Influencing Business Student Intent to Use a Personal Budget

This study seeks strategies to improve college student financial behavior by examining the influence of cognitive and life cycle factors on students’ intent to budget and attitude toward budgeting. Based on survey data collected from business students, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control are significant positive influences on the intent to budget. Financial responsibility and prior financial education are positive influences on attitude toward budgeting. The results suggest that teaching students a low-effort method of budgeting and emphasizing how budgeting helps students recognize overspending may broaden the appeal of personal budgeting.