Family income does not necessarily impact student achievement as much as previously thought. Several studies have found other factors like work hours, institution type, enrollment length, age, and family background are more influential. One study showed academic achievement is less dependent on income as parental education levels increase. The present study found a student's perception of family income did not affect their achievement. Paternal support of education was found to significantly impact achievement, while maternal education level did not. However, other research has found households with active fathers foster maternal involvement, creating a support system that benefits educational attainment. While some past research linked family income and certain demographics to achievement, the present study found no significant relationships between income, race, ethnicity and student achievement.

1. Scholarly Significance
The impact that family income has on student achievement is not as evident as the
researchers thought. Many studies have now contrasted the popular belief that college students
from high socioeconomic families will outperform students from low socioeconomic families on
academic achievement. These studies focus on other underlying factors such as the number of
work hours per week, institution type, length of enrollment, age of the student and family
background (Paulsen & St. John, 2002; Terenzini, Cabrera, & Bernal, 2001). R. Stinebrickener
and T.R. Stinebrickner (2003) illustrated that income is less significant with increased parental
educational attainment. This coincides with the results of the present study, that a student’s
perception of family income does not impact academic achievement. In fact, fathers who
support their child’s education leads mothers to follow and will often result in financial support
further enhancing opportunities and resources in education (Flouri & Buchanan, 2004; Flouri,
2006).
The research of Crockett, Eggebeen, and Hawkins (1993) contradicts the researchers’
findings in that they found maternal educational attainment impacts student achievement.
According to the results, paternal support of education significantly impacts academic
achievement while the maternal education level has no signifiance. However, Cabrera, Tamis-
LeMonda, Bradley, Hofferth and Lamb (2000) showed that families with active fathers will
foster maternal involvement in the household resulting in a support system that fosters
educational attainment and positive long-term contributions (Flouri, 2006). The researchers can
conclude that a household with an active father will afford the college student with positive
reinforcements assisting in greater academic achievement.
While prior studies showed, that family income had an effect on student achievement
(Walpole, 2003; Walpole & Titus, 2006), the results of the present study showed no significant
difference. Contrary to previous research that indentified race and ethnicity as affecting
academic achievement (Cokley & Chapman, 2008; Perna & Titus, 2005), the researchers’ results
did not establish a connection between race, ethnicity, and academic achievement. The
researchers’ findings concurred with prior literature that showed the importance of parental
education levels and its impact on college student achievement. However, the researchers’
results differed in that the fathers’ education level was significant as opposed to the mothers’
education level (Ortiz & Dehon, 2008).
Cabrera, N., Tamis-LeMonda, C., Bradley, R., Hofferth, S., & Lamb, M. (2000). Fatherhood in
the twenty-first century. Child Development , 71, 127-136.
Walpole, M. (2003). Socioeconomic status and college: How SES affects college experiences
and outcomes. Review of Higher Education , 27 (1), 45-73.