THE NEXUS BETWEEN COLLEGE CHOICE AND PERSISTENCE

Initial student commitments have long been considered an influence on persistence, but the reasons why students choose to attend a college h ave seldom been considered as dimensions of initial commitments that c ould influence persistence processes and outcomes. This study used NPS AS-87 to examine the influence of finance-related reasons for choosing a college on persistence decisions. The findings include (1) finance- related choices have direct and indirect influences on whether student s persist in college; and (2) market-based, monetary measures of finan cial aid, tuition costs, housing costs, and other living costs have a substantial direct effect on persistence.