Determinants of access and permanence in higher education: a study applied to the University of Cuenca

The available information shows that there are challenges in income and permanence in the university, which depend on various factors. Therefore, this project aims to evaluate the individual, socio -economic and institutional variables that affect the access and permanence of students in the university. In this way, continuity will be given to a previous project that addressed the design and evaluation of support strategies for high school students, in which disparities were identified in the application grades to higher education at the national level based on variables such as ethnic self -identification, the socioeconomic level and the type of financing of secondary education institutions. To achieve this objective, data will be used at the individual level per student, information that will be provided by the University of Cuenca by 2021. A multilevel analysis will be carried out. The dependent variable will be explained through regression models on a set of covariables. The project will have a positive economic impact, because by identifying the factors that influence access and permanence at the University of Cuenca, strategies that improve these indicators can be proposed, which could contribute to an improvement in the allocation (distribution formula) and use of monetary resources within the institution. Likewise, it will have a positive social impact on the students belonging to a vulnerable group, who face greater limitations to access and remain in higher education in general.

20th UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PROJECT COMPETITION