Influential Factors in College Choice Decisions Among Student-Athletes who Play Football at Division I, Historically Black Colleges and Universities
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Date
2019-11-06
Type of Work
Department
Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy
Program
Doctor of Philosophy
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Abstract
The college choice process for high school students is one of the most emotional and complex processes they will encounter before graduation. This process generally involves many different influential factors including the academic environment of an institution, cost to attend, location, and personal factors (Ellis, 2011). The purpose of this quantitative study was to utilize Hossler and Gallagher’s (1987) college choice theory to investigate the relationship between costs of tuition and level of athletic scholarship, and three college choice factors. Moreover, the current study extended Crowley’s (2004) study on student-athletes competing in athletics at Division I, Historical Black Colleges and Universities (Division I, HBCUs). The Student Athletes College Choice Profile Survey developed by Gabert, Hale, and Montalvo (1999) was used to collect samples of data.
The sample for the research consisted of male student-athletes who play football at Division I, HBCUs in the United States of America. The sample ranged from 18-22 years of age and consisted of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The accessible population was comprised of student-athletes who were intercollegiate football team members at four participating institutions and were accessible when data were collected.
Three research questions were developed to guide the study. To test each research question, a null hypothesis was delineated. The researcher used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software program application to analyze collected sample data. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), correlation, and multiple regression were used as the statistical procedures. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were utilized to summarize and analyze the data.
For research question one, the researcher found that a difference existed between costs of tuition and the three college choice factors. For research question two, the results indicated no significant differences that existed between the level of athletic scholarship and the three college choice factors.
For research question three, the results indicated that costs of tuition was a good predictor of the three college choice factor categories. Finally, the overall findings in the study will contribute to the current body of literature regarding the college choice decisions amongst the population of student-athletes who play football at Division I, HBCUs.