The Role of Social Media and Sense of Belonging in Influencing Enrollment Intentions Among Potential Non-traditional Students: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

This study explores the relationship between social media usage, sense of belonging, and enrollment intentions among non-traditional college students. While prior research has focused on financial constraints, family responsibilities, and academic preparation as barriers to enrollment, this study introduces a psychological perspective by examining the role of social and emotional factors. Specifically, it investigates whether searching for information about universities on social media leads to a stronger intention to enroll, with a sense of belonging serving as a key mediator and moderator. A moderated mediation model was used to assess how belonging influences the connection between information-seeking behavior and enrollment decisions and whether this relationship holds when accounting for financial concerns and family obligations. The findings reveal that, although information-seeking behavior alone does not significantly impact enrollment intentions, the introduction of a sense of belonging as a moderator enhances this effect. Higher levels of belonging strengthen the relationship between social media usage and enrollment intentions, suggesting that non-traditional students prioritize emotional connection to an institution over logistical factors when making enrollment decisions. These results offer important implications for higher education institutions, emphasizing the need for targeted strategies that foster a sense of belonging for non-traditional students to improve recruitment and retention.