| The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the effect of In-State-Resident-Tuition (ISRT) on specific educational outcomes among undocumented immigrant students in California four-year post-secondary public institutions before and after the implementation of ISRT policy, implemented in 2001. The study was framed by human capital theory. Three research questions addressed whether there were differences in enrollment rates, awarded bachelor's degrees, and persistence between two groups: before and after ISRT policy implemented in 2001. Archival data were analyzed for 11 years prior to 2001, and from 2001--2011. The sample was university records for undocumented immigrants for 22 years. The data for the two compared groups were analyzed using independent-samples two-tailed t-tests with unequal variance. The t-tests and p values were [t (17) = 2.110], (SD = 1432), and (p = 3.492) for enrollment. For awarded bachelor degrees they were [t (17) = 2.110], (SD = 117), and (p = 0.0001), and for persistence they were [t (5) = 2.5706], (SD = 159), and (p = 0.008). ISRT policy did not affect enrollment. ISRT policy did affect awarded bachelor degrees and persistence rates. Implications include encouraging California post-secondary institutions to use degree attainment and persistence results to promote enrollment and conducting future research could determine why ISRT policy did not increase enrollment numbers for undocumented immigrant students in California. The study advanced understanding of whether ISRT policy improves postsecondary education for undocumented immigrant students, which is instructive for gauging policy success. |
