IMPACT OF SELF-FINANCIAL SUPPORT ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY

This study examines the influence of self-financial support on students' academic performance, class attendance, and participation in extracurricular activities at the Department of Entrepreneurship, University of Benin, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive research design, a structured questionnaire and a purposively selected sample of 74, the research explores how self-financing (independent variable) influences class attendance, examination performance, and participation in extracurricular activities (dependent variables). The data analysis utilised both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicate that self-financing students tend to have irregular class attendance, lower examination performance, and higher stress levels. Moreover, their participation in extracurricular activities is significantly diminished, as financial and time constraints lead them to prioritise work and academics over social and developmental engagements. With p-values of 0.003, 0.002, and 0.004, along with corresponding regression coefficients of 0.68, 0.72, and 0.68, all the null hypotheses were rejected, and the regression coefficients suggest a statistically significant positive relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variables. Considering these findings, the study recommends the implementation of flexible academic schedules, financial aid programs, work-study opportunities, and affordable extracurricular options to better support self-financing students and promote their entrepreneurial development.