Many students who begin postsecondary education at community colleges indicate holding aspirations of transferring and obtaining a bachelor's degree or higher, but less than a third of these students transition to a four-year university within six years (Schudde et al., 2018). Guided by my assumption that reading-readiness is a requirement for…

Community colleges have long been recognized as pivotal institutions for broadening educational opportunity for a variety of marginalized populations, including first-generation students. These institutions are also an important starting point for students desiring to eventually earn a bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering, or…

This quantitative study explored the formation of different types of social capital among community college students. Utilizing the second-order confirmatory factor analysis, the authors argued that both family and college social capital constructs should be measured for community college students. A structural equation modeling analysis further…

Ten years ago when Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) published its annual study of freshman motivations, those students were entering college in the shadow of the worst recession since the Great Depression. That report, which examined attitudes of students from 2009, provided insight into their motivations, attitudes, and needs in the midst of a very…

The low rate of Latino graduate and professional degree attainment is a problem for the Latinos who are not attaining high levels of education, for their families, for the institutions of higher education that suffer from a lack of diversity, and for the local, state, and federal governments that lose tax revenue from the potentially higher income…

As entering students begin their college careers, they have been exposed to many mixed messages about whether college is "worth it"--from the media and public figures, to parents, to peers. There have also been significant changes in demographics, economics, college preparedness, and other key areas that may be influencing how freshmen…

The "2018 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College Report" examines the noncognitive motivations of college freshmen at the beginning of their first year and as they progress throughout that year. This report provides key insights into how freshmen are gauging their potential to graduate, what barriers (financial, academic,…

Nearly 40 percent of the students entering 2- and 4-year postsecondary institutions indicated their intention to major in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in 2012. But the barriers to students realizing their ambitions are reflected in the fact that about half of those with the intention to earn a STEM bachelor's degree and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the complexities of successful attainment and achievement of 10 Mexican American males in a rural Southwest community college. This study strives to offer insights concerning the questions: (a) what behavioral patterns of current family, peers, and conditions in school have influenced the educational…

Community colleges in the United States serve as social, cultural, and intellectual hubs that take the role as gatekeepers by committing to opening up the doors of opportunity to the public (Vaughan, 2006). Community colleges prepare their students for the workforce by providing credit or non-credit courses, certifications, or degrees. Depending…

This report examines three focal points for understanding incoming first-year students' motivation to complete college: (1) academic motivational barriers and opportunities; (2) social motivational barriers and opportunities; and (3) financial motivational barriers and opportunities. [For "2016 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College…

Latino males are the least likely to attend, persist, and attain a baccalaureate degree compared to other male groups in higher education. Moreover, they tend to have the lowest degree aspirations of any major race or ethnic group (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009; Driscoll, 2007; Swail, Cabrera, & Lee, 2004; Laanan, 2000; Kao & Tienda, 1998). To…