This article draws on stories of success in higher education by mature-age students of diverse backgrounds to highlight some key implications for institutional support. We begin by reviewing the post-World War II background of mature-age study in Australian higher education to provide a context for presenting some major findings from a small,…

Research indicated that former foster youth encounter unique challenges in pursuit of degree completion in higher education. Degree completion has the potential to promote self-sufficiency skills for former foster youth, decrease dependency on social services, and increase the likelihood of successful transition into adulthood roles. By aiding…

Online education is unique in part for the relatively high degrees of autonomy afforded learners. Self-direction and self-regulation, along with support, are essential for students to succeed. The site of this action research project was a new, small online public charter school for middle and high school students, Foothills Academy Connected…

This study utilized the theory of positive deviance to explore the challenges and success factors for foster youth who have attained a postsecondary education. To accomplish this, twelve interviews were conducted. Six interviews were conducted with college-going foster youth and six adults who served as mentors for the foster youth participants…

This research brief presents key findings and actionable themes from Student Support (Re)defined--a multi-year study that asked almost 900 students from 13 California community colleges what they think supports their educational success, paying special attention to the factors Africa Americans and Latinos cite as important to their achievement.…

"Degrees of Freedom" challenges California to include currently and formerly incarcerated students in the vision set by the state's 1964 Master Plan for Higher Education--a vision of college access for all, for the benefit of the entire state. A college education strengthens economies, changes lives and renews communities, and yet, for…

"Degrees of Freedom" finds that California has not been adequately providing effective college opportunities for criminal justice-involved students, despite the fact that such access will help California build safer and more economically viable communities. This report is part of a larger initiative--Renewing Communities--to expand…

As the Latino population progresses from minority to majority status in the United States, there still remains the typical and historical pattern of failure in higher education associated with this minority status. According to the 2010 Census, approximately 16% of the total U.S. population or 50.5 million people have self-identified themselves as…

This primer introduces 23 practices designed to support students inside and outside of the classroom and increase their community college success. These case studies illustrate the five themes for effective student support that emerged from Student Support (Re)defined--a multi-year study performed by the Research and Planning Group for California…

The purpose of this study was to identify contributing factors for academic success among African American male student athletes from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Life narrative analysis was used in this qualitative study. The researcher conducted in-depth individual interviews with 7 African American males who attended college on athletic…

With an increased national focus on postsecondary degree completion, this Research to Practice brief highlights the roles of social supports and self-efficacy in the academic success of students and features advice from college access and success practitioners at Bottom Line, a nonprofit that aims to help students "get into college, graduate,…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to describe factors that nontraditional nursing students reported as helpful in their success in the nursing program. Two men and eight women took part in structured one-time interviews. Structured interviews were conducted with the participants in settings that were chosen by the…