Demonstrating Deservingness in College Tuition Crowdfunding Campaigns.
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| Title: | Demonstrating Deservingness in College Tuition Crowdfunding Campaigns. |
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| Authors: | Han, Siqi1 siqihan@cuhk.edu.hk |
| Source: | Journal of Student Financial Aid. 2025, Vol. 54 Issue 3, preceding p1-32. 34p. |
| Subject Terms: | *University tuition, *Educational finance, Crowd funding, Financial aid, Social justice, Attitudes toward entitlement, Natural language processing |
| Geographic Terms: | United States |
| Abstract: | College tuition creates a substantial financial burden for students and families in the United States. Exhausting their own financial resources to pay for their college tuition, some students seek to crowdfund their tuition, a new channel for higher education finance that may become more prevalent in the future. Distinctively, crowdfunding campaigns are not reviewed or approved in the same way as traditional funding applications, leaving space for students' own justification for deservingness. This paper identifies the embedded semantic features in online college tuition campaigns that raised more money than the rest on a major crowdfunding platform and derives the discourse of deservingness in these campaigns. Natural language processing and analysis of a collection of college tuition campaigns reveal that students not only need to demonstrate a positive tone but also elaborate on their promising futures to show deservingness to funders. The findings highlight how financially disadvantaged students can use optimistic visions of their future as a practical tool for building their identity and advancing their educational journey. However, findings also serve as a warning to policymakers that crowdfunding should not replace a solid financial aid system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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