Family Educational Background Affects Graduate Outcomes
MARITIME PROVINCES HIGHER EDUCATION--Family Educational Background Affects Graduate Outcomes
Maritime university graduates from the class of 1999 are more likely to come from highly educated (bachelor's degree or above) families than their counterparts just three years earlier, says a new study. That marks a rapid change in just three years.
The study, released today, Sept. 15, by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission, also shows that graduates whose immediate family members had high school diplomas or less education are more likely to have borrowed money to complete their education. They are also more likely to have greater accumulated debt and be coping with a significantly greater repayment burden.
Titled A Lasting Legacy: The Impact of Family Educational Background on Graduate Outcomes, the study focuses on first degree holders among the class of 1999 Maritime university graduates.
"The disparity in debt status should not come as much of a surprise -- family educational background is correlated with family income levels, and government student aid programs are specially designed to help those students demonstrating financial need," said Mireille Duguay, commission CEO. "As those students are more likely to need more money and to borrow, they therefore face higher debts on graduation."
The increasing participation among those whose family is more highly educated may, however, be a function of the greater debt that graduates from less-educated families generally have to face to pursue and complete their education.
"Should this trend continue, it raises the issue of whether or not government student loan programs are overburdening the very students who can least afford it. If this trend continues, the implications may very well be a growing aversion to debt, and further decreases in participation by these students," said Ms. Duguay. "It does raise significant concerns in terms of accessibility to university education."
The study found that graduates who obtained their first university degree in 1999 and whose parents had a lower level of education do just as well, or better, in the labour market as their counterparts from more highly educated families.
It also found that family educational background had a lasting impact on a graduate's decision to pursue further study after obtaining their first bachelor's degree.
Specifically, first degree holders who came from a household where the highest level of education was a bachelor's degree or above were 1.4 times more likely to return to school. The likelihood of returning to study is further affected by the borrowing patterns of graduates. Graduates who borrowed a lot of money or who borrowed from a financial institution were less likely to return for further education.
The study, based on data from the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission's Survey of 1999 Maritime University Graduates in 2001, focused on those graduates who had completed their first bachelor's degree in 1999.
The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission was established in 1974 to assist institutions and governments in enhancing the post-secondary learning environment. The commission's 19 members are drawn from the Maritime provinces and represent higher education institutions, provincial governments and the general public.
A copy of the study is available on the commission website at http://www2.mphec.ca/english/pdfs/A_Lasting_Legacy.pdf .