Education Commons^™

College Completion: The Experiences Of Low-Income College Students In A Student Support Services Program, Navin A. Saiboo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Despite a college degree being a prerequisite for economic and social mobility, many low-income students graduate at far lower rates than students from wealthier families. Existing research suggests that low-income students are more likely to attend college less prepared to succeed once they get there, experience financial challenges, have difficult navigating the complex higher education system, and have multiple obligations outside of their academic responsibilities, resulting in low completion rates. Much of the previous literature is rooted in in a deficit framework suggesting that low-income students are lacking or deficient if they are not academically successful. This study departs from …