2026-01-05
Sooji Kim
Understanding the complex nature of institutional and student behaviors regarding the federal work-study program (FWS) is critical to bolstering federal and institutional efforts to implement tangible policy interventions and practical improvements to the program. However, there is scant literature about the mechanisms of students’ FWS decision-making processes. To better understand the “why” of students’ decisions and behaviors around the FWS program, this study explores the determinants of imperfect FWS aid take-up among lower-income, first-year college students. Drawing upon multidisciplinary views on students’ work decisions while in college, a survey was developed and administered at a large public four-year university in the Midwest to students who were offered FWS aid (n = 514). The findings shed light on the role of program complexity and structural barriers in accessing the potential benefits of FWS. Students primarily experience cognitive overload while navigating the program and opaque employment processes. They also underscored the need for sufficient time to transition to college before considering any part-time work, including FWS. Overall, students advocate for the timely delivery of accurate information about FWS, a well-structured, guided process for FWS employment, and access to meaningful work opportunities for first-year students.
2025-12-31
Andrew M. Mertig et al.
The rising costs of higher education have presented challenges for many students, particularly in rural areas where access to free-tuition programs has been limited. This cross-sectional study investigates the impact of the Besse Scholarship program, a rural guaranteed scholarship fund, on college attendance among students from Butternut High School. Targeting graduates between 1993 and 2022, the study employed convenience sampling and online surveys, with 120 respondents representing 21.4% of the eligible population. Results indicate that the Besse Scholarship motivated students to pursue higher education and provided significant financial relief. Eligibility for the scholarship was found to be positively associated with college attendance, alongside factors such as gender, economic status, and educational disability. The study underscores the importance of tailored support for students with diverse backgrounds and needs. It also highlights the broader impact of targeted financial assistance on fostering a culture of educational empowerment within rural communities like Butternut. Overall, this research contributes valuable insights for the design, implementation, and evaluation of scholarship programs in rural contexts, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of supporting post-high school education.
2025-12-31
Arielle Kuperberg et al.
We collected and analyzed a survey of 1,018 undergraduate students enrolled at a public regional university in Spring 2021, examining pandemic disruptions to education, living situations, and finances in the first year of the pandemic, and their relationship to loan presence and reports of taking out more loans as a result of the pandemic. Over half of students had student loans, and over one-third of them reported that they increased loan debt due to the pandemic. Results revealed pandemic-related academic and financial disruptions increased student debt for some. Students with loans were also more likely to have moved out of dormitories and in with parents during the pandemic. We develop a conceptual model (and we include a visual representation) to explain results and the expected impacts of future similar disruptions to higher education on student loan debt.
2025-10-15
Melissa Jones et al.
This exploratory study delves into the intricate landscape of student debt by spotlighting the demographics of non-returning university students who grapple with unpaid bursar bills, a type of shadow debt not visible in traditional assessments of loan borrowing and repayment. Analysis of such shadow debt at one regional Midwest institution reveals that underrepresented minority students and female students are disproportionately burdened, facing 117% and 19% higher odds of unpaid institutional balances being sent to collections, respectively. These findings illuminate the urgent need for 1) tailored interventions that can bolster the resilience of at-risk students, effectively addressing and alleviating the financial hurdles they encounter while still in school; and 2) institutional attention to redress bias in debt collection practices. This study serves as a critical stepping stone toward ongoing research into shadow debt in higher education, offering a nuanced analysis of the multiple factors involved in its accumulation and hypothesizing its impact on student success and/or non-completion.
2025-08-12
Ryan S. Wells et al.
Disabled college students face significant barriers to degree completion, including systemic inequities in financial aid policies. This Issue Article investigates financial aid policies that unfairly limit aid to disabled students, at times forcing them to choose between maximizing their financial aid and the recommended accommodations to which they have a legal right, such as a reduced courseload. We highlight how current policies, including Pell Grant proration, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, and lifetime funding caps, create financial and administrative burdens that disproportionately affect disabled students. By examining federal and state-level policy responses, we identify both promising practices and persistent gaps in addressing these inequities. Recommendations focus on implementing disability-conscious financial aid policies that align with the unique needs of disabled students, reducing administrative burden, and ensuring equitable access to higher education. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, financial aid professionals, and disability advocates working to promote educational equity
2025-03-07
Gaurav R. Sinha et al.
We examined patterns and sociodemographic correlates of financial characteristics and behaviors among emerging and young (18-34-year-old) student loan borrowers who were repaying their loans. Employing latent class regression modeling on a subset of the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (N =1,490), we explored heterogenous constellation of patterns in financial characteristics and behaviors of these borrowers. Results indicated four distinct classes of financial characteristics and behaviors: financially strained (20.8%), financially balanced (29.2%), financially capricious (20%), and financially vulnerable (30.1%). Gender, race, and education were found to be consistently correlated with financial characteristics and behavior patterns. Marital status, income, employment, and welfare services use were found to be associated with some but not all latent classes. Findings have implications for financial counselors and can help them detect distinct patterns of financial characteristics and behaviors among young student loan borrowers and customize their intervention programs to mitigate negative consequences of student loan delinquency and default.
2024-12-04
Amanda Cook
Many scholars have argued that it may be more costly to attend a far-away college than it is to attend a nearby college. If this is true, students who live in areas where colleges are few and far between may face higher costs than those with ample college options. This study assesses the plausibility of this line of reasoning by examining the association between geographic access to higher education, distance traveled to college, and college costs, as indicated by student debt. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, this study finds that people with lower levels of geographic access travel longer distances to attend college. In addition, people who travel longer distances are more likely to accumulate student debt. Finally, this study finds suggestive evidence that people with lower levels of geographic access tend to accumulate more student debt. These descriptive insights pave the way for future research on this topic. Ultimately, additional research in this area could be one of the keys to understanding and ultimately remedying geographic inequalities in postsecondary outcomes