INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHANGES IN EDUCATION
Research Article
Aug 09, 2026 151 57

Debt Decisions: The Effects of Paying for College in the United States with Student Loans

Kim E. Bullington 1 * ,
David J. Thomas 2,
Minghui Hou 3,
William L. Nuckols 4,
Dennis E. Gregory 1,
Joshua L. Howell 5,
Kaycee L. Bills 6,
Amy-Leah Joaquim 7
1 Educational Leadership and Workforce Development, Old Dominion University, USA2 Office of Educational Accessibility, West Chester University, USA3 School of Education, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, USA4 Division of Digital Learning, Old Dominion University, USA5 Academic Affairs, Tidewater Community College, USA6 Department of Sociology, College of St. Mary, USA7 Civic Engagement and Public Service, The George Washington University, USA* Corresponding Author
International Journal of Changes in Education, 3(3), 2026, 269-280, https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52023714
Online publication date: Apr 24, 2025
Publication date: Aug 09, 2026
Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

Student loans have increasingly become a burden on individuals. This qualitative analysis explores how structural inequities and financial literacy gaps influence US student loan borrowers’ decisions to finance postsecondary education. The study highlights racial and economic disparities, examining participants’ reflections on debt aversion and systemic barriers to equitable access. We asked why participants took out federal student loans, asked about their decision processes when taking on debt, whether participants took any action to reduce accumulated debt, and if they’d made any discoveries about their decisions to take on student loan debt. After coding and a thematic analysis, five themes and five subthemes emerged. Respondents saw loans as their only option to afford college, using the funds not just for tuition but for living expenses. Student loan debt has significantly impacted their life choices, forcing some to delay major milestones like marriage and family, buying a house, and saving for retirement. A discussion including implications for policy, research, and practice as well as future directions is provided.

KEYWORDS

student loans debt -decision- making debt aversion postsecondary education financial literacy United States

CITATION (APA)

Bullington, K. E., Thomas, D. J., Hou, M., Nuckols, W. L., Gregory, D. E., Howell, J. L., Bills, K. L., & Joaquim, A.-L. (2026). Debt Decisions: The Effects of Paying for College in the United States with Student Loans. International Journal of Changes in Education, 3(3), 269-280. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52023714
Harvard
Bullington, K. E., Thomas, D. J., Hou, M., Nuckols, W. L., Gregory, D. E., Howell, J. L., . . . Joaquim, A.-L. (2026). Debt Decisions: The Effects of Paying for College in the United States with Student Loans. International Journal of Changes in Education, 3(3), pp. 269-280. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52023714
Vancouver
Bullington KE, Thomas DJ, Hou M, Nuckols WL, Gregory DE, Howell JL, et al. Debt Decisions: The Effects of Paying for College in the United States with Student Loans. International Journal of Changes in Education. 2026;3(3):269-80. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52023714
AMA
Bullington KE, Thomas DJ, Hou M, et al. Debt Decisions: The Effects of Paying for College in the United States with Student Loans. International Journal of Changes in Education. 2026;3(3), 269-280. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52023714
Chicago
Bullington, Kim E., David J. Thomas, Minghui Hou, William L. Nuckols, Dennis E. Gregory, Joshua L. Howell, Kaycee L. Bills, and Amy-Leah Joaquim. "Debt Decisions: The Effects of Paying for College in the United States with Student Loans". International Journal of Changes in Education 2026 3 no. 3 (2026): 269-280. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52023714
MLA
Bullington, Kim E. et al. "Debt Decisions: The Effects of Paying for College in the United States with Student Loans". International Journal of Changes in Education, vol. 3, no. 3, 2026, pp. 269-280. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52023714

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