Career Considerations During Senior Year of College: The Role of Educational Debt

• In Event: Interventions Influencing Student Sucess
  In Roundtable Session: Reaching Graduation and Beyond

Abstract

Institutions of higher education have the potential to provide equity of opportunity in developing and sustaining career aspirations for students from diverse backgrounds. This study uses longitudinal data from The Freshmen Survey and the College Senior Survey administered by the Higher Education Research Institute (in 2012 and 2016, respectively) to examine a national sample of first-time full-time college students who indicated the extent to which they consider student loan debt when planning for a post-college career. Student perceptions and actions related to college affordability and career interest are examined, along with background characteristics, to help understand the role of college affordability as it relates to career selection.

Author

• Diana Delatour Lopez, University of California - Los Angeles