Money Matters: Financial Constraints among Low-Income Students at Selective Colleges and Universities

This study explores the ways in which financial constraints and financial distress structure the college experience for low-income students at selective colleges and universities. Drawing on data from both surveys and interviews, I find that limited financial resources impacted nearly every aspect of the college experience from one's social life to their future job connections. Even with generous financial aid packages, students reported their financial situation affected the clubs and extracurricular activities they took part in, the social groups they joined, the quality of the apartments they lived in, the internships they could take, the friends they made, and the classes and majors they chose. These findings have important implications for understanding and addressing barriers to success that low-income students face when they arrive on campus. Further, this study adds to the growing literature on the social-class achievement gap in higher education by focusing on the role of economic capital.