First generation college students, or students whose parents have not completed a four-year degree, face many obstacles in their academic careers (Banks-Santilli, 2014). Research on this group has found that these students face many obstacles to their academic success (Jean, 2010). These obstacles lead to high attrition rates for first generation…

Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended) authorizes the operation of three federal student loan programs: the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) program, the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program, and the Federal Perkins Loan program. While new loans are currently authorized to be made only…

The experiences of first-generation college students (FGCS) can guide the development of effective practices for supporting and retaining these students. Open-ended interviews with 10 FGCS produced themes related to challenges and strategies for success. Applied thematic analysis identified barriers in school, home, and work settings, including a…

The number of individuals with student loan debt who do not earn their degrees is on the rise; nevertheless, there is little research that demonstrates their current circumstances and future aspirations. We address this knowledge gap by comparing the financial distresses and re-enrollment aspirations of student debt-holders who started college but…

This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of eight "non-traditional international students" (NTISs) at a public research university in the southeastern United States. Despite extensive research on international students, very little is known about this particular student population, their unique needs, and…

This research, conducted in the north-west of England, examined what primary trainee teachers believe affects their wellbeing, while studying on a 1-year post-graduate course. The research adopted a phenomenological case study using semi-structured self-directed interviews. Our thematic analysis illuminates that trainee teachers' intersectionality…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families experienced financial and health stressors associated with parental employment. Using multi-informant and daily-diary data from a nationwide U.S. sample of parents and children (626 dyads; 18,780 daily assessments across 30 days: May 18, 2020-June 1, 2020, October 19, 2020-November 2, 2020; parents:…

In a time of increasing economic inequality, lower levels of government investment in higher education, and rising tuition costs, students vying for a college degree experience financial concerns as important influences on their college experience. An emerging body of literature has focused on the relationship between student finances and academic…

International students in Australia risk financial insecurity and as a result, may make suboptimal health decisions. Limited research has explored the experiences of international students' health-related financial decision making. In-depth interviews were conducted with 31 international students to explore how financial situation influences their…

The is the second edition of Sallie Mae's "How America Completes College" report, which focuses on the experiences of current undergraduate students and considers the real-time barriers to graduation. This year's report identifies key factors impacting a student's journey from accessing higher education to completing their degree or…

Objective: This study is an exploration of the major stressors associated with the COVID-19 for students in higher education in Taiwan. Participants: The sample comprised 838 higher education students studying at various Taiwanese universities. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was administered at different postsecondary institutions during…

We examined whether the odds of experiencing academic, financial, or health-related obstacles during the COVID-19 pandemic were significantly (p < 0.05) different between students attending rural and suburban/urban colleges. We used data from a multi-institutional survey of 31,575 four-year college/university students attending seven rural and…

The Buffering Toxic Stress (BTS) consortium included six sites in locations that varied widely in racial/ethnic composition and population density. Each site tested a promising parent-child intervention designed to supplement Early Head Start (EHS) services and prevent "toxic stress." To better understand family risk in a large and…

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.,…

Children on the spectrum often require both formal services and natural unpaid support from caregivers. Recent autism surveillance study in the US has reported an increase in racially/ethnically diverse autistic children (Maenner et al. in MMWR Surveillance Summaries 72(2):1, 2023). Standing at the intersection of race, disability and sometimes…