage points, respectively, compared to similar students who did not take DE courses. This evidence suggested that DE programs contributed to a reduction in educational inequities in college access and degree attainment for students at risk of academic failure. On the other hand, students who were racial or ethnic minorities and students from low-income families were not only less likely to participate in DE programs but were also predicted to have smaller participation effects on college degree attainment than their counterparts, stressing the need for higher education institutions and partnering school districts to provide more robust support to these underserved students for participating in DE programs and making a successful transition into college.

College departure involves multiple mobility patterns that include lateral transfer (from a four-year to another four-year institution), reverse transfer (from a four-year to a two-year institution), and stop out (taking time out of higher education altogether). This study addresses how financial aid influences the likelihood of such mobility patterns for minority and low-income students. Utilizing data from the Education Longitudinal Survey of 2002, this study found that the effects of financial aid on multiple mobility patterns are similar across students of different income groups. By contrast, non-white students benefit significantly from financial aid, particularly from low-burden aid options (e.g., tuition waivers and grants) in lowering the probability of lateral transfer. No financial aid has a significant effect on changing the likelihood that students reverse transfer or stop out.

Purpose: The present study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the mediating role of maladaptive schemas and emotional expression in the relationship between childhood trauma and sexual intimacy in women from low-income families. Methods: This research was a descriptive-correlational research that was performed by structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the research included all women from low-income families under the coverage of Isfahan City Relief Committee, 209 of whom were selected by convenience sampling method and answered the questionnaires of sexual intimacy Batlani, Ahmadi and Bahrami (2010), Early maladaptive schemas Young (1994), Child Trauma Bernstein and Fink (1998), and Emotional Expressiveness of King &amp; Emmones (1990). Research data were analyzed at two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics, especially structural equation modeling. Results: The findings showed that childhood trauma doesn’t significant effect on the sexual intimacy of married women in low-income families (P&gt;0/05); but it has a significant effect on emotional expression and areas of early maladaptive schemas (P&lt;0/01). Also, among the domains of early maladaptive schemas, only the domain of listening and inhibition has a significant direct effect on emotional expression and emotional expression also has a significant effect on sexual intimacy (P&lt;0/01). In addition, childhood trauma has a significant indirect effect on sexual intimacy only through the domain of deafness and inhibition and emotional expression (P&lt;0/01). On the other hand, childhood trauma affects sexual intimacy by affecting emotional expression (P&lt;0/01). Conclusion: Therefore, childhood trauma can have an effect on sexual intimacy by influencing the field of listening and inhibiting and expressing emotions. Paying attention to the mentioned factors can help improve the level of sexual intimacy of women.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a severe zoonotic neurological disease endemic in northeast Italy since 1992. In the Province of Trento, a sharp increase in TBE incidence has been recorded since 2012, despite the vaccination efforts. To assess current TBE infection hazard in this area, we applied an integrated approach combining the distribution of human cases, the seroprevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in sentinel hosts and the screening of questing ticks for TBEV. A total of 706 goat sera from 69 farms were screened for TBEV-specific antibodies resulting in 5 positive farms, while the location of human cases was provided by the local Public Health Agency. Tick sampling was concentrated in areas where TBEV circulation was suggested by either seroprevalence in goats or human cases, resulting in 2,410 Ixodes ricinus collected and analyzed by real-time RT–PCR. Four tick samples from 2 areas with record of human cases were positive to TBEV corresponding to a 0.17% prevalence in the region, while risk areas suggested by serology on goats were not confirmed by tick screening. Our results revealed an increase in TBEV prevalence in ticks and the emergence of new active TBE foci, compared to previous surveys, and demonstrated the importance of an integrated approach for TBE risk assessment. A phylogenetic analysis of the partial E gene confirmed that the European TBEV subtype is circulating in northeast Italy and suggested that the different Italian TBEV strains originated independently as a result of different introductions from neighbouring countries, presumably through migratory birds.

to investigate vaccine uptake among pregnant women during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. To describe the factors influencing vaccine uptake during pregnancy, comparing sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of pregnant women who were vaccinated during the 2nd or 3rd trimester with those who were not vaccinated, despite having the indication for vaccination. observational study with a cross-sectional approach and prevalence estimation in the population of women who gave birth in the study period, through record linkages between the ministry information flow Birth assistance certificate, the Regional vaccination register and the Italian flow for SARS-CoV-2 infections. the study included all the 4,772 pregnant women living in Trentino (north-east Italy), who were in the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy between the 5th May 2021 and the 28th February 2022 and who delivered in Trentino. vaccine uptake among pregnant women during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy.Results: 33.3% of pregnant women got vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine during the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Independent factors associated with vaccine uptake in the 2nd or 3rd trimester were the mother's citizenship, educational level, occupational status and age. the proportion of women who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy was low. The results are important to start efficient actions to promote vaccination in pregnant women, particularly in the most vulnerable ones (unemployed, foreigners and with a low educational level), who appear to be less vaccinated frequently.

* Abbreviations: ASL — : American Sign Language COVID-19 — : coronavirus disease 2019 ED — : emergency department The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in rapid and large-scale expansion of telemedicine. At a time when physical contact with the medical system poses a risk of infection, telemedicine offers a vehicle for delivering medical care at a safe social distance. It allows for attention to acute concerns as well as routine screening for medical and social needs, which may be heightened during this time. For families with limited resources, telemedicine offers particular advantages, obviating the need for transportation, child care, and additional time needed for in-person office visits. For these reasons, telemedicine has been proposed as a solution to health care inequities in the past and implemented with success in select populations.1 Although the promise of telemedicine is an expansion of access, reliance on technology is likely to highlight existing vulnerabilities and widen disparities if precautions are not taken. Previous reports have outlined how technology-based solutions are highly susceptible to intervention-generated inequalities driven by underlying inequalities in access and uptake.2 Because rollout of telemedicine on this scale is unprecedented, the use of telemedicine in ambulatory settings during this time may illuminate important lessons for the field of telemedicine as a whole. As medical systems have shifted resources … Address correspondence to Michelle W. Katzow, MD, MS, 410 Lakeville Rd, Suite 311, New Hyde Park, NY 11040. E-mail: mkatzow{at}northwell.edu