“It’s Relating to them”: College Peer Financial Mentors Describe Good Mentoring

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 5:25 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Identity and Leadership in College Athletics and Student Affairs (Table 10)

Abstract

Although many studies have explored mentoring in higher education (Black & Taylor, 2017; Nuis et al., 2023), no studies have explored how peer financial wellness mentors conceptualize their work and view good financial wellness mentorship. This study employs a phenomenological approach using focus group techniques. Sampling from institutions over a three-year span (2020-2023), the researcher held 22 focus groups with 54 peer financial wellness mentors across seven institutions of higher education. Overall, three main themes emerged from the data. Mentors described high quality peer financial wellness mentoring as 1.) focusing on soft skills much more than financial knowledge, 2.) emphasizing listening rather than speaking during mentoring sessions, and 3.) requiring knowledge of financial resources and campus contacts.

Author

• Zach Taylor, University of Southern Mississippi