Browsing by Author "Conger, Dylan"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    The Effect of Price Shocks on Undocumented Students’ College Attainment and Completion
    Conger, Dylan; Turner, Lesley J. (University of Maryland, 2015-11-01)
    This article examines the effect of a price shock caused by the temporary removal of in-state tuition benefits on the attainment of undocumented immigrants enrolled in a large urban college system using a difference in-differences identification strategy. The 113 percent one-semester tuition increase led to an 8 percent decrease in reenrollment and a similarly sized reduction in credit accumulation. Furthermore, students who entered college the semester prior to the price shock experienced lasting reductions in attainment, including a 22 percent decrease in degree receipt. Conversely, among students who were enrolled for at least a year, the price shock only affected the timing of college exit. The results suggest that public subsidies that lower college prices can increase degree completion among resource-constrained students who have made the decision to enroll in college, with larger benefits accruing to those who are early in their college careers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Undocumented College Students in the United States: In-State Tuition Not Enough to Ensure Four-Year Degree Completion
    Conger, Dylan; Chellman, Colin C. (The Institute for Education and Social Policy, 2013-03-01)
    This report provides a comparison of the performance of undocumented students to that of U.S. citizens and other legal migrants using restricted-access data from one of the largest urban public university systems in the U.S. where many undocumented students are eligible for in-state tuition. Overall, undocumented students perform well in the short-term, earning higher grades and higher rates of course and associate degree completion than their U.S. citizen counterparts. But undocumented students are less likely to earn their bachelor's degrees within four years. This finding suggests that, despite their earlier college successes and their access to in-state tuition rates, at some point after enrollment, undocumented students experience higher costs to completing their bachelor’s degrees than they had anticipated upon enrollment. We offer a number of policy considerations for university officials and policymakers who aim to help undocumented college students succeed in postsecondary institutions.