Low-income and working-class students face many challenges related to the costs and affordability of higher education; yet, little is known about the financial decisions made by these groups of students while they are enrolled in higher education and how their decisions might differ from middle/upper-class students. Using data from students…

This study builds on the work of scholars who have explored psychological perceptions of the student loan experience. Survey analysis ("N" = 175) revealed a multidimensional model was developed through factor analysis and testing, which revealed four latent variables: "Duress," "Mandatory," "Financial," and…

Using a data set that augments a student survey with administrative data from the Iowa State University Office of Financial Aid, the authors posed two questions: Do students know whether they have student loans? Do students know how much they owe on outstanding student loans? We used logistic and ordered logit regressions to answer these…

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first and most important step for students to receive their portion of the billions of grant aid dollars disbursed in federal student financial aid; however, every year many low income and community college students fail to complete the FAFSA. Over the past twenty years,…

The goals of this study are to examine the relationships between loan knowledge, money management skills, debt tolerance attitudes, and student income potential to their willingness to incur educational debt at a mid-western university. The current study showed that freshmen students lacked personal and general loan knowledge and had unrealistic…

This study uses data from 15 descriptive case studies to explore high school students' perceptions of scholarships and the forces that contribute to these perceptions. The findings describe six themes that emerged from the data analyses: (a) awareness of scholarships; (b) perceptions of institutional scholarships; (c) motivations for pursuing…

This exploratory study examines the factors that college students perceive are important in helping them make good financial decisions about paying for a college education. The study categorizes and summarizes students' self-reported responses to an open-ended survey question about recommendations for changes in financial aid counseling practices.…

A survey of students at a Midwestern university revealed that, overall, most students agreed or strongly agreed that they were adequately informed about financial aid; that understanding various aspects of financial aid was important; and that they received clear guidance to help resolve their problems or answer their questions by staff who served…

A survey of Canadian undergraduates found that when all else is held constant, students with positive attitudes toward debt are more likely than others to have an Ontario Student Assistance Plan loan. (EV)

Analysis of data from 443 graduating college seniors found many students: (1) unaware of their total loan indebtedness and payment obligations (both over- and under-estimating debt payments); (2) borrowed to support "a better lifestyle," and (3) were unable to estimate realistically their post-graduation earnings and ability to meet repayment…

A survey of 19 diverse two- and four-year colleges in Ohio investigated the availability and use of online applications for college admission, parent and student awareness of and planning for financial aid, the perceived value and cost-effectiveness of online aid applications, and public-policy implications relating to the use of technology for…

A study investigated the variables associated with high school students' sensitivity to tuition in the college-choice process, interaction of tuition and student aid, relationship of family and student characteristics to this sensitivity, and the roles of student perceptions and student institutional connections in price sensitivity. Subjects were…

Study investigated academic, social, attitudinal, and behavioral influences on student borrowing, using a sample from a national longitudinal study, with attention to labor market data, in predicting student borrowing behavior. Results show substantial differences between dependent and independent students in attitudes toward loans and debt…

A study investigated motivation to attend an out-of-state school among two student groups at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, one attending with the assistance of a scholarship designed to recruit out-of-state students, the other matriculating through general admissions. The university's overall program, scholarships received, tuition, and…

A New York University study compared effects of the Direct Student Loan and Federal Family Education Loan programs on students, families, and campus administrators and of the programs' best practices. Some administrative challenges with dual program participation were found. Reactions to the programs were largely similar and positive, but…