The study draws on longitudinal data covering four years of college among a sample of students from low-income backgrounds, with histories of adverse childhood experiences, who enrolled at more than 150 four-year institutions. Analyses investigate factors that influence the emergence and development of students' sense of campus belonging, with…

This article is part of a longitudinal study on academic sense of belonging (SB) in engineering, which uses narrative analysis to examine development of meaning-making systems (MMS). Featuring narratives of three students of color, findings show that over time, some students experienced subject-object shifts in their perceptions of SB, as well as…

Utilizing narrative inquiry, this study collected individual interviews to understand how nine Black students who experienced the carceral nexus of foster care navigated college. Utilizing BlackCrit and Community Cultural Wealth as a theoretical framework, findings show how the foster care system was dehumanizing and stripped students of their…

Early college high schools (ECHSs), which combine high school with the first two years of college, have grown in popularity nationwide. Research suggests ECHS participation has positive impacts on college enrollment and completion, but little is known about how ECHS graduates experience university life. Using a framework of college belonging and…

Of the research examining undergraduate students' belongingness, monolithic approaches to LGBTQ+ student studies are common. Bisexual, pansexual, and other multi-gender attracted students (also known via umbrella terms such as plurisexual, bisexual+, or multi-sexual spectrum) are relatively understudied, despite calls for a more thorough…

Female doctoral students often experience several challenges in the program while balancing their personal and family roles. This phenomenological study investigated the experiences of international student mothers (N = 6) while pursuing full-time doctoral degrees, providing insights into how they navigate a research university. The study has one…

Basic needs insecurity (BNI), or insufficient access to food or housing, is a problem in U.S. higher education (Broton et al., 2022). As college students continue to negotiate the fallout of COVID-19 and its lingering economic effects, it is vital to amplify BNI as a concerning problem for campus administrators invested in students' success…

Emergent bilingual learners (EBLs) comprise 10% of U.S. students, yet evidence less academic success as a group compared to their non-EBL counterparts. While research has documented the struggles of EBLs in pursuing post-secondary educational pathways, this qualitative study examines factors that are associated with successfully pursuing…

College is associated with positive outcomes in adulthood. However, many students with foster care backgrounds face challenges transitioning into college settings. Young adults with foster care backgrounds also experience mental health conditions and suicidal ideation at a higher rate than their same aged peers. This study examined the…

Our constructivist qualitative case study of first-generation college students at Research University analyzed 13 focus groups with 54 students. Our analysis revealed five identities and experiences that specifically shaped the salience of first-gen status for our participants. For participants with a sibling or from low-income families, first-gen…