This study explored the college choice decisions for students who undermatched to a community college during their college choice process. Specifically, this project utilized a qualitative multi-site case study design to understand the college choice process for students who were admitted into a four-year institution but chose to enroll in a…

The media's overrepresentation of Black men in entertainment often portrays that the only Black males who are successful are those who are either professional athletes or entertainers. Therefore, at an early age, many Black boys aspire to capitalize on what society speculates to be their best attributes--physical ability. African American male…

Highly selective public institutions affected by affirmative action bans have struggled to enroll Black students despite myriad attempts at alternative strategies. Bans likely shift university recruitment practices and shape both campus climate and portrayals of institutional commitment to diversity. Increasingly public racial incidents on college…

Although college enrollment rates have expanded over the last several decades, low-income students and students of color continue to face formidable barriers as they seek entry into higher education. While the existence of these barriers are often viewed as macro-level roadblocks that are largely systemic, much of the literature around access to…

Little is known about the long-term socio-economic impact of student loan debt on African-American graduates of the University of Phoenix who reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this case study is to examine the socio-economic impact of student loan debt on these students five years after receiving a degree from this for-profit…

The tragic series of events that took place on September 11, 2001, changed the course of this nation and became the catalyst for wars that have spanned for more than a decade. As a result, over 2 million veterans have been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and Operation New Dawn. In 2008,…

The issue of college readiness and student degree completion has become an issue in educational research over the past decade. The topic of college readiness is more than just academic; it involves a deeper understanding of student familial backgrounds, emotional preparedness, and other non-academic experiences, such as study skills and time…

This study examined the extent to which the college choice process of four students from one high school in rural Appalachian Kentucky aligned with Perna's (2006; 2010) nested process model of college choice. I used qualitative case study methodology and inductive analysis to describe how four high-academic achieving students of varying family…

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors influencing the college choice process of Mexican American first-generation students who had an older sibling with college experience. While a considerable amount of research exists on factors influencing the college choice process of first-generation college students, and a few studies…

This study examines the influential factors that contribute to pathway decisions of high achieving Latino students from South Texas. The theoretical frameworks of Hossler & Gallagher (1987) and Yosso (2005) are utilized as foundational pieces to denote various factors and networks of "capital" which impact the decision making process…

The state of African American education is complex. Beginning in the 17th century, African Americans fought for an education that allowed them to read and write. During the 21st century, African Americans value on education extends beyond only reading and writing to using these skills and other skills to maintain strong academic and leadership…

College access programs like Upward Bound have been found to build social capital among a target population, stimulate academic preparedness, and increase a student's knowledge of the college decision process. However, little research is available that establishes the points during the college decision process at which college access programs have…

The purpose of this study was to examine the college-choice process of high achieving students. Employing current literature and previous research, it combined current models of college choice and the influential factors identified throughout the literature while utilizing the concept of bounded rationality to create a conceptual framework to…

Successful enrollment management uses predictive modeling to achieve specific goals for admission rates, yield rates, and class size. Many of these models rely on evaluating an applicant's interest in the institution through measures of pre-application engagement. Recent increases in the number of applicants who do not visibly interact with…

The development of branch campuses in higher education is not a new phenomenon. Over the past decades, however, branch campuses have expanded throughout the world as Western universities have begun to deliver their programs and course offerings in countries that expect the West to provide educational (and, by implication, economic) success. Middle…