Do college students demand lower tuition for online learning? Empirical evidence from choice experiments during COVID-19

H. Holly Wang, Yizhou Hua and Christine Wilson

Education Economics, 2025, vol. 33, issue 2, 293-310

Abstract: To address student concerns about full tuition rates while taking online courses during COVID-19, we conducted choice experiments at a representative U.S. land-grant university to elicit students’ willingness-to-pay for alternative course delivery modes. Results show that students demanded 30% and 7% tuition discounts for fully online and hybrid learning, respectively. A welfare analysis further reveals that 63% of the total welfare loss during Fall 2020–Spring 2022 was compensated for by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) funding. Based on our findings, we suggest measures to facilitate students’ learning experiences and emphasize the importance of leveraging government appropriations.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/09645292.2024.2318215

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