As the population of adult learners increases in higher education institutions across the globe, recent studies demonstrate that they face barriers that delay their advanced degree completion. Although K University (pseudonym) had discussed this delay among its adult student population, no studies or interventions had been proposed to address the…

Competency-based education (CBE) is a learner-centric framework that emphasizes what students "know and can show" more than how much time they spend in the classroom. CBE advocates claim that by allowing students to take as little or as much time as they need to demonstrate their mastery of course competencies, students develop higher…

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, correlational study is to compare three variables associated with doctoral degree completion to determine if there is a statistical significance between completion time, financial aid status, and ethnicity for women in STEM programs in the United States. Two research questions are addressed in…

Quantitative research has long shown lagging community college transfer student completion rates, in addition to excess credits earned and lengthened time-to-degree for transfer students that do earn a bachelor's degree (Horn & Skomsvold, 2011; Jenkins & Fink, 2016; Simone, 2014; U.S. GAO, 2017). Scant qualitative studies exist related to…

Reversing the trend of US STEM graduation rates lagging other industrialized nations requires that we look at the entire pipeline of potential STEM students, including the vast number that start their journeys in remedial math classrooms in two-year colleges. Most research to date has focused on either Learning Support (LS) success or STEM…

This qualitative exploratory study investigated the selection and change of majors for nine HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) students. The study included individual structured interviews that provided data that answered the following research questions: 1) what factors influenced the initial selection of major, and 2) what…

This study sought to add to the limited existing literature regarding the experiences and challenges of first-generation doctoral students. Amidst fifteen interviews with first-generation doctoral students, who completed their doctoral degree at an R1 research institution in California, the research provided information about the journey students…

The purpose of this study was to determine how resilience factors impact doctoral degree completion after a significant delay of one year or more. The non-completion of doctoral degrees has been a concern due to its economic, social, and personal consequences. The research questions being examined were: (1) What were the various reasons shared by…

For the purposes of this study, criteria for non-traditional students were: adults ages 25 and older, race/ethnicity, gender, entry date or transfer to a community college in Middle Tennessee during fall 2015 through summer 2021, and Pell/Grant eligibility. The problem is that non-traditional students have lower completions than traditional…

Problem: International students are an important part of higher education institutions because they bring in funds, they enhance the diversity, and increase the knowledge being shared (Srivastava et al., 2010; Luo & Jamieson-Drake, 2013; Ongo, 2019; Knight, 2007; Pandit, K., 2007; Baklashova & Kazakov, 2016). Therefore, if retention is not…

This study examined the impact of academic momentum (enrollment intensity, summer enrollment) and loss of momentum (developmental education incidence, excess credit accumulation) points on associate degree attainment among students in the fall 2014 cohort at a California Community College (CCC) in the Central Valley. Completers had a significantly…

The primary purpose of the current study was to predict the likelihood of enrollment in Graduate School based on three independent variables: cost, time-to-completion, and return on investment. To achieve this purpose, a Z-test for the hypothesis of two proportions was utilized to create a predictive model. The model aimed to help institutional…

More than nine million students enroll in community colleges annually (Fink et al., 2023) making them accessible entry points for individuals of diverse backgrounds (Fink et al., 2023). Upward transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions creates critical pathways to baccalaureate degree attainment, but only 33% of community college…

In the United States, doctoral students have a fifty percent chance of graduating from their institutions with a doctoral degree (Berelson, 1960; Bowen & Rudenstein, 1992; Lovitts, 2001; Sowell et al., 2015); however, this percentage decreases when race and ethnicity are included (Lovitts, 2001; Nettles & Millett, 2006). Research indicates…

This research study investigated the experiences of community college leaders using the guided pathways model to increase student retention. As a conceptual framework, the study utilized Tinto's integration theory of student dropout behavior. While previous research has focused on understanding the guided pathways processes and stakeholders'…