Taylor, NicoleRepasky, Emily C.2022-05-162022-05-162022-05Repasky, E. C. (2022). <i>College (un)affordability: Exploring how university students pay for college and the impact of COVID-19</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.https://hdl.handle.net/10877/15783The price of higher education in the United States has increased significantly since the 1980s, while family incomes have failed to keep pace. Young people are taught early that earning a postsecondary degree is necessary for attaining future economic stability and job security stability. For many, a university education has become cost prohibitive. This study shares findings from ethnographic research on university students’ experiences paying for college and living-related expenses during an unprecedented time, the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on in-depth interviews with college students, I explore the strategies they draw on to make it work financially, and their perceptions of the costs and value of the education they receive.Text127 pages1 file (.pdf)enCollege affordabilityCollege studentsEducation financePaying for collegeThesis