Effect of an Internet Grant on Student Retention During COVID-19

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• Effect of an Internet Grant on Student Retention During COVID-19
• Ximena Burgin and Beth Ingram (bio)

In spring 2020, a worldwide pandemic caused many postsecondary institutions to pivot from face-to-face to online learning for the remainder of the semester. While some institutions reverted to face-to-face teaching in fall 2020, many institutions mainly remained online. As a result, the effect of students’ disparate access to enabling technology like internet services became more apparent. A fall 2020 study (Gierdowski, 2021) of more than 8,000 students at 54 institutions reported that 36% of students indicated “they always, very often or sometimes struggled to find an internet connection that met their academic needs” (para. 1). In addition, students reported sharing internet connections with siblings and parents, slowing down access for downloads and class participation. Students who relied on mobile phones for access cited affordability as a concern, noting mobile plans with limited data access.

Concurrently, institutions faced financial burdens associated with the pandemic, so the federal government made funding available to support students and institutions of higher education. The state of Illinois distributed a portion of those relief funds through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) initiative, a competitive process designed to “support the students’ progress toward degree completion by closing digital equity gaps” (IBHE, 2020, p. 1). Through this competitive grant program, the state awarded nearly $500,000 to a regional public institution (RPI). A portion of those funds was allocated to providing internet grants to students who might not have reliable service and needed better or faster service to meet academic requirements. Interested undergraduate students were required to apply for the grant, which was widely advertised on campus (NIU Today, 2020), and RPI relied on advisors, resource centers, and faculty to refer students for the grant. The application asked students to self-report a need for new or upgraded internet services. Students who lived on campus were not eligible for the grant because internet service is available in residence halls, classrooms, and other spaces. RPI did not require proof of purchase or upgrade of internet services for the cash grant.

This study investigated the influence of the GEER internet grant on student persistence or graduation in the academic year after the grant was awarded and was guided by the question, “Was there a significant difference in student retention or graduation between GEER internet grant recipients and non-recipients?” [End Page 721]

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Study Variables

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The framework that underlies this analysis is rooted in the concept of human capital and the role of higher education for both social mobility and societal benefit. Schultz (1961) first proposed the theory of human capital as a means for societal economic growth and discussed the role of education in developing human capital. Human capital encompasses the skills, learning, and knowledge of a population or individual. It is acquired through deliberate spending of time and resources on education, training, and other such activities. Becker (1962) further developed the theory and argued that education improved human capital for individuals and society. Subsequent research confirmed the value of a college degree for earnings (Carneiro & Lee, 2011; Katz & Murphy, 1992).

However, the economic benefit of a college degree is realized after graduation, and students are often unable to finance that education in advance of the increase in earnings. The financial aid system is one method to address this issue. Financial aid certainly increases the probability of enrollment in a postsecondary institution (Dynarski & Scott-Clayton, 2013). Financial aid also increases retention. In a meta-analysis of 42 studies, Nguyen et al. (2019) also established that grant programs “increase the probability of student persistence and degree completion between two and three percentage points” (p. 1). The studies analyzed by Nguyen et al. provided grants of various sizes, from less than $300 to more than $19,000. Some grant programs had merit, need, or demographic attribute criteria. The researchers found that need-based programs had larger effect sizes than merit-based programs, and additional forms of support (e.g., faculty advising and academic support) enhanced the effect of the grant. Finally, Johnson (2013) found that tuition subsidies...