Application Behavior as a Consequential Juncture in the Take-Up of Postsecondary Education

Abstract

The submission of an application, while typically required to access a public program, has generally been taken for granted as an inconsequential step in the process through which an individual pursues a program or policy’s benefits. The burden that submitting an application represents, however, is increasingly of interest to researchers who disentangle and expose the administrative and behavioral barriers that applications represent. Drawing from multiple disciplines, this dissertation explores application behavior as a consequential juncture in the take-up of postsecondary education. Each chapter assumes that an enhanced understanding of how individuals submit postsecondary applications can inform public programs and policies designed to improve postsecondary access through targeting this behavior.