Off-campus UNL users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your NU ID and password. When you are done browsing please remember to return to this page and log out.
Non-UNL users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
External support factors related to persistence of older female college students
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between external support factors and persistence of women aged 25 and older who enrolled for credit coursework at four year, urban institutions of higher education in the Fall of 1993 for the first time. External support factors were divided into two categories, family and employer. Support in both categories was identified as verbal, financial or other. Persistence was defined as the decision to re-enroll at the same institution for the Spring, 1994 semester. The design of the study was completed in two phases. The research method that was utilized in the first and major phase was a twenty-nine item questionnaire that was mailed to the respondents. The survey solicited information on demographics, employment and educational status. The second phase involved working with the institution to determine who of the respondents re-enrolled for the Spring, 1994 semester. Statistical analysis of the results was completed using the Contingency Coefficient test, to determine not only if there was a relationship between the variables but also to determine the magnitude of the relationship. Statistical significance was found between employer support and persistence, and ways employers hinder educational efforts and persistence. As for the three research questions, no relationship was found between family support and persistence. Conflicting relationships were found between employer support and persistence. Family educational levels appear to have no bearing on the persistence of the respondents.
Subject Area
Higher education|Womens studies
Recommended Citation
Henry, Rita M, "External support factors related to persistence of older female college students" (1994). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9430170.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9430170