DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my parents, Ismenia and Jose, my husband Alan and my son Christian. I appreciate the support, countless words of encouragement, and most importantly your love and guidance throughout the process. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would never have been able to finish my dissertation without the guidance and support of my advisor, encouragement from friends and my cohort and the endless support of my family. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Dr.

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... enah Estrella-Luna, for her guidance, patience and critical eye for detail. I would like to thank Dr. John Yena for reading my thesis with a pragmatic and technical lens towards content and a strategic approach to policy design. I remain your stalwart fan. A special thanks to my editor and dear friend, Kristine McNamara, who made me laugh throughout the process and helped me find my voice and express myself with confidence. Without her, I am not sure I would have been able to finish this work. To the "girls," you know who you are, always there to give me a boost when I needed it. To my parents who provided support and encouragement, pitching in along the way to make balancing family, career, and school that much easier; but, most importantly, who modeled the importance of education, the courage to take risks, the importance of being true to yourself and the passion to pursue my dreams. To my husband and son who kept me grounded and made me take some time for myself and my family along the way. Throughout this process countless colleagues have helped me find my way but most importantly the support of my cohort made this entire process easier. Thank you. ABSTRACT This study focused on how the cost of private education impacts low and moderate income students' perception of financial burden associated with student debt and the cost of education. The research focuses on one private institution with four campuses and explores how undergraduate survey respondents view their financial behaviors and financial perceptions and whether or not these behaviors or perceptions are impacted by literacy programs or parental interactions. The work reveals that students who are considered financially vulnerable felt a greater financial burden then that of their wealthier peers. The results informed several recommendations for private institutions to support their student's educational pursuits as well as recommendations on the federal level related to the federal financial aid policy. 5