Article 2019

A comparative study of the factors shaping postsecondary aspirations for low-income students in greater Boston and greater London

GJ
Grim, Jeffrey Kyle
 MQ
Moore-Vissing, Quixada
 MA
Mountford-Zimdars, Anna K.
British Journal of Sociology of Education
Journal · Vol. 40 · Issue 6 · pp. 826-843
Abstract

This project investigated the postsecondary education aspirations of 27 secondary school-aged students living in greater London, England and greater Boston, Massachusetts, USA. An innovative research design was implemented to support a technology-facilitated international focus group allowing for exchanges between the US and English students. Using human ecology theory, the findings show that differences in students’ exosystems, specifically the financial aid and loan repayment processes, influence student postsecondary education and career aspirations. US student concerns about affordability and loan repayment made aspirations lower and more localized. In contrast, English participants felt comforted by their government’s deferred loan repayment process, so they did not express such strong constraints on aspirations based on financial considerations. Both English and US students were influenced similarly by the mesosystem when making decisions about which postsecondary institution to attend. In conclusion, altering exosystem policy and influencing mesosystem relationships could impact postsecondary education aspirations for low-income students. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

qualitative policy financial aid human ecology International comparative postsecondary access postsecondary aspiration

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Carsey School of Public Policy, University of New Hampshire Durham, Durham, NH, United States
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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