The first goal of this study was to better understand the differences between rural and urban students' selection of academic program upon entering a public university in Pennsylvania. The second goal of this study was to better understand if particular academic programs impacted rural to urban migrations after graduating from the university. The…

The industry of higher education has consistently grappled with the issue of student persistence and institutional retention efforts due to the failure to improve student completion rates. Nationwide, only four out of every ten students graduate. According to the Completions Report by the National Center for Education Statistics, between 2006 and…

Generally, need-based financial aid improves students' academic outcomes (Nguyen, Kramer & Evans, 2019). However, the largest source of need-based grant aid in the United States, the Federal Pell Grant Program (Pell), has a mixed evaluation record (Bettinger, 2004; Rubin, 2011; Marx & Turner, 2018; Park & Scott-Clayton, 2018;…

This study examined retention and First-Year GPA for all FTIC students, Black students, and Black Pell-eligible students at the UOTSE as a function of participation in a First-Year Seminar Course. A statistically significant relationship was determined to exist between First-year GPA and participation in the FYS course. For retention, participants…

Generally, need-based financial aid improves students' academic outcomes. However, the largest source of need-based grant aid in the United States, the Federal Pell Grant Program (Pell), has a mixed evaluation record. We assess the minimum Pell Grant in a regression discontinuity framework, using Kentucky administrative data. We focus on whether…

Some assert that first-year college programs can foster increased engagement among college students and lead to successful outcomes, but there is a lack of in-depth analysis of students' perceptions of their experiences in such programs. This qualitative study explores a small sample of young, Pell Grant-eligible Latino male students' perceptions…

This quantitative exploratory study investigated factors related to the fail rate of first-year students in Introduction to General Chemistry courses (CHEM 1xx) at a mid-sized public research university. This course represents a gateway course for many scientific, medical, and healthcare majors. The sample consisted of 595 undergraduate students…

On July 1, 2021, Martin Methodist College (MMC) merged with University of Tennessee System as the University of Tennessee Southern (UTS). The purpose of this supplemental report to the 2023 "Tennessee Higher Education Fact Book" is to provide a data summary and snapshot of UTS in relation to other public colleges across the state. This…

This study aims to analyse the impact of demographic and educational factors on in digital upskilling. We address the relationship between digital skills, critical thinking skills and the student learning experience in courses with embedded upskilling programs. Statistical analysis and exploratory research are used to analyse the data collected by…

Using data from two freshmen cohorts at a public research university (N = 3730), this study examines the relationship between loan aid and second-year enrollment persistence. Applying a counterfactual analytical framework that relies on propensity score (PS) weighting and matching to address selection bias associated with treatment status, the…

Public institutions of higher education have a dual mandate to provide the best possible education while also maintaining accessibility to students within its state. This study explores the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences associated with the retention of Pell-eligible, academically at-risk freshmen, and examines an academic…

The purpose of this supplemental report to the 2022 "Tennessee Higher Education Fact Book" is to provide a data summary and snapshot of the University of Tennessee Southern (UTS) in relation to other public colleges across the state. This report supplement is reflective of the first enrollment period for UTS, fall 2021, and completions…

This report follows up on three previous papers published by New America that have examined the net price data for the 2010-2011, 2011-2012, and 2013-2014 academic years. In each of these publications, the share of public institutions charging low-income students an average net price over $10,000 has grown. Previous volumes of this report examined…

Recognizing the changing demographics of students applying to college coupled with Trinity University's responsibility to help our students succeed, we have created a Summer Bridge program that focuses on first-generation, underrepresented students (FGUS). Trinity's Summer Bridge program has been a success--both in terms of student performance and…

The dream of an accessible education will now become a reality for many New Hampshire youngsters, thanks to a new University of New Hampshire (UNH) initiative called the Granite Guarantee Program. The UNH Granite Guarantee will begin with the incoming freshman class in fall 2017. An estimated 400 New Hampshire students will benefit from the…