Assisting financially disadvantaged college students in successfully completing their studies and achieving personal growth constitutes the primary objective of educational support policies. To gain deeper insights into this cohort’s academic circumstances and formulate appropriate support measures, this study employs questionnaire surveys and SPSS data processing. Using 61 financially disadvantaged students from the Automotive Inspection and Maintenance Technology programme at a higher vocational college in Sichuan as a case study, it analyses the impact of four factors on their academic performance: learning investment, psychological capital, financial pressure, and institutional support. Finally, based on these influencing factors, corresponding improvement pathways are proposed in three aspects: financial aid policies, academic support, and psychological assistance, thereby better helping financially disadvantaged students enhance their academic performance.