BEYOND THE TRANSACTION - HOW STUDENT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES SHAPE THEIR PAYMENT METHODS

Oct 15, 2026

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This study examines how students’ academic capital, knowledge, and attitudes toward mandatory fees—and their understanding of university financial structures—shape financial behaviors, especially payment methods, in a higher-education system in the U.S. South. Against record enrollment growth and rising representation of historically marginalized groups, limited research explains how student experiences guide navigation of complex institutional finance. Using the SKAFE survey and Academic Capital framework, the study models predictors of scholarship, grant, and loan use.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Study Context: Higher Education in the Southern States

Mandatory Fees and Merit-Based Aid

Prior Research and Conceptual Background

Purpose and Research Design

SKAFE Survey and Academic Capital Framework

Regression Models and Sample

Expected Contributions and Implications

“BEYOND THE TRANSACTION”: HOW STUDENT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES SHAPE THEIR PAYMENT METHODS Ivanna Colon Alverio Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Chukwuemeka (Emeka) A. Ikegwuonu St. Cloud State University Sydney Robinson St. Cloud State University Naomi Ikegwuonu Georgia Institute of Technology Abstract This study examines how students’ academic capital, knowledge, and attitudes toward mandatory fees, and university knowledgeg of financial structures influence their financial behaviors, specifically payment methods, within higher education system located in the southwest. Amid record enrollment of students in the southern region—including notable increases among African American/Black, Asian, and Latinx students—there remains limited understanding of how students’ experiences influence their navigation of complex institutional financial structures. Using the SKAFE (Student Knowledge Attitudes of Fees and their Engagement) survey and the Academic Capital framework, we examine the predictive power of institutional knowledge, academic capital, and demographic factors on students’use of scholarships, grants, and loans. The study leverages a unique institutional context: the system offers wide spread merit based aid and unique fee structure for all institutions within the system.The analyses will employ ordinal and multinomial regression models to evaluate 176 student responses.Findings will extend current research by illustrating how pre-college experiences and institutional awareness affect students’financial decisions.This study has implications for institutional policy and financial aid equity, particularly for historically marginalized populations in higher education. Keywords: mandatory fees, payment methods, academic capital Please direct inquires about this manuscript to: Chukwuemeka (Emeka) A.Ikegwuonu, Ph.D., emeka.ikegwuonu@[stcloudstate.edu](stcloudstate.edu). College Student Affairs Journal, Volume 43(2), pp. 71-85 ISSN 2381-2338 Copyright 2025 Southern Association for College Student Affairs All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. 72 College Student Affairs Journal Vol. 43, No.2, 2025 T his article aims to understand how students’knowledge of financial structures and their holistic experiences influence their behavior within the institutional environment, particularly in terms of payment methods, in a higher education system located in the southern states.The south has reported record growth in population according to the United State Census Bureau (U.S.Census Bureau, 2025).In addition, the report stated that nine out of the ten fastest growing cities were all within the southern region. The investigation focused on a higher education system located in the southern states that reported enrollment growth across all institutions, with a 5.9% increase from 2023 to 2024, totaling 364,725 students. This growth currently outpacesthe national average increase of 2.9% in enrollment for students entering four-year institutions of higher education (Unglesbee, 2025). Furthermore, this includes a rise in historically marginalized students who identify as African American/ Black (6.6%), Asian (10%), and Latin/x (9.1%)(Unglesbee, 2025).The increase is substantial and coincides with rising graduation rates; however, it does not reflect how students’prior experiencesand knowledge influence their payment methods during enrollment.We chose this system of higher education because it has one of the most unique fee structures in the nation, charging students based on major and location (Kim & Ikegwuonu, 2023; Sterritt, 2011). We focused on mandatory fees as they are fixed costs incurred by all students, regardless of their status (i. e., major, residency status, and online) (Ikegwuonu, 2020; Kim & Ikegwuonu, 2023).Student charges can vary from semester to semester or if they transfer to another institution within the system. Additionally, the system offers two merit based scholarships wit

FAQs

What factors does the study focus on to explain students’ payment methods?

The study centers on students’ academic capital, knowledge, and attitudes toward mandatory fees, along with how well they understand university financial structures.

Why does the research emphasize the higher-education system in the U.S. South?

The system is selected for its unique fee structure based on major and location and for wide merit-based aid, alongside notable enrollment growth across institutions.

What analytical approach does the study plan to use?

The study will use ordinal and multinomial regression models to evaluate survey responses and estimate the predictive power of institutional knowledge, academic capital, and demographic factors.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by jayni