Contending With Financial Inequality: Rethinking the Contributions of Qualitative Research to the Policy Discourse on College Access

Researchers frequently focus on the roles of background and academic preparation in college access without considering the role of family income. The theory on cultural capital provides a lens for examining the role of family income in education decisions. This article uses the theory of cultural capital, along with claims from other theories, to examine interviews with students who received substantial grant awards. The analyses help illuminate that student perceptions of finances influence social and academic decisions about higher education, illustrating that qualitative research can contribute substantially to the emerging understanding of financial inequality in educational opportunity.