Participant privacy and accurate representation matter more than making the site look impressive.
Participants are recruited through semi-structured interviews with students from different countries. Interviews follow a consistent guide so answers can be compared, while leaving room for a participant's own account of their situation.
Qualitative answers are coded into a standardized set of economic barriers and decision outcomes. Codes are refined early, then held stable once final analysis begins.
| Code | Barrier | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| B01 | Tuition / program fees | Tuition is unaffordable or strongly affects choice |
| B02 | Application fees | Application fees limit number or type of applications |
| B03 | Testing / exam costs | IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, entrance exams, test prep |
| B04 | Visa / immigration costs | Visa fees, documentation or related financial burden |
| B05 | Travel / relocation | Flights, moving, travel to campus or embassy |
| B06 | Housing / living costs | Rent, food, insurance, daily costs |
| B07 | Scholarship availability / uncertainty | Dependence on aid or uncertainty about funding |
| B08 | Family financial pressure | Family budget, obligations, expectations |
| B09 | Need to work | Employment need constrains study choice or time |
| B10 | Currency / exchange-rate pressure | Local currency weakness or exchange-rate risk |
| B11 | Geographic access | Location raises cost or limits access |
| B12 | Information inequality | Lack of financial-aid or opportunity information |
| B13 | Opportunity cost | Lost income or time from studying |
| B14 | Debt / loan constraints | Access to loans or aversion to debt |
| B15 | School / resource inequality | Economic differences in school resources or preparation |
| B16 | Technology / connectivity cost | Device, internet or access costs |
| B17 | Documentation / certification cost | Translations, notarization, credential evaluation |
| B18 | Program availability / affordability mismatch | Preferred field unavailable at an affordable option |
| B19 | Emergency / economic instability | Inflation, job loss, instability |
| B20 | Other economic barrier | Used only when no code fits; explained in notes |
Interviews are treated as an exploratory, non-random sample. Frequencies and cross-tabs always show numerator, denominator and sample size. Country comparisons are only shown where per-country n is large enough to be meaningful. The project does not claim causation from interview data, and does not generalize from the sample to an entire country or population.
AI tools were used to assist with transcript organization, preliminary coding, data-quality checks and visualization planning. All coded data, interpretations and final research conclusions were reviewed by the researcher. AI was not used to fabricate participant data or replace human verification.
This is a convenience sample gathered through direct outreach, not a random or representative sample of any country's student population. Findings describe patterns within this sample, not universal claims.