Feeling at Home in College: Fortifying School‐Relevant Selves to Reduce Social Class Disparities in Higher Education

Abstract

Social class disparities in higher education between working‐class students (i.e., students who are low income and/or do not have parents with four‐year college degrees) and middle‐class students (i.e., students who are high income and/or have at least one parent with a four year‐degree) are on the rise. There is an urgent need for interventions, or changes to universities' ideas and practices, to increase working‐class students' access to and performance in higher education. The current article identifies key factors that characterize successful interventions aimed at reducing social class disparities, and proposes additional interventions that have the potential to improve working‐class students' chances of college success. As we propose in the article, effective interventions must first address key individual and structural factors that can create barriers to students' college success. At the same time, interventions should also fortify school‐relevant selves, or increase students' sense that the pursuit of a college degree is central to “who I am.” When students experience this strong connection between their selves and what it means to attend and perform well in college, they will gain a sense that they fit in the academic environment and will be empowered to do what it takes to succeed there.