Abstract
In this paper we study the impact of distance from home on GPA amongst Northwestern College students and focus on the student-athlete demographic. Using data from 2013 - 2016 freshman admissions, we show that distance is the largest deterrent to freshman GPA amongst student athletes even when compared to financial need and gender. We show that athletic participation alone is not a significant determinant of freshman GPA when previous academic performance and financial need are taken into consideration and held constant. In addition to this, we also show that distance alone is not a major deterrent to GPA, however, amongst student athletes those who are from a long distance are likely to have a GPA 0.171 points lower than their counterparts who come from a short distance. Based on our findings, we suggest that institutions composed of majority student athletes can expect those from a long distance to underperform compared to their short-distance counterparts in freshman GPA and therefore should be focused on when it comes to academic support more so than athletes in general.
Included in
The Impact of Distance from Home on Student-Athlete’s GPA at Northwestern College
In this paper we study the impact of distance from home on GPA amongst Northwestern College students and focus on the student-athlete demographic. Using data from 2013 - 2016 freshman admissions, we show that distance is the largest deterrent to freshman GPA amongst student athletes even when compared to financial need and gender. We show that athletic participation alone is not a significant determinant of freshman GPA when previous academic performance and financial need are taken into consideration and held constant. In addition to this, we also show that distance alone is not a major deterrent to GPA, however, amongst student athletes those who are from a long distance are likely to have a GPA 0.171 points lower than their counterparts who come from a short distance. Based on our findings, we suggest that institutions composed of majority student athletes can expect those from a long distance to underperform compared to their short-distance counterparts in freshman GPA and therefore should be focused on when it comes to academic support more so than athletes in general.