Student loan debt has become an issue of national concern in the context of rapidly increasing higher education costs. Graduate education can be prohibitively expensive, particularly at the doctoral level. The present study provides an updated and comprehensive analysis of the financial circumstances and debt loads related to pursuing a graduate degree in psychology. The study surveyed a random sample of graduate students and early career psychologists (ECPs) listed in the American Psychological Association membership database. Participants were asked about their debt loads for educational costs, sources of financial support, living circumstances, financial stress, and the impact of student loan debt on their personal and professional lives. The results indicate that current debt loads are substantially higher than what has been previously reported (Michalski, Kohout, Wicherski, & Hart, 2011), with some variation by subfield and type of degree. A number of participants endorsed significant financial stress, as well as having to delay major life milestones because of their debt. While education costs and loan debt have continued to increase, starting salaries appear relatively stagnant, suggesting the need for a thoughtful cost/benefit analysis of graduate education in psychology. The psychology community is urged to increase awareness of and advocate for these issues, with several specific advocacy steps recommended.

Interviews were completed with eight counseling psychologists who viewed their careers as a calling. Using the Consensual Qualitative Research guidelines, six domains emerged: definition, process of discerning, content of the calling, professional impact, personal impact, and maintenance. Generally, interviewees viewed the discernment of their calling as the result of an indirect route that included self-reflection, support from others, and an identified calling source. Interviewees generally viewed their calling as what one is meant to do, as something that evolved over time, as synonymous with one's purpose in life, and as tied to helping or serving others. Generally, interviewees were satisfied with their personal and professional lives and noted that the calling positively impacted their daily work tasks and interpersonal relationships. Interviewees generally viewed their calling as an ongoing process, and they identified role models and supportive work environments that aided in maintaining their calling.

Access to and success in higher education significantly impact occupational stability and mental wellness in the United States, with higher levels of education contributing to increased employability and wellness. Underrepresented first-generation, low-income (UFGLI) college students face particular challenges in attaining higher levels of education, which poses a problem of inequality in their pursuit of educational and career goals. This study investigated the influence of graduate school self-efficacy, self-efficacy for coping with barriers, and family influence on UFGLI students’ pursuit of graduate school. Only one subconstruct of graduate school self-efficacy (research self-efficacy) and family influences (family values) was found to be predictive of students’ pursuit of graduate school. We discuss these findings and provide recommendations for research and practice.

Training and Education in Professional Psychology is published quarterly (beginning in February) by the American Psychological Association and the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers. The journal is dedicated to enhancing supervision and training provided by psychologists and publishes manuscripts that contribute to and advance professional psychology education. For more information, including how to subscribe, please visit the journal's Web site at www.apa.org/pubs/journals/tep.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for traditional-age college students, and the interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS; Joiner, 2005) provides a cogent framework for predicting which students may be at highest risk. However, little is known about how constructs of ITS operate in cross-cultural contexts. Findings, based on a sample of international and domestic undergraduate students (N = 254), indicated that the ITS construct of perceived burdensomeness was positively associated with suicidal ideation (SI) for both groups. However, campus belongingness emerged as connected with SI for international students, whereas family belongingness emerged as connected with SI for domestic students.