Financial Considerations of Undergraduate Female Married Students: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

This qualitative, phenomenological research study, involved in-depth interviewing 23 female, undergraduate, married students attending a private, selective Midwest university.Three main themes were found regarding the students’ perceptions of their respective financial situations.First, participants described that, in contrast to a single (unmarried) lifestyle, the importance of their budgeting practices significantly escalate. These considerations directly relate to paying bills and school loans, resulting in consequential patterns of limited spending. Second, women in the study described the importance of discussing finances with their future spouse before getting married. Other preemptive efforts included saving money beforehand, as well as pre-discussing financial habits or expectations. Finally, married students described the mindset changes they found necessary when adjusting to married life as an undergraduate student. These included finding less expensive alternatives or “doing without,” as well as shifts in their perceptions of finances from individual budgets to collective financial outlooks.