About the project
The Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit designed a study to examine the relationships among financial aid, retention, stop-out and graduation rates for online students. Although previous research has established a positive relationship among these factors with on-campus students, these relationships have not been studied with online students.
About the data
Desiree Gray, OSU Graduate
Data for this study included first-time or transfer students at Oregon State University from five cohorts spanning 2013-2018. Graduation, retention and stop-out rates were measured up to and including the winter quarter of 2020.
Key findings
- Online students who received more total financial aid had a higher probability of graduating and a lower probability of stopping out, with some variations by cohort.
- Part-time vs full-time enrollment status was a significant predictor of the probability of stopping out in all five cohorts and a significant predictor of the probability of graduating in four of the five cohorts.
In the 2013-14 and 2014-15 cohorts, full-time students were more likely to graduate or be retained at every level of aid compared to part-time students.
Implications
- These results underscore the need for investments in financial aid for online students.
- While full-time students benefit from financial aid in any amount, the benefits of increased financial aid amounts may be more pronounced for part-time students.
Publication
This study was published in the Journal for Financial Aid in October 2025.
