This paper examines the effects of Pell Grant eligibility on student outcomes. Using a regression discontinuity (RD) design and a partial identification approach, the study provides bounds on the treatment effects that account for selection bias arising from the loss of grant eligibility. While initial eligibility is determined by financial need…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate the relationship between federal Pell Grant status, campus diversity statistics, and their influence on graduation rates within higher education. This study focuses on higher education institutions in the state of Texas and adopts a quantitative design that utilizes a regression analysis to…

This qualitative study examines how 30 low-income students' sense of belonging is affected by financial constraints. Guided by Strayhorn's (2012) sense of belonging concept, 30 low-income participants discussed how their financial positioning shaped their belongingness experiences. Findings illustrated participants' financial position shaped sense…

With the US recovering from a recession, a college diploma has become more valuable to avoid unemployment. Despite a college degree's importance, the access to higher education is a challenge for lower income Pell-Eligible Vermont students. For the past three decades, higher education continues to rise in cost faster than family income. Cost is…

Escalating poverty rates and economic instability are creating intensifying pressures for higher education. Historically, the U.S. has relied on higher education, in particular community colleges, to help solve both problems by providing educational opportunities to thousands of individuals who would have not been able to go to college and by…