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Shane DeGarmo HEOC 803 Benedictine University

Student experiences in for-profit education: A phenomenological study to understand why students attend for-profit institutions of higher education. Shane DeGarmo HEOC 803 Benedictine University. Research Problem.

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Shane DeGarmo HEOC 803 Benedictine University

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  1. Student experiences in for-profit education: A phenomenological study to understand why students attend for-profit institutions of higher education Shane DeGarmo HEOC 803 Benedictine University

  2. Research Problem Much controversy surrounds for-profit higher education. The sector is plagued with allegations of fraud and deceit and subject to criticism due to high tuition costs, increasing student loan debt, low graduation rates, and questionable job placement rates. Despite these factors and negative perception of the sector, enrollment in institutions of for-profit education has grown faster than any other sector in higher education, nearly 228 percent within the last ten years.

  3. Purpose Statement The purpose of this study is to understand why students attend for-profit institutions of higher education.

  4. Research Questions The following questions will guide the research study: • How does marketing and recruiting influence a student’s decision to attend a for-profit college or university? • What role does customer service play in a student’s decision to remain at a for-profit institution? • What are the experiences offered by for-profit institutions that students describe as being most important to ensuring their success? • How do students perceive the value of a for-profit education as opposed to a non-profit one?

  5. Literature Review The following themes have emerged from the literature review to date: differences in non-profit and for-profit education; decision-making theory; motivational theory; challenges to the for-profit sector; and variables that influence decisions (e.g., location, perceived academic quality, perceived ease to complete, program choices/options, program delivery options, preparedness for employment, entry-time into the field).

  6. Emerging Themes Deming et al. (2012) and Steele (2012): Both studies examined the sector and found that some students choose to enroll in for-profit institutions due to the sector’s ability to offer programs at convenient times, locations, and delivery formats; offer focused programs with limited elective choices; and cater to the needs of adult and military students.

  7. Methodology • A qualitative study will be performed to conduct the study. • A phenomenological approach will be taken to better understand one’s experience within for-profit education. • Fifteen to twenty students will be individually interviewed from the same institution. • Students interviewed will consist of first generation students.

  8. Methodology • Interviews will take place at a for-profit two-year career college. • Institution chosen will be one that is authorized by the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents. • This is important since the school will have met the same academic standards for degree programs as the state’s public colleges and universities and other non-profit independent institutions.

  9. Intended Audiences • For-profit industry • Public, and private non-profit sectors • Policy makers • State and national higher education agencies • Students and parents

  10. References Altbach, P. G., Berdahl, R. O., & and Gumport, P. J. (Eds.). (2005). American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Baum, S. and Paye, K. (2011). Trends in for-profit postsecondary education: Enrollment, prices, student aid, and outcomes. Retrieved from http://advocacy.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files 11b_3376_Trends_Brief_4Pass_110414.pdf Berg, G. A. (2005). Reform higher education with capitalism? Doing good and making money at the for-profit universities. Change, 37(3), 28. Deming, D. J., Goldin, C., Katz, L. F., & Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education,and Employment. (2012). The for-profit postsecondary school sector: Nimble critters or agile predators? A CAPSEE working paper. Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment. Hassler, R. P. (2006). The flogging of for-profit colleges. Academic Questions, 19(3), 63-74.

  11. References Kinser, K. (2006). Principles of student affairs in for-profit higher education. NASPA Journal, 43(2), 264. Miller, D. K., & Mupinga, D. M. (2006). Similarities and differences between public and proprietary postsecondary 2-year technical institutions. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 30(7), 565-577. Smith, P. (2010). Working and learning "in the private sector". Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 42(4), 47-48. Steele, J. L. (2012). Military veterans’ experiences in for-profit higher education. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/testimonies/2012/RAND_CT376.pdf Yeoman, B. (2011). The high price of for-profit colleges. Academe, 97(3), 32-37.

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