The Influence of Coping Strategies on College Students’ Grade Point Averages

Financial stress has been identified as a pervasive problem among college students, and this stress could influence the students’ grade point averages (GPAs). The goal of this study was to identify how two methods of coping relate to GPAs when controlling for financial stress. The methods of coping...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFamily and consumer sciences research journal Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 73 - 86
Main Authors Zepp, Phillip, Potter, Derek, Haselwood, Camila, Britt‐Lutter, Sonya
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2018
Subjects
Academic achievement
College students
Coping
Coping strategies
Counseling
Finance
financial perceptions
financial stress
grade point average
Grades (Scholastic)
Stress
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Summary:Financial stress has been identified as a pervasive problem among college students, and this stress could influence the students’ grade point averages (GPAs). The goal of this study was to identify how two methods of coping relate to GPAs when controlling for financial stress. The methods of coping were problem‐focused or emotion‐focused strategies. The theoretical framework for the study was the cognitive appraisal theory. Using data on students from a large, Midwestern public university, the results of regression showed that problem‐focused coping strategies were a positive influence on respondent GPA, while emotion‐focused coping strategies were not significantly related to GPA. Suggestions to relieve students’ financial stress include finding work on campus, obtaining counseling on personal finance, or using problem‐focused coping strategies.
ISSN:1077-727X
1552-3934
DOI:10.1111/fcsr.12274