The Role of Student Debt and Debt Anxiety in College Student Financial Well-Being

Abstract

This study examined predictors of three measures of financial well-being in 354 college students. Results suggest that perceptions of debt are important in understanding financial well-being, but these perceptions need to be considered alongside of individual differences in anxiety, optimism, and parental teaching. Further, regression analyses highlighted differences between predictors of perceived financial well-being and more and less frequent money saving behaviors, which may indicate different paths for intervention. Specifically, students reporting engaging in less common financial strain behaviors appear to have more objective financial difficulties, whereas students reporting more common financial strain behaviors report more factors that suggest difficulty with money management skills and those with lower levels of perceived financial well-being report higher levels of worry. Mediational analyses further indicated a potential role for parental intervention to improve perceived financial well-being and decrease unhealthy responses to financial strain