“You Can’t Just Focus on Yourself”: Financial Struggles and Academic Success Among Pasifika University Students

Abstract

Pasifika students in Aotearoa New Zealand continue to experience educational inequities, with financial hardship emerging as a significant yet underexplored factor influencing academic success. While widening participation initiatives have increased access to tertiary education, less attention has been given to how ongoing economic pressures shape Pasifika student lived experiences within university contexts. This qualitative study examined the financial struggles faced by Pasifika university students and how these struggles impacted their academic success. Guided by a culturally grounded Talanoa approach, four Pasifika students participated in an in-depth interview. Data was analyzed thematically to understand students’ stories. Findings indicated that financial stress was a persistent feature of students' university experiences, influencing study, employment and family obligations. Financial responsibilities were shaped by collective family expectations, positioning academic success as both an individual and relational responsibility. Engagement with academic and mental health support services remained limited despite emotional distress. These findings highlight the need for tertiary institutions to move beyond individualized understandings of academic success and recognize the collective cultural and economic realities shaping Pasifika student experiences