Understanding the relationship between financial stress and academic achievement among the student of the university of the Punjab

Abstract

The present study sought to fill an important empirical gap in South Asia, including Pakistan, by directly examining the association between financial stress and university students' academic performance. The research design was quantitative with emphasis on a correlational study. The participants were students of the University of the Punjab, Lahore. Out of the currently enrolled batches, 195 students were randomly selected (66 were males and 129 were females) using a simple random sampling method. Methods Data was collected using a semi-structured self-developed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis in SPSS. Descriptive analysis identified key financial stressors among students; namely having to work more than what they desired, the emotional weight of asking family for financial help, and self-reported negative mental health. The primary result was a significant, moderate, and positive correlation (r=. 213∗∗, p < 0.01) between Academic Achievement and Financial Stress, which is the symptom of the opposite global trend. This finding is consistent with a strong association. In addition, no statistically significant differences between men and women were found for Financial Stress (p=. 929) or Academic Achievement (p=. 205) with a consequent rejection of the hypothesis on differences in the posting.