In the past few decades, the cost of college has risen significantly, while federal, state, and institutional financial aid and family income have remained stagnant or declined (Goldrick-Rab, 2018). As a result, many college students struggle to afford the full cost of college attendance and may experience basic needs insecurity, including the…

Adult students comprise a significant percentage of community college enrollments. However, these students have consistently completed college programs at lower rates than traditional-aged students. Community college structures, including student advisement, often align primarily with the needs of traditional-aged students. This has resulted in a…

This Perspective builds on a related RAND Corporation report that describes the implementation of Findhelp at four North Carolina community colleges in 2021 and 2022. Findhelp is an online tool to connect students to resources in their communities to help meet their basic nonacademic needs. The North Carolina Community College System, with support…

This paper presents a three-manuscript dissertation exploring the unmet needs for academic support of TRIO-eligible college students on the Goodman Campus of Holmes Community College (HCC) in Mississippi. The quantitative study uses descriptive and comparative statistic techniques to analyze two data sets, including the academic success of…

Purpose: This study explores the challenges facing FGCSs and seeks to provide strategies, opportunities, and novel and actionable insights for increasing retention and graduation rates among FGCSs in community colleges during and post the COVID-19 pandemic period. The study further identifies whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic magnified these…

The rising cost of tuition, coupled with the insufficiency of aid and income, has made it more likely for college students to face financial challenges. The result for too many students is food insecurity or the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food. Although the issue of food insecurity is prevalent among…