This dissertation uses three empirical papers to examine the relationship between student gender, student's income expectations for the future, and persistence in schooling. First, I use survey data from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS) to examine how both children's and parent's earnings expectations for students in 12th grade vary by…

Louisiana's community and technical colleges provide access to educational programs. However, access to opportunity is not enough for individuals such as low-income Black females due to the residual impact of educational practices and structural inequalities. However, provisional changes in federal funding legislation give states the flexibility…

The purpose of this study was to examine the educational experiences and outcomes of low-skill adults in West Virginia's community and technical colleges, providing a more detailed profile of these students. Data for the variables were obtained from archival databases through a cooperative agreement between state agencies. Descriptive statistics…

The purpose of this study was intended to examine the inner voices behind the students' choices of American higher education and their persistence in college in relation to financial factors, especially the student financial aid programs and their debt burdens during and after college. Case studies were used to answer the three research questions:…