Transfer admission continues to be a profoundly complicated experience. Despite stakeholders' efforts to support prospective transfer and non-traditional students to navigate the complexities of transfer admissions, only a small percentage of them will eventually access educational opportunities at four-year institutions in each recruitment cycle.…

The Postsecondary Pathways for Former Foster Care Youth (PP-FFCY) study is a research project that focuses on the transitions of foster care alums to and through postsecondary institutions. Through the Ofice of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL), the PP-FFCY project team is conducting a comprehensive needs assessment report that:…

Despite the World Declaration on Higher Education for the 21st Century that education is the ultimate support of human rights, and that access and participation remain key catalysts to accelerating equal educational opportunities for all, females continue to trail their male counterparts in educational outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa. This…

This qualitative multiple-case study uses the conceptual framework of Bourdieu's cultural capital theory. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of adult Burmese immigrants (ABIs) in applying to colleges and universities in the U.S. The scope of this study does not include international students. The study sample consisted of nine…

Is your family just starting to think about visiting colleges? Maybe you are in the throes of the experience, feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. Did we miss a deadline? Should we be looking in-state or out-of-state, big school or small school? And what is a "FAFSA" anyway? "The Truth about College Admission" is the…

To address social inequality, many western governments have sought to pursue principles of 'widening participation' as a key policy response in higher education. Though originally intended to complement social justice policy agendas, alignment of education policies with broader neoliberal policy frameworks has led policymakers, such as those in…

According to the National College Attainment Network (NCAN, 2023), each year, thousands of high school graduates leave billions of dollars in federal student aid unclaimed because they do not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To holistically investigate this phenomenon, this dissertation accomplished three goals. The…

This study investigates the perceived benefits to academics who assess HEA Fellowship applications in one institution. Results show that the assessors experience similar benefits from engaging with the continuing professional development (CPD) scheme as those reported by applicants. The data also indicate that the scheme nurtures a…

This study illuminates how common holistic admissions practices at so-called "elite" colleges and universities favor high-SES, high wealth applicants through the ways they define and consider "exceptional" performance in extracurricular activities. While many studies have established advantages to high-income applicants based…

Neoliberalism tends to shift the goals of schooling from democratic to economic purposes. This article examines how school personnel and students in 2 majority-Latinx schools utilized neoliberalism when constructing diversity as a form of "property." Diversity was seen as preparation for postsecondary life and an experience that (White)…

As the technology landscape is continually evolving, transitions to newer software are commonplace in higher education. Change is often difficult to navigate, especially when the change that is implemented fundamentally impacts entrenched business processes. In no place is this more evident than when implementing a new system, whether the…

This research study investigated the relationship between receiving an undergraduate scholarship and students' intended future contributions of volunteer time, professional talents, and financial treasure to a suburban community college after graduation. Kopecek and Kubik (1982) explained that "all colleges have alumni, but few community…

Due to globalization, it has been realized that the distance between countries is irrelevant because of the various opportunities offered by technological and transportation advancements. Globalization has also manifested itself in the field of higher education through internationalization. The concept of globalization has evolved with time; its…

In the United States, some states allow undocumented immigrants to benefit from in-state resident tuition policy at public colleges and universities, a benefit aimed at improving accessibility to higher education. Yet, undocumented immigrants face bureaucratic procedures and requirements that may discourage them from applying and delay or hamper…

A college degree enables upward financial mobility--a college graduate's lifetime earnings are over 80% greater than those without a degree. Yet, systemic societal and educational constructs can create hurdles for students--particularly those who are historically underserved (e.g., Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students)--to gain…