Household-Level Education Borrowing Constraints: Evidence Using the College Attendance of the Sisters of Vietnam Draft Avoiders

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 2009

Department

School of Business

Abstract

Most studies of U.S. education borrowing constraints are based on an individual male household member and find that they have little effect on educational attainment. We argue that the correct unit of analysis is the attainment of all sibling intrahousehold resource rivals. We use the male college attendance return shock associated with Vietnam War conscription risk as a quasi-natural experiment. In credit-constrained households, scarce education resources should shift toward at-risk males and manifest in lower attainment by resource rival sisters. We find significantly lower attendance among rival sisters. Our findings cast doubt on assertions that borrowing constraints do not affect attainment.

DOI

10.1086/651017

First Page

197

Last Page

223

Volume

3

Issue

3

ISSN

19328575

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