Pathways to early departure from college: the interrelated and precarious role of finances among Black and Latinx students

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the early departure pathways of first-time freshmen university students to better understand the intersection of financial and time-related constraints that affect first-generation and low-income Black and Latinx students. Data from 50 interviews with students who experienced an early departure from a four-year university suggest that students’ financial barriers are heightened as they matriculate because they are unsuspecting of the hidden costs of college. In turn, the financial- and time-related barriers operate as a double disadvantage that consequently pushes students out of higher education. The student’s financial commitments and responsibilities become unmanageable and this is exacerbated by precarious family contexts, processes, and haphazard timing associated with limited financial resources. This study contributes to current research by expanding sociological theory related to the factors that contribute to persistent educational attainment inequalities along ethnoracial and socioeconomic lines, as well as informing policies and practices across higher education.