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Factors That Assist Low-Income Students Of Color In Pursuing Higher Education, Samantha J. Kaffenbarger

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Currently, there is an achievement gap in education between students of color and their white counterparts. While the larger picture of inequality is readily available, it does not explain why students of color graduate at lower rates. This purpose of the qualitative research study sought to understand the experiences and perceptions of low-income youth who are of color, on their transition into college. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with four youth of color who were currently enrolled in college and identified coming from a low-income background. The five major themes that emerged from the interviews were: 1) the youth’s motivation …