Determinants for Over-duration in Higher Education in Chile

Abstract

Excessive over-duration of studies among undergraduate Chilean students is generating considerable financial and socioemotional damages. The aim of this work is to identify the main causes of excessive duration of studies in order to generate public policy recommendations to reduce the over-duration and mitigate its negative effects. Through a multivariate analysis, a census study of Chilean university graduates during the last decade was carried out to identify the main factors that influence the excess of duration perceived by students. Thus, several patterns were identified in the Chilean case that are aligned with the evidence collected on this subject worldwide. The study reveals that the incentives to finish on time imposed by the possibility of losing a financial benefit makes students with identical characteristics take less time to complete their studies. Therefore, extending the free financial benefit to the years of excess duration would generate an increase in the over-duration among the most vulnerable students.