Arizona Pathways to Life Success for University Students

A TCAI Research Team has been awarded a research grant ($207,018) by the National Endowment of Financial Education (NEFE).

• APLUS National Press Release, February 10, 2010
• APLUS Wave 1.5 Report, January, 2010
• APLUS National Press Release, May 4, 2009
• APLUS Wave 1.0 Report, April, 2009
  

Project Title:
APlus: Arizona Pathways to Life Success for University Students

Researchers:
Soyeon Shim, Principal Investigator
Jing Xiao, Co-PI
Bonnie Barber, Co-PI
Joyce Serido, Project manager
Project Period: 9/07 thru 8/09
Arizona Pathways to Life Success for University Students

Project Summary:
What accounts for individual differences in young adults' financial behaviors, economic aspirations, and work and family choices? How do educational experiences (high school and college) affect the development of financial attitudes, intentions, and behaviors during young adulthood? Ultimately, do positive financial behaviors influence an individual's overall success in life and sense of identity?
Over the next decade or more, a team of researchers from multiple disciplines will examine these research questions. By integrating current theories of lifespan development, consumer socialization, and planned behavior, the researchers proposed a conceptual framework of the formation of young adults' positive financial behaviors and their effects on life successes. With the framework as a model, our goal is to contribute to the development of a new theory for predicting financial behavior and life-success outcomes across adulthood. The findings of the research will provide useful knowledge to educators, public policy makers, and employers seeking ways to improve the quality of life for young adults. Ultimately, the research will help us better understand origins, development, socialization processes, socio-psychological factors, and pathways into adulthood relevant to financial literacy.

With funding provided by NEFE, we established the foundation for this landmark longitudinal study of emerging young adults by launching the first wave of data collection. In Spring 2008, we collected survey data from 2172 freshmen, over 33% of the 2007 cohort enrolled at the University of Arizona. A report on the findings is due to be released in early 2009.Plans for a follow-up wave of data collection are underway.

Learn more from the APLUS website: http://aplus.arizona.edu/