Education Commons^™

It All Adds Up: Examining And Enhancing Campus Climate For Affordability At A Four-Year University, Kevin R. Mcclure, Andrew J. Ryder, Andrew J. Mauk

Journal of Student Financial Aid

This study examined undergraduate students’ perceptions of non-academic spending in college and how they navigated these expenses. Using a mixed-methods study at a public comprehensive university in the southeastern United States, we conceptualized these perceptions as a central component of campus climate for affordability in college. Findings demonstrated that campus policies, practices, and spaces facilitated non-academic spending and exacerbated students’ perceptions that college is unaffordable. Non-academic and social costs were more expensive than students anticipated, and many students struggled to manage their money and cover these costs. Students shared a range of strategies to navigate non-academic expenses, from opting out …