3
framework looks at the in-
fluence of costs and various
forms of financial aid and
working options, highlight-
ing the complex calculus of
students' decisions as they
weigh the pros and cons of
attending and persisting
against an array of funding
dilemmas.
Lower-income students, and to some extent, middle-income students have some unmet financial need that
also contributes to their need (or perceived need) to work. After the expected family contribution, when all
forms of awarded aid are subtracted from the students' budget, the difference is "unmet need." For low-
income students at public two-year colleges, this amount in 1995-96 was $2,704, on average. Compared to
the average of $245 for middle- and upper-income students in 1995 (King, 2002) this large disparity helps
illustrate why lower-income students are under pressure to work. The unmet need for these students ac-
counts for 28% of the annual family income for dependent students, and 40% for independent students,
compared to 1% for middle- or upper-income dependent students (King, 2002). King suggests that stu-
dents who borrowed and worked were more likely to persist than those who worked only (see Display 2).
She also noted that low-
income students who bor-
rowed and worked part time
were far more likely to at-
tend full time year round,
versus the students who did
not borrow and worked,
who were significantly less
likely to attend full time
(27% versus 82%).
If financial aid is important
to access and persistence,
and is evidently linked to
working choices, are stu-
dents with financial need
getting the available aid
that would allow them to
work less? King (2004)
conducted a study to ex-
plore the FAFSA (Free Ap-
plication for Federal Student Aid) application trends and found that large numbers of eligible low-income
students failed to submit a FAFSA application: 1.7 million low- and moderate-income students did not
submit an application, and 850,000 low-income students who did not file would likely have been eligible
for a Pell grant, including both dependent and independent students.
Often, students not entering directly from high school or with low SES or first-generation backgrounds
will
not be aware of or understand the process of application for financial assistance (St. John & Tuttle,
No Degree,
No Enrolled
(%)
Still Enrolled,
Two-year or
Less (%)
Still Enrolled
Four-year
(%)
Attained an
AA or
Certificate
(%)
Working and Borrowing Status
Borrowed, did not work
25.5
8.5
50.4
15.4
Borrowed, worked 1- to 14 hours
10.6
6
78.3
4.4
Borrowed, worked 15 + hours
27.6
16.2
38.5
17.1
Did not borrow, did not work
27.3
18.2
40.9
13.6
Did not borrow, worked 1 to 14 hours
21.4
13.8
58.8
5.4
Did not borrow, worked 15+ hours
42
26.6
22.4
8.8
Hours Worked per Week While Enrolled
none
26.7
14.9
44.1
14.2
1 to 14
15.8
13.2
64.8
5.7
15 to 34
30.6
26.7
31.7
10.8
35 or more
52.8
20.9
14.6
11.6
Display 2.1998 Degree Attainment and Enrollment Status of Beginning
Postsecondary Students by Various First-year Financing Choices
Source: J. King, Crucial Choices, 2002
Public 2-
Year or Less
Public 4-
Year
Private 4-
Year
For-Profit 2-
Year or Less All Insitutions
All Students
$1,455
$1,816
$3,786
$4,073
$2,182
Low Income
$2,704
$3,151
$5,275
$5,193
$3,556
Middle- and Upper Income
$245
$773
$2,881
$1,026
$994
Source: King, Crucial Choices, 2002, p. 19
Average Unmet Need of Beginning Postsecondary Students by Income and Type of
Institution: 1995-1999
Display 1