Do Students' Academic Capital, Knowledge, and Attitudes of Mandatory Fees Predict Their Payment Methods?

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Systems That Impact Student Persistence

Abstract

Mandatory fees in higher education have increased substantially in recent years. However, students’ diverse lived experiences mean they have varied perceptions of costs and understandings of resources and systems in higher education. Additionally, some students from racially diverse backgrounds may be exposed to higher education institutions differently from their white peers. As a result, some factors like students’ knowledge of fees, attitudes towards fees, and academic capital shape their understanding of the cost of their education. The purpose of this study is to explore students’ knowledge and attitudes towards mandatory fees and academic capital and if it predicts student’s payment methods for their education.

Authors

• Emeka Ikegwuonu, Saint Cloud State University

• Lydia Ross, Arizona State University