Hidden Costs: Understanding the Financial Implications of Incentivizing Full-Time Enrollment among Community College Students

ABSTRACTUsing data from students and academic advisors at one of the nation’s largest community colleges, our qualitative study examined the cost-related implications of efforts to increase full-time enrollment rates. Findings pinpoint several key interrelated financial factors that heavily influence students’ assessment of the risk and rewards of pursuing full-time enrollment. Our data show the cost-related factors students consider when determining the number of credit hours in which to enroll can be understood across three areas: 1) school-related costs, (2) living-situation costs, and (3) academic-performance costs. Findings demonstrate that while academic advisors do consider financial constraints when determining advisement on credit-hour enrollment, the advisors primarily advise based on students’ time and family constraints as well as employment status and academic preparation.