Dowd, Alicia and Tarek Coury. 2006. <em>The Effect of Loans on the Persistence and Attainment of Community College Students.</em> Research in Higher Education 47(1): 33&#8212;62.<br />
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Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), including the National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey (NPSAS) and the Beginning Postsecondary Students, Second Follow-up Survey (BPS 90/94), the authors examine the effects of borrowing on persistence and degree attainment among community college students. Dowd and Coury find that loans have a negative association with persistence, as 27 percent of borrowers persist compared to 45 percent of nonborrowers; however, there is no significant effect of loans on degree attainment. Community college students who borrow are more likely to report dissatisfaction with their investment and withdraw from school. The authors observe that current literature on the effects of borrowing on community college students is sparse and that further research is necessary.