FROM ACCESS TO SUPPORT: HOW INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT SHAPES STUDENT ENROLLMENT INTENTIONS IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: EVIDENCE FROM AIOU REGIONAL CENTER KOHAT

Abstract

While distance education has greatly expanded access to higher education, access does not guarantee a student's desire to enroll and stay engaged with a higher education institution. In distance-learning settings, institutional support (administrative guidance, timely communication, complaint resolution, and academic assistance) can affect the students' view of the reliability of the institution and affect their enrollment. The present study focused on the influence of institutional support on student's enrolment in distance learning education by taking a particular reference of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Regional Center Kohat, Pakistan. The study used a quantitative research design and data were gathered from 200 Distance Learning Students by a structured questionnaire. The institutional support was assessed by students' perceptions of administrative assistance, provision of information, communication, handling of complaints, and institutional responsiveness. The relationships between institutional support and enrollment intention were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that the students' perception regarding institutional support was moderate and the institutional support showed a strong positive correlation with the enrollment intention. Furthermore, among the institutional factors analyzed in the overall study, institutional support proved to be the highest predictor of enrollment intention. The results indicate that although affordability and flexibility continue to be strong drawcards of distance education, the quality and responsiveness of the institutional service are now also becoming key factors in students' enrollment choices. The study proposes that distance education institutions need to shift away from an access-oriented approach to a support-oriented approach to enrollment, focusing not only on administrative responsiveness to students, but also on students' communication, academic guidance, and effective complaint handling as integral parts of the strategic process of enrolling students. The study enriches the already available literature on student support in distance education in Pakistan.