Economic decisions in the financing and timing of higher education

dc.contributor.advisorHamermesh, Daniel S.en
dc.contributor.committeeMemberAbrevaya, Jason I.en
dc.contributor.committeeMemberOettinger, Gerald S.en
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWilliams III, Roberton C.en
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMuller, Chandraen
dc.creatorChenevert, Rebecca Lynnen
dc.date.accessioned2010-10-26T18:53:12Zen
dc.date.available2010-10-26T18:53:12Zen
dc.date.available2010-10-26T18:53:19Zen
dc.date.issued2010-08en
dc.date.submittedAugust 2010en
dc.date.updated2010-10-26T18:53:19Zen
dc.descriptiontexten
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation is a collection of three studies in the field of higher education. Chapter 2 evaluates the higher education tax benefits which began in 1998. This study analyzes whether the tax treatment has caused changes in the enrollment behavior among those eligible. It explores the effects on full time and part time enrollment and the effects of the rule changes in 2002 and 2003, as well as examines how marginal changes in the tax benefits affect the probability of enrollment. There is an increase in overall enrollment which can be attributed to the tax benefits, although the expansion of the program had very small effects and there were very few changes in full time student status due to the program. The second essay examines students who take a break in their schooling but return to school before beginning their careers. This can cause two separate effects; as time passes, they are growing older, maturing and learning about themselves. However, they also risk depreciation of the human capital they have acquired. This study examines these competing effects on outcomes for individuals who took time off between completing their undergraduate studies and attending law school. Results indicate that those who take time off earn higher grades on average, but that the effect on earnings is dependent on what the individual did during the schooling gap. There does appear to be a small but persistent penalty for those who have a gap in schooling. In the third essay, a model is where altruistic parents care about the bundle of goods their children consume is presented and analyzed. The model results in some empirically testable predictions, which are tested using the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS). In particular, students whose parents pay the entire cost of schooling should have a lower return to the amount invested than those who pay some of the cost themselves. However, the data show very little difference in the return to the amount invested between the two groups.en
dc.description.departmentEconomics
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/ETD-UT-2010-08-1571en
dc.language.isoengen
dc.subjectHigher educationen
dc.subjectTax benefitsen
dc.subjectHuman capital accumulationen
dc.subjectEconomics of educationen
dc.titleEconomic decisions in the financing and timing of higher educationen
dc.type.genrethesisen
thesis.degree.departmentEconomicsen
thesis.degree.disciplineEconomicsen
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Texas at Austinen
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen

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