This case study examines the transfer experiences and sense of belonging in STEM among historically marginalized and excluded students transitioning from Pima Community College to the University of Arizona. Utilizing mixed methods, survey data from two student cohorts are analyzed to gain insights into their transition process. The study…

This qualitative study explores the unique challenges faced by first-generation college students (FGCS) within a sport management program at a Midwestern university. Drawing from interviews with ten FGCS, this research delves into the academic, social, and career-related obstacles these students encounter over time within the program. Prior…

The research problem it is not known if and to what extent the difference exists in self-efficacy and self-reported academic performance for first-generation college students and continuing-generation college students in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study is to determine if and to what extent the difference…

Although 80% of students who enroll in a community college intend to transfer, less than 35% complete the transfer within six years (Barshay, 2020; Cepeda et al., 2021; Jabbar et al., 2020; Jenkins & Fink, 2015). The demand for college-educated workers has increased, creating a gap in the job market and impacting the economy. As the need for…

A program of specialized and targeted support for justice-impacted students at Our University does not currently exist. This study sought to uncover the needs, challenges, and strengths of justice-impacted students and to determine what our student experience team members needed to know and have available to them to best support this emerging…

It is well documented that college degree attainment can impact lifetime earnings and social mobility. However, research shows that first-generation college students (FGCs) are less likely than their peers to enroll in college after high school. The influence of a college counselor at the high school level as an influential other may positively…

This research examines the relationship between financial aid, price, and the enrollment decisions of first-generation college students. Using human capital and socio-cultural theories in conjunction with previous research, the study establishes a conceptual framework to assess how personal, academic, and college variables associate with a…

Undeclared students choose their major while enrolled in college, but major choice can have long-term implications on social mobility, career path, and lifetime earnings. Identity can play a role in the major selected by an undeclared student. This research analyzed the relationship between identity and major selection for undecided students to…

Students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, defined as both first-generation and low-income, represent a growing population attending 4-year universities with the hopes of social mobility and the economic benefits of a bachelor's degree. However, the graduation rates of these students are 43% lower than that of their more affluent peers, a gap…

This dissertation examines how education and migration policies negatively shape access to and opportunities within post-secondary education for Latinx students in mixed-status families. To do so, I develop the concept of deficit policies, or policies that presume deficits in the targeted population and then produce those deficits. Engaging a…

The path to a postsecondary education is often constrained by barriers that are systemic and debilitating for Black and Latino males who are low-income and the first in their families to attend college. Barriers such as poverty and lack of access to quality educational resources often have adverse effects on their postsecondary pursuits. These…

This dissertation consists of three chapters that study individual investment in human capital and the incidence of economic shocks. I use administrative data to answer these questions, developing and applying structural methods to analyze individual choices in combination with a careful consideration of research design. Chapter 1 studies the…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to identify the extent of the differences in the frequency and severity of academic misconduct reporting before and after the COVID-19 pandemic at a particular higher education institution in the southwestern United States. The number of case files were tallied for each of the nine semesters preceding the…

University students with increased rates of reported perfectionism, anxiety, and depression, are vulnerable to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, not all students with psychological distress engage in NSSI, suggesting protective factors may help to mitigate this risk. The present study examined the relation between perfectionism and NSSI,…

First-generation college students' degree attainment is far below their continuing generation peers (Whitely et al., 2018). This study aims to offer institutions of higher education better insight into how to provide support to be more effective in retaining first-generation college students. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study…