The qualitative phenomenological study used interviews to examine if there is a relationship between mental health disparities in Black males and low retention and persistence rates for college students. Following the guidelines of interview process to survey-based method, which Cohen et al. (2017) identifies survey-based research as a gathering…

Reverse credit transfer (RCT) is an emerging policy designed to award associate's degrees to students who transfer from 2-year to 4-year colleges after transfer. The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of RCT degree receipt on students' university and labor outcomes using data from Texas, where the legislature passed RCT policy in…

Data from the National Student Clearinghouse shows that an estimated 36 million students in the United States previously attended a college or university but never earned a degree. Research shows that many students transfer from a community college to a university before earning an associate's degree, and that many transfer students never make it…

International students are increasingly enrolling in U.S community colleges as a starting point to their higher education. However, limited research examines the factors contributing to their successful transfer to a 4-year institution and bachelor degree attainment. Utilizing longitudinal transcript data from a large community college district in…

This mixed methods study involved a two phase analysis of how Early College High Schools influence students who graduate with <19 college credit hours, 20-39 college credit hours, or >40 college credit hours in obtaining a Bachelor's Degree. The research incorporated an explanatory sequential mixed methods design that involved collecting…

To make the transfer student pathway viable to meet workforce needs, it is essential to think beyond simply linking two institutions and getting students in the door--students need to be supported throughout the adjustment period. In this article, we address the "support" aspect of the problem by reporting findings from 306 engineering…

The purpose of this study was to identify demographic and contextual factors of women who transfer from a community college to a four-year university to complete their bachelor's degree in engineering or computer science (ECS) and determine if differences among these factors impact success. Using the data obtained from the Texas Education Research…

Over the previous two decades, state lawmakers have made two fundamental changes to how they finance their public universities. They have shifted more of the costs of higher education to students and their families through higher tuition rates; and created new grant programs that are not solely based on financial need but require prior…

Despite widely shared aspirations, the vast majority of community college students do not continue their studies at four-year colleges. In November 2013, "Jobs for the Future" convened higher education leaders and researchers to explore state-level policy strategies for restructuring community college in ways that enhance student…

This study was a cooperative effort of the Texas-ACT College Success Research Consortium, a research partnership between ACT and the following Texas four-year postsecondary institutions: (1) The University of Texas at Austin; (2) Texas A&M University at College Station; (3) Texas A&M University at Commerce; and (4) University of Texas--Pan…

The community college as the entranceway into the baccalaureate degree is becoming a prevalent choice for students. This study was a qualitative approach to understanding attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge acquisition by successful community college transfer students. University students who transferred from a community college and were making…

This chapter presents findings from two recent Pell Institute studies, which explored the characteristics and experiences of low-income, first-generation community college transfer students in Texas and two-year and four-year institutional approaches to facilitating transfer student degree completion. Specifically, the first study asked the…

Policymakers and education leaders in Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states have been working since 2002 to meet all 12 "Challenge to Lead" Goals for Education. At the same time, SREB states have had to struggle with the toughest economic challenges in decades. Even so, SREB states have succeeded in achieving many of the goals…

This report presents tables, graphs, and text summarizing baccalaureate graduation rates in Texas beginning with a cohort of first-time, full-time students who entered a public college or university in Texas in 1985. Graduation rates are typically described as the percentage of first-time, full-time students who earn baccalaureate degrees within 6…