Objective: Prevalence of food insecurity in NCAA DIII student-athletes was assessed via an anonymous, online survey (n = 787) in February of 2020. Participants: Participants were mainly female, 18-21 years old, self-identified as white, lived on campus and had a campus meal plan. Methods: Food security was assessed using an anonymous, online…

The purpose of this pilot study was to define what changes were experienced in the Fall 2020 semester by students in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing course and highlight any differences in the experience of first-generation college students (FGCS). An online survey was administered to a single class of undergraduate…

An important factor for First Generation High School students (FGS) in higher education is social capital. To highlight differences in social capital between FGS and their Non-FGS peers (NFGS) by analysing the structure of their ego-centred social networks and its' effect on their career planning, we conducted two cross-sectional studies: on high…

This study captures the voices and lived academic experiences of first-generation college students at a four-year residential college due to the emergency shift to online classes during the onset of COVID-19. What were the academic experiences of first-generation college students in that virtual environment? What were the challenges posed by…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess the ways current higher education approaches to career education, counseling, and preparation models served, or disserved, economically marginalized first-generation Latinas (EMFGL) and their career identities. In centering EMFGL-identifying college graduates, this study used interviews to glean…

The purpose of this study was to center the experiences of National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I (DI) first-generation student-athletes within a predominantly White institution and explore how they define and experience "success" as it pertains to their collegiate careers. Narratives of diverse student-athletes were…

While existing literature offers valuable insights into various aspects of the African American college experience, it lacks the voices of African American students themselves. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the experiences of first-generation African American male students attending predominantly white institutions. Employing a…

This qualitative phenomenological research study aimed to investigate and describe the lived experiences of Latina first-generation college graduates in Texas with relation to the internal and external factors that led to successful degree attainment. The conceptual framework used to describe how Latina first-generation college students perceived…

This phenomenological research study investigated how participation in the Educational Opportunity Fund summer bridge program shaped first generation low-income students' learner identity as they entered college. Learner identity is generally defined as a learner's personally and socially constructed roles that influence his or her capacity,…

Summer melt refers to applicants who showed intentions of starting college, but ultimately did not attend. The purpose of this program evaluation was to evaluate a text messaging intervention offered to community college applicants aimed at reducing summer melt of all students, but particularly first-generation students. Applicants often face…

In Kentucky and around the nation, the cost of college attendance has risen steadily over the past two decades, while total undergraduate enrollment has leveled off or declined. Kentucky has taken aggressive measures to limit tuition increases and increase state and institutional aid; nevertheless, increasing college costs may be constricting our…

A diverse stakeholder partnership led to the development of a Pre-Elementary Education program through its collaboration among faculty, academic advisement, and administration across higher education institutions. Housed at an institution that serves a minority population, this collaboration led to offering an Associate of Arts degree that is…

This dissertation investigated the science identity development of first-generation college students (FGCS) within learning assistant (LA) -supported science classes. The research aimed to uncover the complex and multifaceted processes through which FGCS come to see themselves as "science people" and how various elements of the…

Though the COVID-19 pandemic presented ongoing challenges for the entire nation, it wreaked unprecedented havoc on communities of color. Despite the turbulence and upheaval, this exploratory study illustrates that first-gen Latinx college students at an HSI in South Texas persevered and even thrived. Undergraduate teacher candidates participated…

This phenomenological study explores the experiences of Black, first-generation (first-gen) students pursuing advanced degrees at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), following the COVID-19 pandemic and racial justice movements like Black Lives Matter. Additionally, this study examines the present-day motivations to pursue…