| The effects of college tuition and fees and the impact on student enrollment has been investigated substantially with studies mostly concluding that tuition and fees affect overall higher education enrollment. This study examined the actual difference in resident undergraduate tuition and fees between the 11 state university system institutions and 28 state college system institutions and its effects on enrollment. The difference in fees between types of institution was operationalized as the tuition price difference ratio (TPDR). The purpose of this study examined how enrollment at Florida's public higher education institutions were associated with the TPDR and other state resources including the type of institution, median family income, educational attainment, unemployment rates and Florida state based financial assistance for the years 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010.;The results of statistical analyses were mixed. Overall, the study concluded that there was not a statistically significant association between enrollment and the TPDR; however, there was a negative association between enrollment and the TPDR. Furthermore, the study concluded that one's median family income, educational attainment, and county's unemployment rate were all statistically significant predictors of postsecondary participation. |
