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Full-Text Articles in Education
Tennessee's Promise: Education For All?, Tristan M. Hightower
Tennessee's Promise: Education For All?, Tristan M. Hightower
Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee
Access to education has been at the forefront of public policy issues over the past several years. In order to combat relatively low rates of college attainment, Tennessee legislators implemented the Tennessee Promise program. It operates by providing financial aid for any direct costs not covered by students’ grants and scholarships. Notably, the program is not applicable to four-year degree programs; students wishing to utilize the funds must attend select schools that offer certificates and associate’s degrees. Community colleges are the most popular. While a boost in community college attendance has occurred, and more people will likely graduate with an …
“I Wanted To Know More”: A Narrative Exploration Of Community College Students’ Goals And Aspirations, Jason P. Vanora
“I Wanted To Know More”: A Narrative Exploration Of Community College Students’ Goals And Aspirations, Jason P. Vanora
The Qualitative Report
The literature on community colleges is overwhelmed by outcomes-oriented data concerning retention, attrition, and graduation rates. What we lack is a more complete understanding of why community college students choose to enroll in the first place. The current study seeks to fill this gap. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, students reported feeling motivated to attend community college by their desires to reconstruct themselves as scholars, make proud their families and communities of origin, achieve social mobility, and develop a more accomplished and purposeful sense of self. Implications of these findings for teaching and learning are discussed, as is the …