Higher education (i.e., colleges and universities) institutions must have a thorough understanding of the college-going process for potential students to be successful in their enrollment, retention, and graduation efforts. The college-going process often consists of deciding to pursue higher education, choosing an institution, and selecting a…

A comparison of choices of first-generation and non-first-generation Mississippi College students make to obtain a higher education was conducted by survey instrument and data analysis. The research was conducted to compare choices including the people influencing the student's choice to obtain a higher education, motivating factors of where to…

All students must undergo the decision-making processes in choosing to attend college as well as selecting which college to attend. In making these decisions, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I student-athlete population encounters concerns that require investigation. The decision-making process involving the choice to…

Rural people and rural education are often ignored in research and policy discussions (Byun, Meece, & Agger, 2017; Lavalley, 2018). Rural areas in America, however, are home to 60 million people (United States Census Bureau, 2016b), including 12 million school-age children (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2013). Due to…

This study explores the college choice process and experiences of California Latinx students applying to selective, four-year institutions. The literature review reveals existing disparities in outcomes for California Latinx students attending open-access institutions, highlighting the potential for private, selective colleges to increase…

One in four Black Americans who earned a Bachelor's degree, in America, received their degree from a Historically Black Colleges or Universities. (Gasman et al., 2007; Williams & Ashley, 2005). In 2013, Frank Brogan, The Chancellor of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education asked "If kids of color can go anywhere, why are they…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors that influence the college choice process for first-generation, low-income, and academically at-risk students in a TRIO Upward Bound program. The literature review theoretically explores the multi-level factors with Perna's college choice model, social construction theory, and Bourdieu's social,…

In order to be most effective, college access programming should aim to provide services that account for the social realities of underrepresented students in higher education. College access programming historically has been dedicated to serving low-income and first-generation college going students at the federal level, with many local college…

This study explored the key factors that had the greatest impact on their decision to attend a particular HBCU. Forty to 60-minute semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4 focus groups. The results indicated that cost, campus environment, academic majors, and family were the 4 key factors that influenced their decisions to attend the…

Ensuring smooth transitions to college may be difficult for the children of immigrants since their families are likely unfamiliar with the U.S. system of higher education, which is horizontally stratified and requires a number of steps before admission. Bridging social science literature on immigrant assimilation, cultural, social, and human…

This dissertation examines the gap in college enrollment between Asian Americans and Latino Americans regarding the effects of family and school factors, classifying them into the six ethnic/generational status groups (Asian American first generation, Asian American second generation, Asian American third generation and plus, Latino American first…

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…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between college students' social class and their academic outcomes. A structural equation model was proposed, hypothesizing that a student's socioeconomic status (SES) is related to their motives for attending college, thus influencing their perception of fit at the university, their…

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…

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…