ERIC Number: EJ1204232
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0897-5264
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Student Loan Debt and Financial Stress: Implications for Academic Performance
Baker, Amanda R.; Montalto, Catherine P.
Journal of College Student Development, v60 n1 p115-120 Jan-Feb 2019
With the costs of college on the rise across the United States, many postsecondary educators are concerned about the potential effect of financial strain on student outcomes. Scholars have long hypothesized that students who are concerned about finances may demonstrate lower goal commitment, academic engagement, and persistence (Boatman & Long, 2016; Cabrera, Nora, & Castañeda, 1992; Nora, Barlow, & Crisp, 2006). High levels of student loan debt and financial stress have been associated with increases in students' likelihood of dropping out, stopping out, or reducing their course loads (Dwyer, Hodson, & McCloud, 2013; Joo, Durband, & Grable, 2008; Robb, Moody, & Abdel-Ghany, 2012). Financial concerns have also been linked with extended time to degree (Letkiewicz et al., 2014), which can further escalate the costs of college. Trends in student borrowing and financial stress vary between racial and ethnic groups and by gender, pointing to possible inequities in financial support for college. This article examines how both objective and subjective indicators of financial concerns were associated with academic performance. First, the authors examined whether expected student loan debt and subjective levels of financial stress were associated with academic performance after 1 year, controlling for prior grades and demographics. Then, the authors examined interaction effects to determine whether the academic implications of financial concerns differed on the basis of race/ethnicity or gender.
Descriptors: Debt (Financial), Student Loan Programs, Financial Problems, Stress Variables, Academic Achievement, Student Costs, Racial Differences, Gender Differences, Ethnicity, Undergraduate Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A