The Parent Influence: The Relationship Among Family Communication Patterns, Student Financial Literacy, and College Choice

Student financial literacy is a growing national concern in the United States of America, especially in the realm of higher education and student debt. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship among students' perceived family communication patterns, financial literacy, and college choice. Family financial socialization theory was the lens through which these constructs were examined. This study combined revised family communication patterns (RFCP), expanded conformity orientation scale (ECOS), and college student financial literacy scale (CSFLS) measures along with a college choice question in an electronic survey shared with traditional undergraduate students at a land-grant university in the Southeastern United States to further investigate these relationships. The results of this study have implications for future family communication research by extending connections into the context of financial literacy as well as for administrators and program developers as they work to better assist students and families as they make financial decisions about higher education.