Homeless and low-income students share multiple overlapping risk experiences; however, some studies report little to no observed differences in outcomes between these students. From the cumulative risk perspective, homelessness is perched at the extreme edge of economic insecurity, suggesting that homeless students encounter additional hardships…

School concentrated disadvantage has been linked to poorer academic achievement and psychosocial functioning in prior research. The current study expands upon prior examinations of school concentrated disadvantage by applying a measurement approach first described by Michelmore and Dynarski in 2017, where eligibility for free and reduced-price…

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between preservice teachers' attitudes, attributions, and level of social comfort with poverty. Undergraduate students enrolled in teacher education programs, at a regional institution, were assessed through paper surveys including: a researcher developed demographics questionnaire, Attitudes…

Earning a postsecondary degree is a well-established pathway out of poverty, and degrees are especially life-changing for women raising children on their own. Analysis by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) finds that in 2016, single mother poverty rates were an average of 33 percent lower at each additional level of education, with…

It is difficult to find justice-centered books geared specifically for community college practitioners interested in achieving campus wide educational equity. It is even more difficult to find a book in this vein written, exclusively, by community college practitioners. "Minding the Obligation Gap in Community Colleges and Beyond" is…

Background: A growing but limited body of research has assessed food insecurity among college students. The majority of these studies relied on convenience or nonprobability samples. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and odds of food insecurity among undergraduate students. Methods: Online survey data were collected…

Utah's public technical colleges offer vocational certificate programs at a low cost to students, as required by statute. Certificates are accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and provide students with competencies necessary for entry into gainful employment. The ability of students to attain marketable skills at a low cost and in a…

Although some studies have explored the influence of academic achievement on rural students' college access and success, little research has analyzed the relationship between students of different types of rural communities and their persistence in postsecondary education. This study examined the likelihood of college-going students from three…

Young people who graduate from high school, get a job, and get married before having children, in that order, are far less likely to be in poverty and far more likely to have a solid footing in the middle class later in life. This path to adulthood has been dubbed the "success sequence." The cultural norms and values embedded in the…

In order to inform and improve policies and programs designed to assist low-income students, policymakers and academic scholars seek to understand the characteristics of this student population, how these students fare in college, and the challenges they face in persisting and completing a degree (Choy 2000; Perna 2015; Watson 2017). Recent…

We examine how race, sex and poverty contribute to the likelihood of attending two- and four-year colleges in Chicago and Toronto. In each city, we use longitudinal data on high school students and their postsecondary trajectories in order to explore how race and sex may impact differentially upon their educational pathways. Our analyses are…

Policymakers, postsecondary education leaders, and researchers agree: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be a barrier to achieving this nation's college access goals. Concerns about the FAFSA's negative impact on enrollment and financial aid have sparked a bipartisan push to simplify and shorten the form by removing…

The Center for American Progress proposes Beyond Tuition, a sweeping vision for restoring the promise of affordable, high-quality postsecondary education for all and for reducing the burden of student debt. This plan will make college affordable for families from all walks of life, while emphasizing the need to overcome widespread inequity in…

For decades, social theorists have posited--and descriptive accounts have shown--that students isolated by both social class and ethnicity suffer extreme deprivations that limit the effectiveness of equal-opportunity interventions. Even educational programs that yield positive results for moderately disadvantaged students may not prove beneficial…

Evaluation is a contested field. This collection considers the relationship between evaluation and research, and the ethical and moral dilemmas raised when evaluating equity and widening participation in higher education. The growing demands for 'evidence of impact' frame expectations that we can justify government funding of particular…