Authors

Dominique J. Baker, Southern Methodist UniversityFollow

A case study of undergraduate debt, repayment plans, and postbaccalaureate decision-making among Black students at HBCUs

Abstract

High payments and default on undergraduate debt have consequences; they are of national concern if aversion to debt deters students from making optimal postbaccalaureate decisions on postbaccalaureate educational aspirations, enrollment, and early-career occupation. I conducted two semi-structured interviews, near graduation and six months later, with six recent graduates of an HBCU who borrowed at some point in their undergraduate career and were required to complete federal exit counseling. I found that the relationship between undergraduate debt and postbaccalaureate decision-making is partially explained by the themes of timing and structure of information, family as a source of knowledge, comfort with the amount borrowed, and the realities of postbaccalaureate decision-making. The results suggest that following students past graduation is critical because the students' reported confidence or emotional state can change as repayment draws closer.

Recommended Citation

Baker, Dominique J. (2019) "A case study of undergraduate debt, repayment plans, and postbaccalaureate decision-making among Black students at HBCUs," Journal of Student Financial Aid: Vol. 48 : Iss. 2 , Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55504/0884-9153.1631
Available at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/jsfa/vol48/iss2/1