The Balancing Act of Family and College: Reciprocity and Its Consequences for Black Students.

This article examines the varied ways Black college students, particularly at a predominantly white, public research university, engage in reciprocal support with their families during college, highlighting how these dynamics differ by social class and gender. It finds that low-income Black students often provide practical, financial, and emotional assistance to extended kin, balancing family obligations with academic responsibilities, which can constrain their college engagement and reproduce class inequalities. In contrast, upper middle-class Black students typically receive substantial financial, academic, and social support from college-educated mothers, experiencing less obligation to reciprocate, though some express ambivalence about parental involvement. The study emphasizes that family involvement remains central during college for Black students and suggests that institutional policies should better recognize and accommodate diverse familial ties and support patterns to address educational inequalities.