Student Debt and Access to Higher Education in Chile

Abstract

This paper analyses whether the fear of indebtedness resulting from going
on to post-secondary education affects potential students’ decisions to
apply for, and enter into, Higher Education; whether there is any relationship
between the fear of indebtedness and the socio-economic level of the
families of potential students; and whether there is an association
between the fear of indebtedness and student performance. This study
shows that the fear of indebtedness for post-secondary studies is not a
limiting factor for young people from lower-income sectors to go on to
tertiary education. The study also shows that availability of loans facilitates
access to Higher Education. These fi ndings contradict the conclusions
of studies by Claire Callender and Jonathan Jackson, who previously
analysed the British case with the same aims.