Despite high aspirations, youth formerly in foster care may face significant barriers (e.g., academic preparedness, adult mentoring) to obtaining a postsecondary credential. Better understanding the relationship between affordability and postsecondary access for youth formerly in foster care (YFFC) merits attention from researchers because…

Since the fall semester of 2016, first-time international student enrollment (ISE[subscript ft]) has declined at U.S. colleges and universities. This trend disrupts a steady upwards trajectory of ISE[subscript ft] rates. Previous research has demonstrated that various political, social, and macroeconomic factors influence the number of…

This study examined the relationship between individual and institutional characteristics for student veterans who borrow money while enrolled in degree-seeking programs. Using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS 16), we established predictors of borrowing, implications of borrowing, and examined patterns in total aid…

Mandatory fees in higher education have increased substantially in recent years. These increases have changed the net cost of attendance for students from semester to semester. Coupled with these changes, we are witnessing an increase in students from diverse lived experiences who are traditionally unaware of costs associated with their…

While the majority of college students use credit cards for educational expenses like textbooks, recent data reports that college students also use credit cards to directly fund their schooling by charging for at least some part of their tuition (Sallie Mae, 2009). Because credit cards carry a higher interest rate than student loans, and because…

The study examines ascribed, financial, and college factors to predict study abroad participation among a national sample of students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. Based on a longitudinal sample of 398 fourth-year participants of a national scholarship program (consisting of more than 50% students of color and 50% first-generation…

This research brief uses publicly available data from the 2016/2017 Baccalaureate and Beyond survey to examine individual and institutional predictors of participation in paid and unpaid internships, especially family income. When controlling for other factors, results showed that low-income students were more likely to have unpaid internships…

This study presents a mixed methods explanatory analysis of the influence of Stafford loan debtload on persistence among underserved populations attending a Hispanic Serving Institution in the Southwest of the United States. Using data from cohort 2010, fall to fall persistence was examined to assess if debtload was related to persistence for all…

This study examined the effects of unsubsidized federal Stafford loans on six-year degree attainment at 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S., and how these differentially impact students across income groups. For this, nationally representative data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS:04/09) and the Integrated Postsecondary…

This empirical study uses the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to investigate the characteristics of households that hold at least one loan for educational expenses. The benefit of using household-level data is that a single household may have education loans for multiple people in the household, including the household head, spouse/partner,…

This study analyzes factors associated with anticipated difficulty with repayment of debt accumulated during college using a basic model of credit risk that includes socialization processes influencing college student financial decisions. The empirical analysis uses data from the 2010 Ohio Student Financial Wellness Study. Results provide evidence…

In this paper, we leverage detailed, individual-level student data to understand the relationships between family finances, merit-based aid, and first-year student retention. With three cohorts of student data that comprise family financial status, institutional merit scholarships, and many of the other known correlates of student retention, we…

In 2010, McCracken County, Kentucky implemented the Community Scholarship Program (CSP) to provide graduates of high schools in the county an opportunity to receive a tuition-free community college education. Quantitative data was collected throughout the various stages of student progress through the program. As the first cohort of CSP students…

Although public concern about student loan debt has been increasing, little research has examined predictors of debt beyond financial need or demographic factors. The present study explored the role of several psychological and attitudinal variables in student loan debt among 189 college students. Results indicate that loan initiative and loan…

This study reviewed the literature to investigate the impact of student loans on career choices, in order to provide implications for policy makers and researchers with respect to student loan policy. For this purpose, empirical studies in peer reviewed journals since 1985 were analyzed. This review explored the results of empirical studies…