How perception of university financial aid influences the social-giving-back behavior of students receiving aid

We used social construction theory to investigate the mechanisms and boundary conditions that underlie the relationship between perception of financial aid and social-giving-back behavior in the context of students in need who receive financial aid at China’s universities. The results of a time-lagged field survey with 436 students indicated that their perception of financial aid was positively related to their social-giving-back behavior, and that self-concept mediated this relationship. Furthermore, when the students perceived that financial support was intended for their benefit, this strengthened the relationship between their perception of financial aid and self-concept, which, in turn, reinforced the indirect effect of perception of financial aid on students’ giving-back behavior through their self-concept. Implications for research and practice are discussed.