Objective: To examine coping strategies in relation to student experience of food insecurity during the transitionary period from high school to college. Participants: Freshmen undergraduates (n = 231) enrolled in one of two public universities during December of 2021, living in traditional student housing. Methods: Participants were emailed a…

Since the pandemic started, food insecurity has become a more serious issue for U.S. college students. The study goals were to evaluate whether pandemic-specific stress contributes to current food insecurity (as of February-March of 2022) and to determine which student characteristics are associated with food insecurity. We used the 2022 Spring…

In this registered report, we examined interrelationships between established constructs of self-determination and economic hardship using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS2012). We tested the hypothesized factor structure of selected NLTS2012 items assessing constructs associated with self-determination (i.e.,…

The current study examined hindering factors of 2-year community college students' vertical transfer to 4-year colleges. Rational choice theory guided the study and provided the scope of the problem, which is community college students' apprehension about vertically transferring to 4-year colleges. A quantitative Likert-scale survey, which…

Objective: To explore health literacy (HL) experiences, needs, and future training directions among college students enrolled in health-related degree programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants Students (n = 169) enrolled in a health-related degree program at a state university in the mid-western U.S. completed an online survey. Methods:…

Objective: To identify the association between loneliness and eating disorder symptomatology among a national sample of U.S. college students during COVID-19. Participants: Cross-sectional data from the 2020-2021 Healthy Minds Study (N = 96,645) were analyzed. Methods: Loneliness was measured using the UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale and eating…

While early childhood educators' mental health is important, it may also affect the well-being and education of their students. Yet, little research has described the stress and stressors of early childhood educators (ECEs), particularly as the pandemic wanes. This pilot study aimed to (1) describe ECEs' psychological and physiological stress and…

Many factors influence whether Open Educational Resources (OER) and other affordable materials foster equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Cost savings to students and better outcomes are commonly cited as indicators. However, more research is needed to improve EDI outcomes in OER adoption. This article reports on survey responses from…

This exploratory study used the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to compare the financial well-being of families of adolescents with and without autism. Recognizing the gap in autism research, which predominantly measures financial well-being through household income, this study employed a multidimensional approach, including…

Objective: To identify social determinants of mental health embedded within college students' living and learning conditions. Participants: Participants included 215 mostly undergraduate (95%) business students at a diverse, urban west coast public university (48% women; mean age 24). Methods: Participants completed an online self-report survey…

This study examines how inequality manifested during the emergency remote COVID-19 transition in higher education. We use 35 in-depth interviews with college students, conducted virtually, in real-time, during spring 2020 lockdowns, to examine how the transition impacted their lives. Students in the sample from lower-income backgrounds reported…

Early care and education (ECE) is complex, highly skilled, emotionally and physically demanding work for which educators deserve to be adequately rewarded. California's early educators often exceed the minimum educational requirements for their jobs. More than one half of both center- and home-based educators hold an associate degree or higher…

Earning a college degree is a major pathway to economic mobility. Although Black women enter college at higher rates than white, Hispanic, and Black men (for example, in 2020, Black women enrolled in college at a 40% rate, compared to 37% for White men, 31% for Black men, and 30% for Hispanic men) they still face barriers to degree completion,…

Early care and education (ECE) programs can provide a lifetime of benefits to children and families, but a lack of public support leaves these valuable services vulnerable to collapse during economic downturns. The COVID-19 pandemic was a particularly intense emergency for ECE providers: closures due to illness or shelter-in-place ordinances…

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 &…