Relative Unaffordability and Student Belonging

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: College Campus Climates and Diverse Populations

Abstract

This study utilizes quasi-experimental methods to estimate the effect of students’ experience of relative unaffordability on their sense of belonging within the context of a generous financial aid program, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. Initial estimates suggest significant decreases in the odds of self-reported belonging as a function of experiences of relative unaffordability. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Jeremy Wright-Kim, Fairleigh Dickinson University

• Manuel S. Gonzalez Canche, University of Pennsylvania