MESA report examines timing of PSE decision-making

According to new research from the MESA Project, based on the Longitudinal Survey of Low-Income Students, nearly half of low-income students make their decision about whether to attend PSE before they reach Grade 9. The study notes that late deciders are much more likely to leave PSE without graduating, while early deciders are more likely to have savings for higher education. Early deciders spend comparatively less time in paid work and more time studying while in PSE, the report states. The study finds that the timing of students' decision differs across various individual and family characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity, and parental education. College students in the survey sample are much more likely than university students to be late deciders. Read the research brief | Globe and Mail