Financial support from parents can cause lower college grades

[Beliavsky]

<p>[Study</a> finds that increased parental support for college results in lower grades | Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/01/14/study-finds-increased-parental-support-college-results-lower-grades]Study”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/01/14/study-finds-increased-parental-support-college-results-lower-grades)</p>

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A second pattern Hamilton discovered in that study of one dormitory (and that she believes is the case nationally) is that the lowest grades were earned by children whose parents essentially supported them without much discussion of student responsibilities. The negative impact of high levels of parental financial support was mitigated or eliminated by parents who set clear expectations for their children about grades, graduating on time or other issues, she said.

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<p>The paper (only the abstract available for free) is [More</a> Is More or More Is Less? Parental Financial Investments during College](<a href=“http://asr.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/01/03/0003122412472680.abstract]More”>http://asr.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/01/03/0003122412472680.abstract) .</p>

<p>I wonder if financial support from the government or colleges has a similar effect. Parents can create their own “merit aid” by conditioning financial support on academic performance, but a rigid use of college GPA could encourage a student to take easier courses in an easier major.</p>

<p>Laura Hamilton is the co-author of a forthcoming book [Paying</a> for the Party | Harvard University Press](<a href=“http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674049574]Paying”>http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674049574)</p>