Students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, defined as both first-generation and low-income, represent a growing population attending 4-year universities with the hopes of social mobility and the economic benefits of a bachelor's degree. However, the graduation rates of these students are 43% lower than that of their more affluent peers, a gap…

Performance-based funding policies for postsecondary institutions have been enacted throughout the United States as an answer to reductions in public funding and increased accountability mandates. Institutional effectiveness, as demonstrated through metrics such as graduation and retention rates, dictates the level of funding received. Educational…

This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the perspectives of university students who self-identified as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) regarding the academic support systems they received and/or required to graduate on time. The study's primary objective was to discover support mechanisms that supported DACA recipients…

This phenomenological qualitative study examined the student experience in an online course for Youth Formerly in Foster Care (YFFC), specifically, the challenges in learning in an online course and the environmental protective factors and personal strengths utilized to successfully complete an online course with a C or better. YFFC lag behind…

Roughly 40% of first-time freshman enter college at two-year institutions (Ginder, et al., 2015) and between roughly 70 to 80% of students enrolled at two-year institutions report the intent to continue their education to earn a bachelor's degree (Jenkins & Fink, 2016; U.S. Department of Education, 2001). However, less than half of the…

This research study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in community college graduation rates based on aggregate faculty hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size. The study employed a non-experimental quantitative research design with three independent variables (aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty…

Low-income, first-generation (LIFG) student enrollment into postsecondary education programs has been steadily increasing over the last decade. These two groups of marginalized students are habitually overlooked regarding the need for additional supports as they often lack any visual indicators of their LIFG status. LIFG students arrive on-campus…

This study compared graduation rates between traditional high school students and high school students enrolled in Career and Technology Education courses in South Carolina. The research questions were based on the students' graduation rates as related to gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The data was retrieved from the South…

African American male enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions saw a small increase between 2010 and 2019, rising nine percent over that period. However, their representation only reached eight percent of total undergraduate students by fall 2019, down slightly from nine percent in 2010. Only 37% of African American men who started…

Despite efforts to improve student retention and graduation success outcomes, many U.S. four-year postsecondary institutions have experienced limited growth in student retention and graduation rates over the past decade. The purpose of this causal-comparative quantitative study was to determine the mean differences in retention and graduation…

Texas higher education institutions serve some of the most diverse student populations in higher education. However, graduation rates remain among the lowest in the United States, particularly for underrepresented minority students. Diverse faculty who act as mentors have the potential to increase underrepresented minority students' sense of…

This study sought to examine the extent superintendent longevity relates to student performance as measured by graduation rates. Specifically, this study sought to examine how a district school superintendent's longevity provides conducive context through which student academic improvement programs, culture, and relationships could be established…

Career and technical education (CTE) is revolutionizing the United States education system. These modern programs are being created across the country, and there is a need to ensure they are designed in a way that leads to students successfully graduating high school. The problem was a lower rate of students graduating from secondary education in…

This case study utilizes mixed methods to evaluate the methods and processes used to recruit, to gauge student persistence and the graduation rates of black students in a Christian college setting. It examines the institutional practices and policies that influenced positive retention and graduation of Black students in small, private Christian…

The challenge of increasing the number of minority students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees is a systemic problem. In the case of higher education, one of the main challenges also includes the retention of academically prepared minority students who are underrepresented in STEM degree programs. President Barack Obama…