Parental Financial Support and College Persistence

Melissa H. Humphries, University of Texas at Austin
Molly Dondero, University of Texas at Austin

This study uses the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study to examine the contribution of parental financial support to the racial/ethnic disparities in selectivity of college and college completion. Specifically, it asks: 1) How do the patterns of financial aid and need differ by race/ethnicity among post-secondary students in the U.S.? 2) Are there race/ethnic differences in parental financial support for college? 3) Do patterns of parental financial support help explain the race/ethnic differences in college completion? 4) Does parental financial support differentially affect choice of college and college completion for students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds?