Adult students represent one of the fastest growing student populations within higher education. While their educational goals are similar to traditional students, the challenges and barriers they may encounter differ. Higher education institutions must assess their support services, coursework, and resources to determine if they meet the needs of…

English learners' (ELs') opportunity gap in U.S. K-12 schools is well known. While many of us in the field of applied linguistics are committed to achieving greater parity for ELs, the field as a whole has a propensity to approach this opportunity gap by addressing ELs' linguistic needs. This response, however, is siloed in nature, resulting in…

Most tertiary institutions have adopted the peer-tutoring approach to complement the traditional method of teaching and learning. The successful utilization of peer-tutoring as a teaching and learning strategy is determined by the effective administration of the entire process. This qualitative study investigated how the peer-tutoring process was…

An increasing number of autistic students attend U.S. universities, and higher education must meet their support needs. Existing literature frames research using a medical model of autism and is limited surrounding how autistic students form academic and social bonds during their first-year transition. This qualitative study examines 13 autistic…

The problem at the southeastern university study site is that adult nontraditional learners taking classes on campus are graduating at a low rate, which may indicate a lack of needed support services. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the learning support needs of adult nontraditional learners and institutional support…

In 2022, the Center published "Student/Learning Supports: A Brief Guide for Moving in New Directions. The guide discussed the need for system changes to end the fragmentation, overspecialization, and marginalization of student/learning supports and outlined first steps to take in pursuing the changes. As the 2022 guide emphasizes,…

Research Question: A sizable portion of college students experience food and housing insecurity, which poses a roadblock to fully and successfully engaging in higher education. In light of these complex challenges, we ask: "How do Florida College System (FCS) institutions meet the basic needs of their students?" Methods: To answer the…

Students with disabilities are an increasing subpopulation in higher education. Recently, research has put an emphasis on students' voices to explore their academic learning experiences, as well as the learning strategies they use to overcome learning barriers. This study aimed to investigate the academic learning experiences of students with…

As colleges and universities are required to report graduation rates when receiving federal and state funding, student outcomes can become a substantial concern for these institutions (Hennon, 2022; United States Department of Education, 2020). Many postsecondary institutions may be equally concerned with successfully assisting the increasing…

Pursuing postsecondary education is complicated for adult learners with children, also known as parenting adult learners (PALs). PALs must consider family expenses in addition to college expenses and make tough decisions about how to spend their time across their academic, work, and family responsibilities. Nonetheless, PALs are highly motivated,…

The researcher in this study used qualitative grounded theory methodology to explore the perceptions of higher education professionals in both academic affairs and student affairs units on the subject of a cultural divide between the two areas in the community college sector. The researcher also aimed to gain insight from the study participants on…

This qualitative study examines equity in the Central City School District's (CCSD) AHSEP Youth HSE program referral process. Through an equity audit and interviews with educational leaders, the research identifies systemic barriers, including inconsistent referral practices, limited communication, and inequitable access to support services. These…

Schools have been deemed as influential institutions for refugee youth. However, refugee students face many challenges adjusting to the US educational system. Drawing on the student engagement framework and situative knowledge, this study highlights the importance of schools to support students to take an active role in their learning, enabling…

Student support services are critical to a student's university experience and success. The main purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore pre-service teachers' lived experiences with student support services and the implications for retention at a particular teacher training institution in Jamaica. Ten final-year Jamaican…

This report examines: (1) the extent to which veterans pursue STEM degrees using Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits; (2) challenges these veterans face in obtaining a STEM degree; and (3) how VA administers the Rogers STEM scholarship. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed VA administrative data and interviewed officials…