Chapter 1 Introduction

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
RATIONALE
Eve, a first year Mass Communication student of the University of the Philippines Cebu is categorized under Bracket A in the university’s STFAP. Her bracket assignment shows that her parents have an annual gross income of P1, 000, 000 or above. She points out that she does not really think about how much money she will spend in the course she chose. Payments and other fees are also not entirely her main concern in choosing a college course. On the other hand, Claire, a first year Management student of the same university is categorized under Bracket E₂. This bracket assignment entitles students having an annual gross family income of P50, 000 or less with free tuition fee and monthly stipend. Unlike Eve, she thinks twice about how much money she will spend in the course she chose to enroll. She also considers payments and other fees as top priority in choosing a college course.
Economic status defines the life of an individual in such a way that one will always refer to his/her financial stakes as regards to his decisions. It is the factor which deeply shapes his/her lifestyle and alters his/her preferences. He/she will weigh down his/her choices depending on what is covered within the boundaries of his/her economic status and if not, he/she will come to find alternatives in order to serve his/her needs. Most of the time, an individual bends his/her supposedly first preference in order to make way for other more important implications. In most cases, these more important implications include food for the family, healthcare, and education for all. It is when the other member of the family also needs a portion of the meager family income that the individual is forced to adjust his/her preferences. His/her choices will always reflect his/her financial background because one is always careful not to give out more than what he takes in.
While it is true that man’s place in society is entirely determined by the amount of money he/she takes in to meet his/her basic needs and to provide for his/her family, economic status alone is not the only factor which proves to be essential in the decision-making of an individual. As stated by Paulma (1992), there are institutional as well as personal factors pinpointed as major influences to the choices an individual makes, some of these include the influences of other people, the prestige of the college, the individual’s skills and abilities which relate to his/her choice of college course and sometimes though, his/her choice of college course may also be due to mere uncertainty. It is deemed important to include these factors in this study in order to fully understand the impact of economic factors and more so, socially-related factors in the decision-making of students.
The students’ choice of college course is a crucial part of their decision-making because it is considered by most people as the first real decision that every privileged individual has to face. In the world culture, education is a major concern to all types of families, regardless of their financial capacity. Parents, those who are fortunate enough to claim cultural investments, give extra effort to send their children to good schools which serves standard and quality education. Those who are not culturally and economically fortunate, those who only earn a meager income even in a long day’s work are also noted to make extra effort in sending their children to school, maybe to schools which fall short behind other well-established institutions but offers education nonetheless. Parents also see education especially college education as the tool to achieve successes in life. It is seen by most to be one of the effective means of getting out from a poverty-driven society and to enjoy the best of what life has to offer. There is ofcourse, nothing better than having a college degree. It will improve and redefine an individual’s perspective in life. He will get to interact with different kinds of people which will prove to be very helpful in his future. And most importantly, he will get to appreciate and learn many things in his college experience. This only goes to show that education, most especially college education is not just the Filipino dream but as well as the world’s. Choosing a college course is therefore labeled to be a crucial part in the process of decision-making because many factors are compromised, some even given up, in order to land the college course which best fits the individual and his family’s capacity to support his education.
This study aims to determine the relationship of economic status and the students’ choice of college course and to understand the many implications an individual undergoes in order to make his/her choices suitable for his/her and his/her family’s cause. There are varying factors as to why and how students land their respective college courses, yes, but the study conducted by Rojewski (1997) on The Effects of Economic Disadvantaged Status and Secondary Vocational Education on Adolescent Work Experience and Post-Secondary Aspirations showed that it all boils down to the individual’s economic status to mold his/her decision-making. More than a few studies, including that of Rojewski (1997), Weinger (2000) and others have been conducted to try and determine the relationship between one’s economic status and one’s preferences. But preference is too broad a word that it is necessary to break it down into smaller, more concise pieces. That is why we have come down to the choice of college course in order to represent a small yet crucial part of an individual’s preference and decision-making.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study aims to determine the influence of economic status to the choice of course of first year UP Cebu students.
Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:
Does economic status influence the choice of course of first year UP Cebu students?
If yes, in what way does it influence the students’ choice of course?
If no, what are the other factors that influence the choice of course of first year UP Cebu students?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study aims to determine the relationship between the economic status and the choice of course of first year UP Cebu students. This will aid in understanding the impact of the students’ economic status as regards to their choice of college course. It will highlight the effects of financial constraints in education, which is first and foremost a free right for everyone.
This study will open opportunities for the lower economic class to be given the chance to pursue their fields of specialty regardless of their financial incapability. This will serve as an eye-opener to the other factors that adolescents consider in choosing their college course aside from that of their own, personal choices.
The underlying aim of this study is to make visible the effects of belonging in the lower economic class to an individual’s choices not just as regards to his education but more so, to the many decision he undertakes.