| Title: |
The Good, the Bad, and the Balanced: A Typology of State Merit-Aid Programs for Community College Students |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Xiaodan Hu (ORCID 0000-0002-8648-0601); Frank Fernandez; Yuxi Qiu; Matt Capaldi (ORCID 0000-0002-5664-3414) |
| Source: |
Community College Review. 2024 52(3):289-314. |
| Availability: |
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
26 |
| Publication Date: |
2024 |
| Document Type: |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges |
| Descriptors: |
Community Colleges; Paying for College; Merit Scholarships; State Aid; Access to Education; State Policy; Student Financial Aid |
| DOI: |
10.1177/00915521241238753 |
| ISSN: |
0091-5521; 1940-2325 |
| Abstract: |
Objective/Research Question: States have increasingly used merit-based criteria to distribute scholarships and grants, and the dominant conversation on merit-aid programs centers on students attending 4-year colleges and universities. This study examines the characteristics of state-funded merit-aid programs for community college students and provides implications for policymaking to promote educational equity. Methods: With a newly collected dataset capturing a variety of program-level features of state-funded merit-aid policies between 2003 and 2021, we used latent class analysis to identify different types of merit-aid programs for community college students. We present a 3-class model based on model fit indices and practical interpretation of policy designs. Results: Findings indicate three classes of merit-aid programs that extended support to community college students: The Community College Marginalizing Programs (n = 47), The Community College Targeted Programs (n = 4), and The Balanced Programs (n = 17). Conclusions/Contributions: Drawing on Mettler's notion of the policyscape, we discuss the characteristics of the three types of merit-aid programs and provide implications for designing merit-aid programs to better support community college students and promote educational equity. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Entry Date: |
2024 |
| Accession Number: |
EJ1426147 |
| Database: |
ERIC |