This study examines the associations between educational loans and credit card debt with the possibility of college graduation among a group of youth who enrolled in college. It further investigates whether the associations differ by levels of parental assets. Results indicate that, after parental assets and other variables are considered, educational loans are positively related to college graduation; however, there is evidence that educational loans above $10,000 reduce the probability of college graduation. Parental assets are positively linked to youth’s college graduation, and the relationship between educational loans and college graduation is stronger among youth whose families have lower levels of financial assets. Credit card debt is positively related to college graduation only among families with modest financial assets. Policy implications are discussed.

Analyzing data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study, this study investigated the associations between student loan debt and financial stress and hardship among young adults. The results show that student loan debt was positively related to all indicators of financial stress and hardship, after controlling for a range of socioeconomic factors as well as measures of financial knowledge and behaviors. In addition, minority young adults were more likely to experience health-care related hardship and higher levels of financial stress. This study further reports that financial literacy and emergency savings were important buffers against financial stress and hardship among young adults, but utilization of alternative financial service contributed to their financial stress and hardship. These findings inform helpful policy and practice implications for improving financial status of young adults with student loans.

To examine the association between diabetes diagnosis and preventive care utilization and whether depressive symptoms mediate this relationship. The study used data from four waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth gathered between 2006 and 2016 (n = 6995) in the United States. Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between a diabetes diagnosis and preventive care utilization and whether depressive symptoms mediated this relationship. After controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and health variables, a diabetes diagnosis significantly increased preventive care utilization of blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, electrocardiograph tests, and influenza vaccinations. Also, depressive symptoms mediated the association between a diabetes diagnosis and three preventive care service utilization types: influenza vaccinations, blood pressure, and electrocardiograph tests. Depressive symptoms decreased blood pressure tests and increased influenza vaccinations and electrocardiograph tests. Depressive symptoms did not mediate blood cholesterol or blood sugar tests. Results indicated that a diagnosis of diabetes increases the use of preventative services, with the strongest effect on blood sugar tests. However, depressive symptoms slightly reduced the utilization of blood pressure testing. Future studies need to further examine the roles of doctor's recommendations and the roles of family members and familial care.

This study examines the association between student loan debt and financial hardships in health care utilization among young adults, with a focus on differences by race. This study analyzes data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study, a publicly available data set, and includes 4,535 young adults in the age groups of 24–35 years. The study results show that student loan debt was related to financial hardships in health care utilization, measured with unpaid medical bills and missed health care services because of costs, after controlling for a range of socioeconomic factors as well as measures of financial knowledge and behaviors. In addition, student loan debt had additional negative influence on missed health care services for minority young adults. Further analyses indicate that among young adults who had outstanding student loans, those with late loan payments were more likely to have unpaid medical bills and missed health care services, compared to those without late loan payments. These findings inform helpful policy and practice implications for improving financial status of young adults with student loans, especially those with late loan payment and minority young adults.

Young adults are increasingly burdened with student loan debt. It is timely and important to examine how student loan debt influences their already vulnerable financial status. Is there a relationship between student loan debt and financial hardship among young adults? Do white young adults and minority young adults have different experiences in student loan debt and financial hardship? Analyzing data from the 2015 National Financial Capacity Study, the study results show that student loan debt was negatively related to several measures of financial hardship: difficulty in paying bills, difficulty in meeting health care needs, and delay in the payment of home mortgage. After controlling for a range of socioeconomic factors and financial literacy, minority young adults were more likely to experience financial hardship than their white counterparts. In addition, it appears that student loan debt had additional negative impact on late payment of home mortgage among minority young adults. Policy and practice implications are discussed.