Roma in higher education: Psychological and social capital as factors of academic success

Abstract

Given that Roma students are underrepresented in higher education, and that few studies investigated personal and social resources of young Roma adults, our aim was to explore the psychological and social capital of Roma attending college and determine if there are differences compared to non-Roma students. In total, 89 Roma and 105 non-Roma college students filled in the questionnaire. Significant differences between the two groups were obtained for all components of psychological capital, except for self-efficacy. Roma students' family financial and educational status was significantly more unfavorable than that of the non-Roma students. They received support from fewer persons to pursue higher education but have been more civically engaged and received more support from NGO representatives. We can conclude that, despite unfavorable family structure capital, Roma college students have developed a high level of psychological capital. Practical implications are furthered elaborated.