The purpose of the study was to determine the differences in the total annual income, total annual and monthly expenditures, and consumer expenditure patterns between American and foreign graduate students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI & SU). The study was based on a survey entitled "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Graduate Students Demographic and Economic Impact Study" conducted in April, 1989. The sample size used in the analysis was 442, including 373 American and 69 foreign students. The findings from the study showed that (1) the American students had significantly higher total monthly expenditures than did the foreign students; (2) the American students had significantly higher absolute expenditures on tax, auto insurance, gasoline and auto repair, medical, laundry, and gifts and contributions, while the foreign students had significantly higher expenditures for telephone calls~ and (3) the American students had significantly larger percentage expenditure on tax, auto insurance, gasoline and auto repair, and entertainment, while the foreign students had significantly larger percentage expenditures on food, utilities, telephone, and travel. / Master of Science

This study gained insights into preferences of selected citizens of Virginia for information and education in personal financial management. Quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated. The quantitative data used were collected by Porter (1990) by a mail survey. The Porter database (N=506) was sorted to identify those respondents (n=50) with addresses located in the Central District of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. The resulting Central District database was then sorted to identify those respondents with characteristics similar to the participants in the qualitative data collection. This resulted in 12 respondents. The respondents' (n=12) responses to four questions on the Porter survey were reported. The qualitative data were collected from five focus groups (N=35) conducted in the Central District in October, 1991. The focus group participants were primarily the financial decision maker of the household, between the ages of 19 to 49, had annual gross incomes between $10,000 and $29,000, and had an educational level of at least a high school degree, but did not have a four year college degree. An 11 question interview guide was used in the focus groups to gain insights into the 4 closed-ended questions on the Porter survey. / Master of Science