Journal of Student Financial Aid
"Hopefully This Thing Is Legit:" Student Experiences of Administrative Burden with a Promise Program
Short Title
“Hopefully This Thing Is Legit”
Abstract
Despite the expansion of tuition-free college (Promise) programs as a financial aid strategy, little is known about how students learn about, navigate, and experience them. This qualitative case study examines how second-year students encounter administrative burdens in a Promise program (PROMISE) at a large university that seeks to minimize compliance costs. Findings reveal a tradeoff between ease of access (low compliance costs) and program-related information (high learning costs). Minimal eligibility requirements contrast with limited marketing, leaving students misinformed about key aspects of their aid. Elevated learning and psychological costs generate stress and uncertainty. Despite these challenges, students draw on navigational, resistence, and familial capital to sustain their enrollment and support peers. Results have implications for the design, communication, and implementation of promise programs to ensure equitable access and student success.
Recommended Citation
Acevedo, Rosa Maria; Gándara, Denisa; and Smith, Sasha
(2026)
""Hopefully This Thing Is Legit:" Student Experiences of Administrative Burden with a Promise Program,"
Journal of Student Financial Aid: Vol. 55
:
Iss.
1
, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55504/0884-9153.1878
Available at:
https://ir.library.louisville.edu/jsfa/vol55/iss1/2