Is Chilean Tuition Free Program Having a Positive Impact on Higher Education Persistence Rates? Student Perceptions about University Experiences

Abstract

This qualitative study analyzes the perceptions of students recipients of free tuition from 11 Chilean universities about their persistence in university. Through a content analysis, three dimensions of the phenomenon were identified. First, students' free tuition facilitates their persistence in economic, academic and mental health terms. Second, difficulties in social integration within the more elitist private universities are expressed as a result of socioeconomic and cultural differences with the traditional profile of their student body, associated with a higher socioeconomic background. This situation puts persistence at risk. Third, the discourses express the sense of responsibility assumed by students beneficiaries of free tuition with respect to their studies and communities. These results allow a better understanding of perceptions from the students recipients of the free tuition policy. Because of these perceptions, it is necessary to make some adjustments to the free tuition policy, particularly with regard to its duration and to the possibility of complementing it with maintenance benefits.