Higher education financing and the educational aspirations of teenagers and their parents

Publication type

Journal Article

Authors

Publication date

December 15, 2021

Summary:

We study the impact of higher education financing on the academic aspirations of teenagers and their parents. We exploit a reform which introduced a large increase in the tuition fees universities can charge, more generous support for the poorest students and a more redistributive student loan system, and varied across the UK’s constituent countries. Using rare survey data on post compulsory secondary and university education aspirations, we find that teenagers’ aspirations are not responsive to large changes in higher education financing. In contrast, parents adjust their aspirations, resulting in a reduction of the socio-economic aspiration gap for their children.

Published in

Economics of Education Review

Volume

Volume: 85:102175

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102175

ISSN

2727757

Subjects

#546974

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