Perceptions of Financial Aid Among Students of Color

This article primarily examines the role of attribution and self-concept as correlates of debt tolerance defined and operationalized as students’ of color willingness to take on loans to meet educational costs. To examine this set of relationships, three sets of attitude and perception indices are used: a family and friends support index, a self-concept index, and a locus of control index. Findings show that expecting to earn a first professional degree increases the odds of borrowing, whereas believing that good luck and good fortune are very important for success increases the odds of borrowing after controlling for other salient factors.