Article
Life Happens (Outside of College): Non-College Life-Events and Students’ Likelihood of Graduation
Research in Higher Education
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Publication Version
Accepted Manuscript
Publication Date
2-1-2016
DOI
10.1007/s11162-016-9409-z
Abstract
Students’ lives outside of college can have dramatic effects on academic outcomes (e.g., grades, persistence, graduation). However, the manner in which students’ lives outside of college are referenced in college-effects models suggests some uncertainty among scholars as to which, and how, student experiences outside of an institution affect college student outcomes. Using longitudinal data from a racially diverse sample of 3914 students (997 White, 1051 Black, 915 Hispanic, and 951 Asian) attending 28 institutions, this study employs logistic regression models to examine relationships between three types of non-college life-events and students’ likelihood of graduation. Specifically, we examine the impact of financial disruptions, grieving a friend’s or family member’s death, and other family situations that likely cause psychological distress for students. Results suggest that major life-events are both common (i.e., affecting over 52 % of students) and consequential (i.e., negatively affecting graduation rates), thus warranting increased attention from researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners.
Copyright Owner
Springer Science+Business Media New York
Copyright Date
2016
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Bradley E. Cox, Robert D Reason, Samantha Nix and Megan Gillman. "Life Happens (Outside of College): Non-College Life-Events and Students’ Likelihood of Graduation" Research in Higher Education Vol. 57 Iss. 7 (2016) p. 823 - 844 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robert_reason/28/
This is a manuscript of an article published as Cox, Bradley E., Robert D. Reason, Samantha Nix, and Megan Gillman. "Life Happens (Outside of College): Non-College Life-Events and Students’ Likelihood of Graduation." Research in Higher Education 57, no. 7 (2016): 823-844. The final publication is available at link.springer.com via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11162-016-9409-z. Posted with permission.