Time Poverty: A Hidden Factor Connecting Online Enrollment and College Outcomes?

This study explored the relationships between voluntary online course enrollment (pre-pandemic), time poverty, and college outcomes. Results indicate that students who enrolled in at least one fully online course were significantly more time poor than other students; these differences were largely explained by age, parental status, and paid work. Yet, despite being more time poor, students who enrolled in online courses were more likely to successfully complete their courses, especially after controlling for time poverty. While students who took at least one online course were less likely to be retained in college and accumulated on average fewer credits, outcomes in online courses did not explain these differences; rather, other factors that make students both more likely to enroll online and to drop out or take fewer credits likely play a role. In particular, time poverty fully mediated the relationship between online enrollment and credit accumulation.