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SOCIOL 104: Higher Education: Institutions, Inequalities, and ControversiesDecember 15, 2017Paying for Your Own Education: A Community College ExperienceEric MorrisHarvard University ‘17Abstract: This study explores the consequences of independently paying for one’s postsecondary education. While previous studies have discussed the impact of financial aid, grants, and debt on students, this study focuses specifically on the question, “How does paying for one’s own education affect student experiences and behaviors?” In assessing the consequences of independent payment for college, I looked most closely at how integration of the student with their institution and other members of their institution was affected, how the student was supported by their institution, and how the student’s health and well-being were impacted. My findings indicate that students paying for their own postsecondary education suffer from decreased integration and experience a decline in mental health, despite an awareness of available support from the institutions they attend. All of the students interviewed for this study work full-time jobs out of necessity to cover school expenses. These jobs, which are often low paying and tedious, are the source of a number of issues plaguing these students during their college years. Although their colleges are equipped with various support systems for all students, students that pay independently rarely have the time or resources to utilize these support programs. As such, these students tend to report suffering through their college years, with the hopes of a brighter future in mind. This study will explore all of the unique issues and advantages which come with paying independently for college, and provide analyses of six in-depth interviews with students paying their own way through a mid-sized community college in central Pennsylvania. INTRODUCTION: The demand for a quality higher education among young adults has drastically increased in the United States since the 1960s. Because of this increase in demand, the cost of attending post-secondary educational institutions has risen at alarming rates. It has become common for elite and state universities to charge between 40 to 70 thousand dollars a year for tuition. Community colleges and state schools have also seen rises in the cost of tuition; many of these institutions cost at least 10 thousand dollars annually in tuition for in-state residents. Despite rising tuition costs, there is still incentive for students to enroll in post-secondary institutions. Most notably, earning a higher education degree is associated with economic and status returns (Grubb 2002; Kane and Rouse 1999; Kienzl 2004; Marcotte 2005). These economic and status returns attract students of all different socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue college degrees. While some students receive help with the financial burdens of college from their family, and some students get financial assistance in the form of scholarships, a significant portion of college students must independently pay their way through college. It is important to understand how the financial burdens and various pressures associated with paying for one’s own college education impact their experiences. As such, the question this research study aims to explore is: “How does paying for one’s own education affect student experiences and behaviors?”LITERATURE REVIEW Previous scholars have closely inspected the effects of financial aid and debt on college students. While it is possible for students paying for their own education to not receive financial aid, in the case of public and private universities, most of these students do, and as such it is relevant and useful to understand how previous scholars have understood financial aid to affect student’s experiences and success. A recent analysis of the financial aid system by Zisken et al. (2014) found that students are often confused by the financial aid system, and worried that it will not provide them with sufficient funds to continue their education. This study also found that most college students that are on financial aid and work during the school year, work hourly, low-wage service jobs. This study shows how financial aid tends to be inadequate for students that have the greatest need for it. Additionally, this study provides evidence that students on financial aid suffer from financial stresses which carry over into their college experiences and may even cause them to drop out. In contrast to the findings of Zisken et al. (2014), Boatman and Long (2016) found that a group of talented students of color that received financial assistance from a generous grant program were more likely to interact with their peers on school work outside of the classroom. This study also found that students on the grant program were more likely to engage in community service programs as well as extracurricular activities. These findings are essential to understanding how various forms of financial assistance can help motivate students and generally affect their experiences of integration at their school. However, this study does not address college students that pay for their own education and do not receive grants. This gap in the literature is cause enough for a study which addresses these students and the unique issues and perspectives they bring to the table.Alicia Dowd (2004) conducted a national survey study in which she found that living on campus and first-year grade point average are the most important factors of timely degree completion. These results are important to my study because students paying for their own post-secondary education may not have the option of living on campus if it is more expensive than living off campus. It is also possible that students that are paying their own way through college have a tougher time transitioning into the rigorous academic schedule. This could be for several reasons such as the necessity to work or the pressures of paying bills. It could also be true that students that pay for their own college education feel more prepared, because the many responsibilities they have make them feel more mature and determined to be successful. There currently is no research that states how paying for one’s own college education impacts the decision to live on or off campus or to work. My study will determine campus residency and work may be associated with paying for one’s own post-secondary education and how these associations affect an individual. It is essential to this study to understand the literature and studies that have assessed the impact of financial aid and work on students, but it is just as imperative to understand how debt can impact students. Nelson et al. (2008) conducted a study at a large public university and found that 23% of the students reported credit card debt of $1000 dollars or more. In their article, Nelson et al. (2008) argue that debt is associated with many health risk indicators including but not limited to obesity, binge drinking, substance abuse, and violence. While I believe, it is an oversimplification to state that debt is the main attributing factor to any of these health risk factors, if it is true that even one of these health risks are associated with student debt, then individually paying for college is also likely to be associated with these health risks.Although many scholars have studied the effects of financial aid, work, and student debt on rates of degree completion, very few have determined how independently paying for college can impact student experience. It is important to try and fill this gap in the literature of higher education; by understanding how paying for one’s own education affects their experiences as a student, we can help form policies and support systems that will assure that these students have the best possible college experience, while still achieving their desired degree.METHODS In order to get the most authentic representation of effects of paying for one’s own post-secondary education on student experience, a qualitative research approach with individual interviews was used for this study. Six students were chosen for the interviews. Participants for the interviews were chosen using a purposive sampling scheme in which students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds were gathered from community colleges. Participants were pre-screened using a survey response system to assure that they paid entirely independently (students could receive financial aid and take out loans) for their post-secondary education, and to briefly assess their personal socioeconomic background. The survey also asked students how many hours a week they worked. Students that worked at least 10 hours per week were eligible to be interviewed. The reason for this was that students that do not work at least 10 hours per week may have more time to successfully integrate and spend on their academic pursuits than the population which this research aims to study. To be eligible for the study, respondents also had to be in the bottom 15% of the US 2017 Taxable Income Brackets. It was also essential that students came from low socioeconomic backgrounds, so that they felt an obligation to work and succeed in college, and did not have an easy alternative or money to rely on if they dropped out. Participants that were eligible for the interviews were asked a series of open ended questions regarding their classroom experiences, integration experiences, and workload experiences as a student paying for their own education. Student responses were then coded based on themes that emerged in the student responses. (Possible themes: over-worked, distracted, overwhelmed, disinterested, strong, worthy, maturity, responsibility). The coding enabled a determination of what effects independently paying for one’s own education had on the student’s experience. In regards to positionality of this research, it is important to note that I have close relationships with several individuals that attend community college while working to pay for their tuition. Although I have often noted the struggles which the financial burdens of college have caused my friends, I will strongly attempt to not allow my understanding of their situations to affect how I record or perceive the results of my study.FINDINGSIntegrationMost community colleges offer a large variety of extracurricular activities in the form of clubs, club sports, student activities and more. Unfortunately I found that none of the students that I interviewed had adequate time to engage in any extracurricular activities. During my interview, preceding a question about campus integration, I probed a bit by asking the students, “Would you mind saying a bit more about friendships, interaction with faculty, and extracurricular activities you’re involved in?” Of the six students that I interviewed, not a single student stated that they were involved in extracurricular activities. In fact, each student attributed a lack of time to their lack of involvement with campus activities. One student, Aliza, said, “Well I don’t really do any clubs or any socializing at school… Not because I don’t want to. I wish I could do some clubs or some socializing or something, but I just have zero time.” Aliza’s response was typical for the students I interviewed. Although not every student expressed wanting to be more integrated, all students agreed that they did not have time to be involved with activities outside of the classroom.Two themes that emerged in the coding of student responses to the integration questions were overworked and overwhelmed. For the purposes of this research, statements were categorized under the theme of overworked when students had to sacrifice healthy or regular behaviors as a result of their influx of obligations. Although many responses to the integration related questions were coded under the theme overwhelmed, those statements will be addressed more in the “Impact on Student Health” section, as they relate more to mental and physical health of the student. Given that all of the students interviewed work full time jobs while being enrolled in community college, one can correctly assume that these students have very busy schedules. As a result of these busy schedules, these students often have to neglect other important aspects of daily living such as socializing, exercising, eating, and sleeping. My interviews revealed to me a number of universal truths about the students I interviewed. First of all, all of the students expressed that they had lost contact with most or all of their previous friends because all of their time for communicating and being with friends was taken by school, school work, or their job. One of the students I interviewed, Mac, remarked, “I know some people I used to be friends with go to HACC. All I’m ever there for is class though… I mean I say hi if I see them but that’s about it. And yeah I don’t really have time to hang out with people outside school, which sucks.” Mac’s comments really summarized what most of the students had to say in regards to socializing with peers. Aside from a few of the students that had significant others living with them, the students were very isolated, and experiencing a lack of regular social interactions. Additionally, many students made comments about missing meals or losing sleep because they had to either work or complete school work. One of the students, Kristen, actually works the night shift in a busy warehouse before driving home early in the morning to prepare for her classes. Kristen broke down her daily schedule for me, “Usually I go to work around 10 or 11pm, then when I’m done around 6am I go home and choose between eating something or getting a little sleep… I almost alway need the sleep. But then class at 9am until early evening and then dinner and some school work. Then I do it again.” Kristen went on to say that there is usually one day per week in which she doesn’t have to work or go to school, but that day is spent almost entirely sleeping and catching up on work. Kristen’s balancing of school and work basically eliminates leisure time from her life, and based on my interviews, this is a common situation for individuals working full time while enrolled in school. SupportThe most positive, and perhaps surprising finding of this study were the students’ responses indicating that they felt fully supported by their institution. When students were asked about the resources and support that their college offered them, they typically responded by saying that there was a great deal of support available to them. Mac spoke very highly of the writing center, saying he had, “Heard great things about it” and, “They pretty much help anyone that’s having a rough time writing a paper or assignment.” Other students spoke of academic counselors that were available to them to help them choose the correct classes and work their way through degree programs if needed. Overall amongst the interviewed students there seemed to be an agreement that there was a lot of support available to them if they elected to use it. While all of the students were in agreement that resources were available, all of the students also stated that they did not have adequate time to utilize these resources. Paired with students’ comments on the resources available to them, were their comments about a lack of time to use the resources. During my interview, a student that is currently working on completing her third semester at HACC, Erika, stated, “Yeah there’s a lot of stuff. There’s writing centers, academic counselors, even tutors and stuff that will help you… If you have the time, but I never have any time. It’s like yeah it’s there... but, will I ever be there?” Erika’s response explains a difficult issue many students working and attending school may struggle with. There are a great deal of resources available for most students by their institutions, but if the students struggling the most do not have time to utilize these resources, then who are these resources really helping?The community college system seems to be failing many of these students in terms of finances. One reason for this, is that students’ financial aid is based largely on their parents’ level of income. This means that many students who do not receive any financial assistance from their parents are being charged based on their parent’s incomes. This creates a lot of pressure for students to find loans and ways to generate income in order to lessen their debt when they graduate. Furthermore, students continue to suffer from a lack of understanding of financial aid (Zisken et al., 2014). Financial issues cause students to suffer in a number of ways. Half of the students I interviewed stated that they were unable to buy a textbook or necessary course materials because of inadequate funds. One student described an experience in which she could not make it to classes for three days because her car broke down and she did not have the money for repairs. The students I interviewed consistently struggle with their finances, which is yet another stressor which increases the difficulty of their journey through community college. Impact on Student HealthSeveral negative associations with student health and independently paying for one’s own post-secondary education have already been mentioned. As stated, many students interviewed suffered from a lack of sleep and poor dietary habits. In addition, a few of the students worked many hours doing tough manual-labor and working in warehouses or similar work conditions that are poor for one’s physical health. Most of the students were not happy with their current work situation even if it did not seem to have a negative impact on their physical health. During my interviews I was pleasantly surprised by the willingness of the students to bring up their mental health and explain how it has been affected by their experiences with school and work. The students all came to the overwhelming conclusion that paying for their own education while working was devastating to their mental health. Even the students that required more probing for answers had a lot to say when asked about their mental health. Evan, a four-semester student, stated, “I think about summer basically every minute. I’m constantly drained. Something always needs done. I hardly sleep, and my anxiety is through the roof.” Erika provided an even more harsh insight, “It’s going horribly. I cry a lot… Yeah, my mental health isn’t the best. It’s definitely gotten worse since I started at HACC.” These responses show that students are aware of an immediate decline in mental health from attending school and working simultaneously. Another student, Emily, reflected upon a time in her first semester when she had lost a job and was just going school and not working, she said, “It was just so much better. I could actually sleep and eat and get my work done. I wish it were always like that.” Emily’s response shows that the necessity for these students to work is one of the biggest stressors on them. Multiple students commented on how difficult it is to try and transition from the mentality they need to be in for work to the mentality they need for classes. Also, my interviews helped me understand that these students do not really have an option of missing work. Missing work for one of these students may mean missing a bill payment or not being able to put gas in their car to make it to school. Additionally, many of the students would be terminated from their jobs if they missed work or repeatedly did not make it on time. It seems that a great deal anxiety and stress for these students comes from their occupational responsibilities which must be prioritized for them to keep their job. The interviews made it clear that mental health is severely impacted by an individual having to pay for their own post-secondary education. CONCLUSIONOverall, the results of this study indicate a number of negative consequences related to paying for one’s own post-secondary education. Mainly, individuals paying for their own college education seem to suffer from financial issues and stresses that come with extremely busy schedules and a lack of leisure time. The data collected from this study seems to confirm previous findings which state that financial aid confuses many students (Zisken et al., 2014). Students that depend on financial aid often do not understand how the process works or how much financial assistance they will be receiving per semester. Additionally, while there are many supportive services available to students at college, students that work full-time while enrolled in multiple classes have such limited time, that they are rarely able to utilize these resources. An absence of necessary money and time leads students paying for their own education to a college experience which lacks normal integration, prohibits utilization of support systems, and debilitates physical and mental health of the student. These findings make it difficult to understand the reasons for which some individuals elect to take multiple college courses while working a full-time job. However, the dialogues from my interviews contain many instances in which students explain that it will all be worth it in the end when they graduate. Although these students are choosing to live a stressful life now, they all believe they are on a path to a better future. Although my research fills in some important gaps in the literature and provides some insights on the consequences of independently paying for postsecondary education, there are still many areas of research around this topic which need to be investigated. First and foremost, a review of the financial aid process for students that pay independently for college is necessary. Many students endure serious financial burdens as a result of their financial aid being based on their parent's or guardian’s income. Next, institutions should look into starting programs which are aimed at assisting students that work while attending school. These programs could offer special financial benefits to students that work full-time, and offer a unique environment in which students that work and attend school can form new connections with each other and faculty that understand their situation. These programs could allow these students to more easily integrate, and more importantly they could help relieve some of the financial burden placed on these students, which could in turn give them some more free time. The existence of these programs is particularly important to new students that will have to work full-time while beginning their college journey. These students’ busy schedules may make it difficult to maintain a good GPA or to integrate on to campus (Dowd, 2004), but programs intended to support these students could go a long way in being successful in the classroom and working towards a timely degree completion. There are many reasons students enroll in colleges, but students paying for their own education are focused on the fact that earning a higher education degree is associated with economic and status returns (Grubb, 2002; Kane and Rouse 1995; Kienzl 2004). These students endure a host of negative consequences associated with paying for college independently in hopes of a brighter future. As a society that endorses higher education for all who wish to pursue it, it is important that we assist these individuals and help steer them towards success. The results of this study provide some insights that help in understanding the consequences of paying for one’s own post-secondary education, but future studies will be necessary to understand more broadly how these individuals are affected at different types of universities, what their success rates look like, and how their futures are impacted by their college experiences. References: - Armstrong, Elizabeth A., and Laura T. Hamilton. Paying for the Party. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London, England, Harvard University Press, 2013. JSTOR, stable/j.ctt2jbr6k. - Boatman, A. & Long, B.T. Does Financial Aid Impact College Student Engagement? 2016. 57: 653. - Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. Higher Education: Who Pays? Who Benefits? Who Should Pay? A Report and Recommendations. New York :McGraw-Hill, 1973. Print - Credit Card Debt, Stress and Key Health Risk Behaviors among College Students Melissa C. Nelson, PhD, RD, Katherine Lust, PhD, MPH, RD, Mary Story, PhD, MPH, RD, Ed Ehlinger, MD, MSPH American Journal of Health Promotion Vol 22, Issue 6, pp. 400 - 406 First published date: July-01-2008 10.4278/ajhp.22.6.400 - Dowd A., (2004, May 12). Income and financial aid effects on persistence and degree attainment in public colleges. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 12(21). . - Dowd, A., & Coury, T. Res. (2006) High Educ. 47: 33. - Dynarski, Susan. 2002. "The Behavioral and Distributional Implications of Aid for College ." American Economic Review, 92(2): 279-285.DOI: 10.1257/000282802320189401 - Grubb, W. Norton. 2002. Learning and earning in the middle, part I: National studies. Economics of Education Review 21:299-321. - John P. Bean, Barbara S. Metzner, Review of Educational Research Vol 55, Issue 4, pp. 485 - 540 First published date: June-30-2016 10.3102/00346543055004485 - Kane, Thomas J., and Celia R. Rouse. 1999. The community college: Educating students at the margin between college and work. Journal of Economic Perspectives 13 (1):63-84 - Kienzl, Gregory S. 2004. The triple helix of education and earnings: The effect of schooling, work, and pathways on the economic outcomes of community college students. PhD diss., Teachers College, Columbia Univ. - Marcotte, David E., Thomas Bailey, Carey Borkoski, and Greg S. Kienzl. 2005. The returns of community college education: Evidence from the National Education Longitudinal Survey. Education and Policy Analysis 27: 157-175. - Norvilitis, J. (2006). Personality Factors, Money Attitudes, Financial Knowledge, and Credit-Card Debt in College Students1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36: 1395–1413. doi:10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00065.x - Rossi, Andrew, director. Ivory Tower. Participant Media, 2014. - Ziskin, M. & Fischer, M. A. & Torres, V. & Pellicciotti, B. & Player-Sanders, J. "Working Students’ Perceptions of Paying for College: Understanding the Connections between Financial Aid and Work." The Review of Higher Education, vol. 37 no. 4, 2014, pp. 429-467. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/rhe.2014.0028 Honor Code: I affirm my awareness of the standards of the Harvard College Honor Code.Printed Name: Eric MorrisSignature: Eric Morris Appendices:Hypothesis and Expected Findings Overall, I expect to find a negative association between independently paying for college and student experience. While Boatman and Long (2016) found that impoverished but talented students receiving grants benefited from increased integration, I believe that impoverished students that do not receive aid from outside sources such as grants will suffer from decreased integration. The source of this decreased integration may be attributed to the time lost in generating income necessary to pay tuition costs. The results of the Zisken et al. (2014) study lead me to believe that while financial aid may provide slight relief from the financial burdens associated with college, it will not be adequate to relieve the stresses of having to work while being enrolled. These stresses may cause students to feel overwhelmed which will limit their ability to focus and detract from their ability to successfully integrate and be an active participator in the classroom. It is likely that many of the students’ responses will fall into the themes of over-worked and overwhelmed. Independently paying for one’s post-secondary education is an enormous undertaking that comes with many pressures and responsibilities for one to be successful. Furthermore, Nelson et al. (2008) provides evidence that debt may lead to certain health risks for students. This evidence also seems to indicate that paying for college independently has a negative association with integration and success in the classroom. While it is possible that these individuals will exhibit greater levels of confidence and ambition which could help steer them toward successful college journeys, I believe these themes will be much less prevalent in the responses of the interviewed students. Given the research that has been conducted so far on student debt, financial aid, loans, and working while enrolled, it seems logical to conclude that students that pay for their own post-secondary education will suffer from feelings of being overwhelmed and experiencing overall decreased integration.Pre-screening Questionnaire 1. What school do you currently attend?2. How many courses are you currently enrolled in?3. Do you receive any financial assistance for the expenses associated with your college (this may be money from family, scholarships, grants, loans, financial aid, etc.)? If yes, please specify which forms of assistance you receive. 4. Are you currently employed?5. How many hours do you work on an average week?6. What is your anticipated annual income? (circle one)$12,000 or less or more than $12,000 7. With whom, if anyone, do you currently live? 8. Do you receive any assistance in paying for your living expenses outside of the costs associated with your college? If yes, from whom, and what do they help pay for?Interview Questions:As a student at your college, how do you feel you fit in to your campus community?Can you say a bit more about friendships, interaction with faculty, and extracurricular activities you’re involved in? Around how much time do you typically spend on campus per week? How does do you think this compares to the amount of time other students spend on campus?When you are in the classroom, how engaged with the material being taught do you tend to feel?What types of things might distract you during class?How do you feel about the resources and support that your college offers their students?If you were struggling in school, do you believe you could find the help that you need to get back on track?How do you balance between work and studying for school? What are some of the challenges, if any?What are some of the advantages, if any?How, if at all, has your financial situation impacted your experiences at school?Have you ever been unable to purchase the necessary course or study materials for school?What are your general attitudes towards school and work?Do you look forward to going to school or work?How does working and attending school simultaneously impact your mental state on a daily basis?Recruitment email for interview: Dear [], I am taking a class on higher education at my college (Harvard University). For the final project, I am writing a paper to understand the experiences of students who pay for college. I would like to conduct one short, max. 30 minutes, interview at a time and place convenient to you (in person or on video chat) to hear your perspectives and experiences as a tuition paying college student. Your answers will be kept confidential and your name will not appear in any data records (transcripts), any information that could possibly identify you will be removed, and no names will be used in the final paper. If you agree to be recorded, you will not be asked to identify yourself in the recordings. Immediately after the interview is conducted a special code will be generated for the record and the label will include only the following term student-date of interview. The project is exempt from CUHS approval. Please let me know if you would be willing to be interviewed and when would you be available. Thank you for your consideration,Eric Morris | Harvard University ’17 | Recruitment Email for Prescreening QuestionnaireYou are being asked to take part in a research study being done by Eric Morris from Harvard University. If you choose to be in the study, you will complete a survey. This survey will help us learn more about the experiences of students who pay for college. The survey will take you about 10 minutes.You can skip questions that you do not want to answer or stop the survey at any time.The survey is anonymous, and no one will be able to link your answers back to you. Please do not include your name or other information that could be used to identify you in the survey responses. Your answers will be kept confidential and your personal information will not be shared with anyone. Being in this study is voluntary. Please [close the webpage, tell me] if you do not want to participate. If you have any questions, please contact the SOCIOL 104 course instructor Dr. Manja Klemencic at manjaklemencic@college.harvard.edu. Interview Information Sheet My name is Eric Morris from Harvard University, and I am asking you to take part in my research study as part of the course SOCIOL 104: Higher Education, Institutions, Inequalities, and Controversies. I would like to interview you to learn more about the effect of tuition costs on college student behavior. The interview will last about 30 minutes. You can skip questions that you do not want to answer or stop the interview at any time. I will keep the data I collect confidential, and will not share your personal information with anyone except my course instructor. Being in this study is voluntary. Please tell me if you do not want to participate. I would like to record this interview to enable me to focus on the questions and keep a good record of your statement. I will alone transcribe the recording, keep it in password-protected computer under a code name, and delete it after my paper is graded. Only my course instructor will have access to the transcript. Please tell me if you do not want to be recorded. If you have any questions please contact the SOCIOL 104 course instructor Dr. Manja Klemencic at manjaklemencic@college.harvard.edu. ................
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