POSTSECONDARY LONGITUDINAL STUDIES

Postsecondary Longitudinal Information can come from: High School Cohort Studies Postsecondary Cohort Studies Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B)

Why postsecondary longitudinal studies? Follows individuals over time regardless of enrollment and attendance patterns Tracks attendance at multiple institutions Shows multiple attendance patterns Shows transfer patterns Shows degree completion or other outcome regardless of number of institutions attended Shows interactions of education and work Tracks changes in career and income

Where do the cohorts come from? National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) Purpose: Describe how students pay for college All levels of postsecondary institutions Undergraduate and graduate students Aided and non-aided students Full- and part-time students Every 3-4 years since 1987 (1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008) Alternating years - BPS and B&B cohorts

Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS) Website:

BPS - Features  Follows a first-time freshmen cohort, instead of a age cohort  Includes older students who delayed entering college  Follows students 2 and 5 years after first enrolling in college  Includes freshmen at all types of institutions

BPS - Cohorts Base Year2 Years Out 4-5 Years Out NPSAS:90  BPS:90/92  BPS:90/94 NPSAS:96  BPS:96/98  BPS:96/01 NPSAS:04  BPS:04/06  BPS:04/09

Why BPS? Primary analytic features--Information on... progress, persistence, and completion of undergraduate programs undergraduate indebtedness career entry for vocational program & degree completers employment/ unemployment patterns civic participation family formation

BPS – Research Issues What percentage of beginning students complete their degree within six year? What are the factors associated with degree completion? How long does it really take to attain a certificate or degree? How is actual attainment related to aspirations? How does overall persistence compare to persistence within individual institutions? Are students who received a certificate or degree working in a job related to their major?

BPS - Analytic concerns Time-censors bachelor’s degree attainment Persistence/progress self-reported Selection of appropriate weight Sample size for some sub-groups of students Different follow-up schedule for different cohort Detailed financial information not available after first year, only self-reported, or record information

BPS - Data Sources NPSAS Institutional records Education department financial aid records Student interview BPS Student interview 2 years after entry Student interview 4 or 5 years after entry Periodic Education department financial aid record updates Test score matches

Why use or not use: BPS:96/01 IssueGrade Comments DemographicsA About 10,000 cases Undergraduate accessF No non-entrants Undergraduate choiceC Limited to choice of sector Undergraduate student financial aidA NCES, ED Records, & self reports Undergraduate persistenceA Spells of enrollments Undergraduate progressB- No transcripts Undergraduate degree attainmentA 6 years after entry Time to bachelor's degreesA 6 years after entry Labor force participationB+ Better for those completing or leaving in < 4 years Undergraduate debtA- Self reports, ED Records Graduate school access & choiceB- 6 years after entry Graduate school persistenceC- 6 years after entry Graduate school student financial aidC- 6 years after entry Graduate school degree attainmentC- 6 years after entry

Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B) Website:

B&B - Features  First time longitudinal study of only bachelor’s degree graduates  B&B:93 cohort was followed up to 10 years after bachelor’s degree completion  B&B:2000 cohort followed up only one year later  Begins where BPS starts to lose power

Base Year 1 Yr Out 4 Yrs Out 10 Yrs NPSAS:93  BB:93/94  BB:93/97  BB:93/03 NPSAS:00  BB:2000/01 NPSAS:08  BB:08/09  BB:08/12 B&B - Cohorts

Why B&B?  Primary analytic features--Information on... graduate school application, attendance, and progress career development/progress for bachelor’s degree completers special emphasis on new teachers-entry into the profession and career path undergraduate and graduate indebtedness civic participation family formation

B&B – Research Issues  How long does it take to complete a bachelor’s degree?  How much do students borrow to complete their postsecondary education?  Do bachelor’s degree recipients enter jobs related to their major field of study?  What percentage of bachelor’s degree recipients attend graduate school?  How do new college graduates who enter teaching as their first career choice differ from those who enter teaching later in life?

B&B - Analytic concerns Graduate study progress self-reported Time to completion for Ph.D. will be time censored Small sample sizes for some post- baccalaureate degrees

B&B - Data Sources NPSAS Institutional records Education department financial aid records Student interview Parent interview (1993) B&B Student interview 1 year after entry (every cohort) Student interview 4 years after entry (1993 cohort) Student interview 10 years after entry (1993 cohort) Periodic Education department financial aid record updates for graduate study Undergraduate transcripts (1993 cohort)

Why use or not use: B&B:93/03 IssueGradeComments DemographicsAOversampled teachers; undersampled business majors Time to bachelor's degreesASelf-report, transcripts Undergraduate course-takingATranscripts Labor force participationA10 years after bachelor’s Undergraduate debtASelf, ED records Graduate school access & choiceA10 year after bachelor’s Graduate school persistenceB10 years after bachelor’s Graduate financial aidB-Self, ED records for loans Graduate degree attainmentB10 years after bachelor’s

Data Availability Data Analysis System (DAS) - Public use: DAS Online -  Restricted:  CD ROM  Electronic codebook (ECB)  ASCII files  To find out more -

DAS Online Go to:

DAS Online Available applications

DAS Online

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Who to contact For general information about each of the surveys, availability of data files, or help with the DAS: Aurora M. D’Amico (202) Technical survey questions: NPSAS James Griffith (202) BPS Tracy Hunt-White (202) B&B Kristin Perry