This study explored the practices and experiences of food resource managers at ten community colleges in the southwestern United States, highlighting their use of food resource rooms to assist food-insecure students. Utilizing the CFIR's domains of intervention source, inner setting, and process, the study probed into the food resource managers'…

Community College student-parents shared their personal, academic, and career experiences in association with conducting and presenting psychological science (STEM) research. Raelynn began, "I never would have imagined myself being into research … I would think that it would be kinda like my old self before school … Would have thought, oh…

There are numerous widely recognized advantages to pursuing post-secondary education. Yet colleges offer students different resources and educational experiences, which may introduce inequality in the returns to college enrollment. This dissertation uses nationally representative data from the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS:2002) and the 1997…

In a time of increasing economic inequality, lower levels of government investment in higher education, and rising tuition costs, students vying for a college degree experience financial concerns as important influences on their college experience. An emerging body of literature has focused on the relationship between student finances and academic…

Given growing awareness of the high prevalence of food insecurity among college students, higher education leaders are implementing various food interventions on their campuses. However, there is little research on the efficacy and impact of these initiatives. Using data from a field randomized control trial, we find that a relatively modest…

In this chapter, the authors discuss the role community colleges play in alleviating poverty and how this role is reflected in institutional mission statements.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to students across the United States, particularly those who are parents enrolled in community colleges. California's community college system serves a diverse student population, including a significant number of non-traditional, working adults who are also parents. These students have faced…

This paper focuses on the perceptions of technical high school tutors in Mexico about students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in the context of global curriculum reforms and institutional hierarchies. Through two novel concepts in education, culture of poverty and cultural deficiency, the paper explores: (a) how structural constraints shape…

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the potential co-occurrence of basic needs insecurity and mental health problems among community college students. These barriers to student success are gaining significant attention from college leaders and scholars, but they are often addressed in isolation, ignoring the potential reinforcing…

Community college completion has been proven to be a ticket to a middle-class life. Moreover, we know that poverty causes educational barriers, including community college completion. Community colleges across the nation are identifying significant equity gaps between students from poor versus middle-class or affluent households. One solution to…

In response to the significant and still growing number of college students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in California, the State Legislature appropriated $9 million in the 2019-2020 State Budget for ongoing funding to provide housing services to students. Per section 9795 of the statute, colleges, in partnership with local…

While homeless and highly mobile students experience multiple forms of marginality, trauma, and economic hardship, an increasing number of community colleges are providing support services tailored for this population. This qualitative study examined campus food pantries as a vital service that furthers the completion agenda.

This study of homeless students' existential experiences was focused on urban community colleges and postsecondary vocational schools and universities. Homeless students encounter unique existential challenges, yet homeless students have proven abilities to access resources essential for their academic pursuits. The study results showed homeless…

As the pandemic reaches the one-year mark in the United States, college presidents reflected on the impact the prolonged crisis has had on their institutions, their communities-- and themselves. The past year has seen not only the rampant spread of the novel coronavirus, but also social and political unrest. All of these issues have affected poor…

As the cost of higher education has continued to rise, public interest in the proportional economic return on investment in higher education has also grown. While research associating the quality of education and institutional attributes with graduate earning potentials exists in the university sector, fewer studies have focused on earning…