Community college baccalaureates (CCBs) provide an affordable pathway to baccalaureate-level education but increasing tuition rates present a potential financial barrier for students. Institutional aid as a cost-constraining mechanism has historically been less utilized in the 2-year sector when compared to traditional 4-year institutions. Yet,…

Educational practitioners, researchers, and policymakers have focused on increasing community college transfer rates as an equity strategy for improving social and economic mobility among historically underserved populations. While there is a vast amount of research on students who have successfully transferred, there is limited evidence base on…

This study used responses from 17,354 student veterans on the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) to investigate the relationship between student engagement and likelihood of withdrawal. Student veterans who utilized campus services more often, and those who perceived campus services as important, reported a higher likelihood of…

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…

As community college students often come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, report greater financial challenges, and experience higher cohort default rates on student loans compared to peers attending four-year institutions, it is important to understand how community college students develop a sense of financial wellness. Moreover, research…

In this study I deployed quasi-experimental methods to explore enrollment responses to a unique statewide college promise program for adult students attending college within the two-year public postsecondary education sector in Tennessee. State policymakers implemented Tennessee Reconnect in 2018 to encourage adult students without a college…

Differences in funding mixtures across the United States create widely variant levels of unmet need for students. This research examines gaps of unmet need between 2003-4 and 2013-14, particularly considering the presence of any local funding provisions and Pell Grant funding changes. These findings are also considered across state, community…

In response to the high cost of textbooks and other course materials, "Inclusive Access" automatic billing programs allow the cost of a discounted eTextbook and/or courseware to be automatically added to a student's tuition bill at the time of course registration. Touted for their ability to lower costs and provide students with access…

The financial challenges facing college students in the U.S. are daunting. The majority of these students are incurring substantial debt during their studies. For many this likely debt level is sufficient to cause them to forgo college, while for others it leads them to drop out before completing a degree. This financial strain places a premium on…

This exploratory, phenomenological study explored how rural community college students perceived barriers from the transfer process and the support services they had needed for their successful transfers to 4-year universities in rural Texas. Transfer shock and transfer student capital were the two frameworks employed to model sampled students'…

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides unprecedented federal funding for veterans to attend post-secondary education and make the transition to the civilian workforce. However, there is little empirical research on recipients' educational outcomes, especially in community colleges. This study investigated the variables that influence completion and…

The price of college is increasingly out of reach for many Americans. Although community colleges are affordable compared to other institutional sectors, many community college students have unmet need. Free college and promise programs are emerging around the country as a solution to make college more affordable. This article examines the Salt…

This study aimed to better understand college students' decisions to participate in short-term study abroad programs and to identify influential factors. Our constructive interview data with traditional and nontraditional students from three mid-Atlantic community colleges identified (a) the interplay between individual, social, and institutional…

With the number of transfer students increasing and graduation still an elusive goal, the researchers conducted four focus groups and four individual interviews with transfer students attending universities in the Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth area to better understand and explore the factors that influenced their college choice decisions at their…

The purpose of this study was to explore the college choice and transfer decision-making processes of six high-achieving first-generation Latina/o transfer students who began their postsecondary studies at a community college and later transferred to a four-year Hispanic Serving Institution. Utilizing interpretative phenomenological analysis, four…