Factors Shaping the Students’ Enrollment Decision in Private Universities for Higher Education during the Pandemic Environment

: To pursue higher studies students are engaging with private universities in modern times as the acceptance rate of public universities in Bangladesh is low. Students are acquiesced for private universities by some influencing factors while taking enrollment decision. After extracting the knowledge of previous literatures, the study developed a conceptual framework of enrollment decision factors that can influence students’ choice selecting private universities in Bangladesh. The four broad choice factors of the study were: Decision Influencers (DI), E-learning Indicators (ELI), Economic Factors (EF), and Career Prospect (CP) under which 19 variables were developed that were assumed to have a positive relationship with students’ enrollment decision in the private universities. The students of Varendra University, Rajshahi, Bangladesh from different departments participated in an online structured survey questionnaire and enrolled themselves in private universities during the COVID pandemic in between 2020 to 2021. The study developed a structured online questionnaire and circulated the questionnaire to 360 students and received 352completed questionnaire with a response rate of 97.8%. The study performed a non-probability convenient sampling method during the year 2021 and analyzed in MS Excel to find the percent and cumulative percent of the decision variables. The result of study indicated that as a private university, Varendra University meets most of the academic, career, and faculty credential attributes and market rations that attract more students to study in private universities and besides this universities can expand more visibility for the students if their promotional efforts are amplified in a wider scope.


INTRODUCTION
Public universities as well as private universities play an important role in the spread of higher education. Private universities have long played a key role in improving the quality of higher education in the developed world. However, the active participation of private universities in the advancement of higher education in Bangladesh was evident through the establishment of North South University, the first private university in the country, in 1992. (Private University-Banglapedia, n.d.)

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The paper focused to present the vital determinants that can influence the choice factors of the private university admission seeking students. In case of choosing institution for higher studies in Bangladesh, students are influenced by some socio-economic factors as well as institutions promotional efforts. Decision on the selecting institution to explore higher studies is perceived as complicated choice making procedure (Chapman 1981). The paper depicts the vital influencing factors that affect higher education seeking students' private university choosing behavior.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Universities can guide the decision-making power of a student for his personal and professional life by forming one's understanding, values, standards, and discernment. In Bangladesh, public and private are the two essential educational stands for higher education (Ashraf, Osman, & Ratan 2016). The number of public universities is insufficient for the students as there are only 51 public universities and 109(till September 2022) private universities in Bangladesh (UGC, 2022).
Callender&Melis (2022) highlighted the educational cost and financial obligations as the prime factors that influence the college choice decision of higher education seeking students. The paper examines English higher education seeking students' cost perspective and borrowing tendency to pursue their study. Adam & Gunarto (2021) the authors aimed to find out how private university selection is influenced by social media and positive word of mouth in Palembang City, Indonesia. The study found that private universities need to adopt digital promotional tools as the world has entered the digital era. Potential students are attached to social media and like to take positive electronic word of mouth from others before private university selection. Rashid, Othman&Yusop (2021) conducted a study on university students of Malaysia to find out the factors that influence students to choose a university for higher education during the new normal period. The paper tried to highlight different aspects of students learning perspectives, opinions, and preferred learning types during the COVID pandemic period. Dhaliwal, Mittal, Aggarwal & Chand (2019) showed that education is fast moving to a market-driven approach from a product-driven approach. So its concerned authority should try to grab the attention to get closer to its potential students. The paper focused on some important factors like location, public image, employability of graduates, promotion, fee, and academic quality that affect the student's choice regarding the selection of a higher educational institution in India.
Islam (2019) conducted a study on BUBT students and found some strong factors for students' enrollment decisions in higher education institutions in Bangladesh. The author suggested universities adopt the most influencing factors such as opportunities, reputation and good affiliation of the university, teaching quality, location, fees, admission process, and job market opportunities to satisfy students. Volume 4, Issue 5, September-October 2022 4 Hidayat & Sinuhaji (2018) tried to establish the factors that persuade student decisions in selecting private universities in Medan, Indonesia. The paper focused on influencing variables that were considered by the students at the time of selecting private universities. The exogenous variable of the study is the cost of education, advertising, brand image, motivation and facility, and student decision process as the endogen variable.
This study by Rohaizat, Zubaidah& Siti (2011) focused on the choice criteria that impact international students' higher education choice decisions in Malaysia. The authors found that quality education, decision influence, customer focus, cost, facility, socialization, and location are the strong factors that direct a student to decide on higher education.
According to Ashraf, Ibrahim &Joarder (2009), the four-year based bachelor programs in the private universities of Bangladesh are designed imitating to the American style where they practice English as the core medium of instruction except for some anomaly. The study shows that Faculty credentials, administrative services, library services, curricular structure for quality education, general facilities for quality education, career prospects, cost, and financial aid are the crucial factors of private university quality education.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The broad choice factors of the study were decision Influencers (DI), E-learning Indicators (ELI), Economic Factors (EF), and Career prospects (CP) under which 19 variables were developed that have a direct and positive relation to enrollment decision of the students. Sampling type: The study type was non probability convenient sampling.
Sample size: Total 360 students from different departments participated in this study. A structured online questionnaire was used to get the data from the students. 8 questionnaires were found invalid, so 352 questionnaires were analyzed to get the result.
Among the total 352 participants, 68 percent was male and 32 percent was female.

Time frame of data collection:
The study was carried out on the students of Varendra University, Rajshahi, who enrolled themselves during the COVID pandemic period (Jan 2020-June 2021). The authors distributed a structured questionnaire to the sample of 360 students via email on 7th July 2021 and received the filled questionnaires in August 2021.

Analysis Technique:
The data was analyzed in MS Excel to get the percentage and cumulative percentage of the study.  5.114% 100%

ANALYSIS, RESULT & DISCUSSION
The study found that approximately 42 percent of the participants have agreed that university brand image influenced their enrollment decision. 6.818% 100% The study found that approximately 37 percent of the participants have agreed that university location influenced their enrollment decision. 3.977% 100% The study found that approximately 45 percent of the participants have agreed that university basic facilities like classroom, library, lab, transportation etc. influenced their enrollment decision. 5.397% 100% The study found that approximately 42 percent of the participants have agreed that university program syllabus and courses influenced their enrollment decision.   (2) Disagree 14 3.977% 100% The study found that approximately 47 percent of the participants have agreed that different online advertisement media influenced their enrollment decision. (2) Disagree 26 7.386% 100% The study found that approximately 42 percent of the participants have agreed that positive word of mouth of current and ex-students influenced their enrollment decision.  7.955% 100% The study found that approximately 38 percent of the participants have agreed that online class facility influenced their enrollment decision. (2) Disagree 18 5.114% 100% The study found that approximately 45 percent of the participants have agreed that the official website of this university influenced their enrollment decision. 4.545% 100% The study found that approximately 43 percent of the participants have agreed that the faculty credentials influenced their enrollment decision. (2) Disagree 20 5.682% 100% The study found that approximately 39 percent of the participants have agreed that the convenient payment mode like bank and mobile banking influenced their enrollment decision. (2) Disagree 20 5.682% 100% The study found that approximately 41 percent of the participants have agreed that the tuition fee payment flexibility influenced their enrollment decision. (2) Disagree 17 4.830% 100% The study found that approximately 43 percent of the participants have agreed that the waiver and scholarship facilities provided by the university influenced their enrollment decision. 5.682% 100% The study found that approximately 34 percent of the participants have agreed that financial support from their family influenced their enrollment decision. (2) Disagree 14 3.977% 100% The study found that approximately 41 percent of the participants have agreed that seminars and workshop arranged by the university influenced their enrollment decision. (2) Disagree 20 5.682% 100% The study found that approximately 43 percent of the participants have agreed that university link with other clubs; organizations and businesses influenced their enrollment decision. The study found that 47 percent of the participants agreed that they took their enrollment decision in Varendra University to their family and friends' suggestions. While 40-45 percent of the students said that they were convinced with the enrollment with this university with the factors like basic facilities, website, faculty credentials, waiver/scholarship, link with other organizations, positive word of mouth, brand image, program syllabus, payment flexibility, seminars, and workshop. Around 30-39 percent of the participants agreed that university payment mode, class facility, career prospect, permanent campus, location, and financial support were the influencers for their enrollment decision.
The university started their online based class in May 2020 (VU official website) the countrywide lockdown from March 2020. The university showed fast progress in class management during pandemic. Around 38 percent of the students have agreed that they have taken their enrollment as the Varendra University was operating its activities through MS Teams.
Among the total participants, 30 percent agreed that online media advertisement, and alarmingly only 27 percent agreed that printed online advertisement influenced them to take enrollment in this university.

FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTION
The number of private universities is gradually increasing in Bangladesh and many students are now a day's taking their private university enrollment decision based on some choice influencing variables as the seat of public universities are limited (UGC, 2022). If private universities can meet the expectations of the potential students, they can ensure more enrolment for their university. The study can benefit the private university authorities to take more accurate decision to make their universities more attractive for the admission seeking students from national and international. The study is based on a single university, for a confined time frame with a limited number of participants. Academicians and researchers can come forward to perform more profound research on this topic by taking into account a number of universities in Bangladesh and covering more students at the same time to find more relevant factors of enrollment decision.

CONCLUSION
As the spread of higher education has happened in the developed countries of the world, the practice of knowledge has also increased. The world's knowledge base has been enriched by the addition of much new knowledge. There has been an explosion of knowledge in the developed world, especially in the western world. Therefore, the effective changes in our education system, along with the application of various new techniques to infuse the western world with knowledge, are undeniable. Because any revolutionary change in the field of education plays an important role in fulfilling the dreams of students interested in higher education in the country as well as abroad. Choosing the right and effective university for higher education is very important. Apart from a student's efforts, the infrastructure of the institution from which he is pursuing higher education, teaching methods and techniques, the use of advanced technology in teaching, and various facilities provided by the university to students in higher education help students realize their dreams of higher education. These factors are often overlooked by students when deciding on their dream university in higher education. In this era of intense competition, the institution that a student chooses for higher education must be able to provide education that keeps up with the times.
The regulatory authority of Bangladesh emboldened the private university culture from 1992 (Mazumder 2014) and now the number of private universities stood at the figure of 109 (UGC Bangladesh 2022). Only an ignoble number of students get the opportunity in 52 public universities for their low student affirmation rate (UGCB 2022). The study endeavored to find out the strongest factors that could have an outright influence on a student's enrollment in a private university. Many students are stepping towards the enrollment decision with private universities for pursuing their higher studies due to the regulated and limited acceptance rate of public universities in Bangladesh. More than 3.5 lakhs students are pursuing their higher studies in private universities (tbsnews 2020). The study tried to bring the factors which determine the choice decision of the students. The study could help private universities to focus on the factors to grab the attention of their potential students. Universities should focus on promotional measures along with their quality enhancement and management. This study found that students of Varendra University were convinced about enrollment by the current students, graduates, friends, and family but a very scanty portion are convinced by their promotional implements. During the corona period from 2020 to 2021, various universities of Bangladesh stopped their ongoing education programs only due to a lack of sufficient technological equipment and support. The effect of this stagnation was a curse for students interested in higher education. The educational program of Varendra University was free from this stagnation from the very beginning as it started its online class through MS Teams in May 2020 (VU Official Website).