Work

Exploring Cultural Capital in the College and Financial Aid Decision Process for the GEAR UP Federal Grant Program

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This qualitative study investigates the relationship between cultural capital and financial aid in college decision-making through use of an updated model based on Perna’s (2006) cultural capital model, focusing on decision-making influences within the habitus layer. Researchers conducted focus groups and interviews, yielding (N=15) GEAR UP scholarship recipient participants. Findings from this study evidence the importance of personal and social networks, individual intuition, and trust in college decision-making, with these components often cited more frequently than traditionally cited factors beyond the habitus layer. This study serves as a model for investigating student decision-making, highlighting the importance of uplifting student voice, and as an initial investigation into the ways in which college-going students’ decision-making practices are changing.

Source: International Journal of Social Science Studies

DOI: 10.11114/ijsss.v12i4.7016

Authors: Jessica Osborne, Carol Cutler White, Olivia Melvin

Institutions: University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University

Language: English

Topic: Higher Education Research Studies

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: U.S. Department of Education, Mississippi State University, Australian Government