ERIC Number: ED668662
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 256
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-5442-2806-6
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Individual and Shared Narratives of Black Women Repaying Student Loan Debt
Danielle Nicole Bostick
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Georgia
The purpose of this study was to explore the narratives of Black women repaying student loan debt. Black Feminist Thought (BFT) was used as the framework. Selected participants had to be at least 18 years, self-identify as a Black woman, owe either U.S. federal and/or private student loans, and not be enrolled in a college degree program. Snowball sampling and purposeful sampling were used to recruit participants for a three phased study. First, an online survey was disseminated to collect background information about student loan repayment. Then a small diverse group of participants were recruited to volunteer for phases two and three. For phase two, a vignette was proctored using an online module to collect participants' written responses to reading a news article about Black women's experiences with student loans. For phase three, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from phase two. After collecting data, a descriptive analysis was completed to examine the results from the questionnaire. Then data were coded to construct individual narratives for participants who volunteered for phases two and three. Next, a thematic narrative analysis was conducted to find themes across the stories that were shared. Narrative findings are first presented as individual stories afterward the overarching themes are discussed. Findings illustrate the inequalities that repaying student loan debt exacerbates for Black women such as the ability to be homebuyers, underemployment and unemployment, debt from graduate school, needing a supplemental income, and generational student loan debt. For policies, forgiving student loan debt, revising the student loan forgiveness programs, and eliminating punitive policies due to defaulting were proposed. For practices, expanding support for graduate programs, expanding student loan forgiveness programs, and expanding transparency about financial aid are suggested. Based on the study's findings, future studies about using qualitative or mixed methods to explore borrowers in default, older adults repaying student loans, and examining the federal loan forgiveness programs are recommended. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Loan Repayment, Student Financial Aid, African Americans, Females, Personal Narratives, Feminism, Online Surveys, Vignettes, Racial Differences, Social Differences, Loan Default, Real Estate, Ownership, Unemployment, Underemployment, Public Policy, Graduate Study, Income, Barriers, Blacks
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
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