Four year college choice considerations among high achieving lower income community college students in Michigan The University of Toledo The University of Toledo Digital Repository Theses and Dissert[.]
The University of Toledo The University of Toledo Digital Repository Theses and Dissertations 2013 Four-year college choice considerations among high-achieving lower-income community college students in Michigan Dilip A Das The University of Toledo Follow this and additional works at: http://utdr.utoledo.edu/theses-dissertations Recommended Citation Das, Dilip A., "Four-year college choice considerations among high-achieving lower-income community college students in Michigan" (2013) Theses and Dissertations Paper 57 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The University of Toledo Digital Repository It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The University of Toledo Digital Repository For more information, please see the repository's About page A Dissertation entitled Four-Year College Choice Considerations Among High-Achieving Lower-Income Community College Students in Michigan by Dilip A Das Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for The Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education _ David Meabon, Ph.D., Committee Chair _ Penny Poplin Gosetti, Ph.D., Committee Member _ Mary Ellen Edwards, Ph.D., Committee Member _ Larry McDougle, Ph.D., Committee Member _ Dr Patricia Komuniecki, Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs and Dean, College of Graduate Studies The University of Toledo August 2013 Copyright, Dilip A Das This document is copyrighted material Under copyright law, no parts of this document may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author An Abstract of Four-Year College Choice Considerations Among High-Achieving Lower-Income Community College Students in Michigan by Dilip A Das Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for The Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education The University of Toledo August 2013 The college choice considerations and decisions of high school seniors matriculating full-time to four-year colleges is well-documented However, a growing majority of students not fit within the high school to four-year college group, leaving gaps in the college choice research literature This qualitative study addresses the college choice research gap though semi-structured interviews of 17 academically talented – 3.5 or higher grade point average with over 25 college credits completed – Pell Grant-eligible community college students seeking transfer to a four-year college All participants demonstrated high levels of motivation to complete a baccalaureate Twelve of participants applied to only one transfer college and five applied to two Constraints on college choice included a variety of financial considerations, strategic recruiting strategies by four-year colleges, and a lack of detailed guidance and college knowledge Utilizing a cultural capital framework for analysis, marked differences between the college experiences of traditional four-year students and high-achieving, low-income non-traditional community college students were found including differences based on class, race and cultural traditions iii For Janice, Sylva, and Sofi I’ve been a little distracted and impatient at times I love you And for my parents, Sunil and Merial, and sisters, Kalpana, Monica, and Molina for their unflagging support and love iv Acknowledgements To Dr Dave Meabon, committee chair and tireless advocate, teacher, and mentor along the pathway of the dissertation marathon: thanks for your patience, commitment and sense of humor The dissertation committee of Dr Penny Poplin-Gosetti, Dr Mary Ellen Edwards, and Dr Larry McDougle were insightful and patient as well in helping to guide the dissertation into a useful framework Thank you Dr Lester P Monts at the University of Michigan for your unwavering support and encouragement Finally, thank you Glenda Haskell for helping to coach me through the tricky terrain of the research process, the writing, and getting to the finish line v Table of Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Tables xi Overview of the Study 1.1 Statement of the Problem 1.2 Purpose of This Study 1.3 Assumptions 1.4 Conceptual Framework 1.5 Theoretical Perspectives 11 1.6 Research Questions 13 1.6.1 Research Question One 13 1.6.2 Research Question Two 13 1.7 Methodology 14 1.8 Significance of the Study 14 1.9 Limitations 15 1.10 Definitions 15 1.10.1 College Choice Influences 16 vi 1.10.2 Cultural Capital 16 1.10.3 Class Reproduction 16 1.10.4 Habitus 16 1.10.5 High-Achieving 17 1.10.6 Lower-Income 17 1.10.7 Undermatching 17 1.10.8 Stratification 18 1.10.9 Traditional vs Non-Traditional College Student 18 1.10.9 Selectivity vs Non-Selectivity 18 Summary 18 Review if the Literature 20 2.1 Introduction 20 2.2 Two-Year to Four-Year Transfer College Choice Considerations 18 2.3 The Economics of Higher Education and Stratification 28 2.4 Development of Community Colleges, Tracking, 1.11 and the Transfer Function 2.5 2.6 40 The Sociology of Higher Education, Cultural Capital, and Stratification 46 Cultural Capital, Habitus, and College Choice 50 Methodology 58 3.1 Study Design and Rationale 58 3.2 Research Questions 59 3.21 59 Research Question One vii 3.22 Research Question Two 60 3.3 Site Selection 60 3.4 Participant Selection 61 3.5 Data Collection & Identification of Themes 65 3.6 Participant Safeguards 65 3.7 Trustworthiness and Limitations 66 3.8 Summary 70 Findings 72 4.1 Introduction 72 4.1.1 Research Question One 72 4.1.2 Research Question Two 72 4.2 Summary of Participant Profiles 77 4.3 Geographical Factors in College Choice 80 4.4 Work, Loans and Financial Factors in Transfer College Choice Considerations 4.5 83 Motivation and Ambition as Factors Influencing Transfer College Choice Considerations and Decisions 4.5.1 Motivation to Transfer and Succeed From Prior Workforce Experience 4.5.2 88 Motivation to Transfer and Succeed With Or Without Family Guidance Or Support 4.5.3 86 92 Motivation to Transfer and Succeed From Intellectual Curiosity 98 viii 4.5.4 Motivation to Transfer and Succeed With or Without Counselor or Instructor Support 4.6 Summary 102 105 Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendations 108 5.1 Introduction 108 5.1.1 Research Question One 111 5.1.2 Research Question Two 111 5.2 Self-Motivation and Ambition as Major Influences of Transfer College Choice 112 5.3 Geographical and Family Constraints on Transfer College Choice 115 5.4 Financial Constraints on Transfer College Choice 117 5.5 Racial and Ethnic Constraints on Transfer Choice 121 5.6 Social Class and Cultural Capital as a Major Influence on Transfer College and Career Choice 131 5.7 Four-Year College Recruitment Constraints on Transfer Choice 138 5.8 Conclusion 141 5.8.1 Class-Based Constraints 141 5.8.2 Competitive Recruitment Strategies 142 5.8.3 Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Constraints 142 5.8.4 Transfer Choice Simplicity 142 5.8.5 College is work, not fun 143 5.9 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Research Question One: What are the factors that influence low-income, academically talented community college students when considering transferring to a four-year college or university? Interview Questions: When did you decide to transfer to a four- year college or university? What were the things that you considered when you began appliying to fouryear college or university? How did you decide which four-year colleges to apply to? (Moved up from below) 174 Which four- year colleges or universities did you apply to? Where there any schools you that you would like to have applied to that you didn’t? Who helped you (if anyone) decide on a particular college choice? Research Question Two: What are the factors that influence low-income academically talented community college students when deciding to attend an admitting four-year institution? Interview Questions: Which schools admitted you? Can you tell me about your reasons for deciding to attend (four-year college X)? Do you have plans for when you will finish your bachelor’s degree at (four-year college X) and what you will after that? 175 Appendix B Research Study Seeking Participants Four-Year College Choice Considerations Among High-Achieving Pell Grant-Eligible Community College Students in Michigan If you have: • • • • completed at least 25 credits and; been accepted to a four-year college for transfer and; qualify for Pell Grant (need-based) financial aid and; a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher then you may qualify for this study The study requires sitting for one audio-recorded interview lasting approximately 90 minutes Upon completion of the interview, participants will receive a $30 gas card If you are willing to participate in this study, please contact the researcher at dadas@umich.edu or by phone at 734-763-7994 If you qualify, your experiences may increase understanding about the issues that promote and limit access to college Thank you Contact: Dilip Das, Graduate Student Investigator Email: dadas@umich.edu Tel: 734-763-7994 176