Concerns that debt loads and other financial worries negatively affect student wellness are a top priority for many university administrators. Factors related to financial stress among college students were explored using the Roy Adaptation Model, a conceptual framework used in health care applications. Responses from the 2010 Ohio Student Financial Wellness Survey were analyzed using proportion tests and multivariate logistic regressions. The results show that financial stress is widespread among students -71% of the sample reported feeling stress from personal finances. The results of the proportion tests and logistic regressions show that this study successfully identified important financial stressors among college students. Two of the most important financial stressors were not having enough money to participate in the same activities as peers and expecting to have higher amounts of student loan debt at graduation. The results also indicate that students with higher financial self-efficacy and greater financial optimism about the future are significantly less likely to report financial stress. Implications for student life administrators, policymakers, financial counselors, and financial therapists are discussed.

This study examined whether retirement income sources matter for the subjective financial well-being of retirees and the subjective retirement savings adequacy of non-retirees. Using nationally representative data from the 2017 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, the study found that while income from a defined benefit (DB) plan, defined contribution (DC) plan, and an individual retirement account (IRA) were positively related to the subjective financial well-being of retirees, income from employment and family were negatively related to their subjective financial well-being. Also, retirement preparation with a DB, DC, and IRA was positively related to subjective retirement savings adequacy for non-retirees. The moderating role of age in the relationship between the form of retirement savings for non-retirees and their subjective retirement savings adequacy was significant. Because of the growing importance of individual responsibility for retirement planning, the present study adds to the financial planning knowledge of financial practitioners, educators, and researchers.

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Evidence suggests that college students are unaware of their debt obligations. This study utilized the National Student Financial Wellness Study to examine whether aspects of financial parenting contribute to debt ignorance among college students. Reliance on parents for advice, parental financial support, and credit card payment responsibility were positively associated with ignorance of debt. Financial knowledge and working while in college reduced the likelihood of debt ignorance. We discuss implications for how parents can help their children become financially responsible young adults.

This study uses an integrative persistence model to examine college students' expected time-to-degree as a function of sociological and economic factors. The data used in this study are from the 2010 Ohio Student Financial Wellness Survey (SFWS), a web-based survey of undergraduate college students. Of the students surveyed, 25% indicated that they plan to take longer than 4 years to complete their undergraduate degree. Findings from the study indicate college environment and personal financial characteristics are important factors in determining time-to-degree. Students who overspend, have a car loan, credit cards, or high debt, and those who feel stress from their finances are more likely to take longer than 4 years. Students are more likely to finish in 4 years or less if they live or work on campus, have a high GPA, or have met with a financial counselor or advisor. Implications for higher education administrators and parents are discussed.