Abstract
Gaps in college degree completion between low-, middle-, and high-income college students are typically attributed to differences in academic preparation and ability. However, high-achieving, low-income students are still less likely to graduate from college than their high-achieving, high-income counterparts. This study explores completion rates at the end of the Great Recession, using a community cultural wealth framework to examine additional pre-college factors and college attendance behaviors that contribute to the degree completion of high-achieving, low-income students. Longitudinal data using the Freshmen Survey and National Student Clearinghouse were collected from 2004 to 2010, comparing 9300 high-achieving students entering 455 colleges from low-, middle-, and high-income backgrounds. Hierarchical linear modeling (HGLM) was used to identify student and institutional factors that predict college completion during this era. Findings indicate that navigational capital and college attendance patterns (attending a summer session, selective college, and/or private institution) are key factors for high-achieving, low-income student completion. Cultural wealth anti-deficit measures could not explain the low-income Latinx lower likelihood of college completion nor gender differences across income groups. Implications of the results address concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic recession in terms of what institutions can do to support students.
Highlights
In the United States (U.S.), educational equality is a social justice issue of the 21st century
Research has found that family and financial obligations complicate the academic progress of low-income college students [9,21,38,39], and this study extends that work by quantitatively examining how such factors influence degree completion for high-achieving students
The results of this study demonstrate that the aspirational capital derived from parents encouraging college attendance translated into success, whereas it does not serve the same function for middle- and high-income students
Summary
In the United States (U.S.), educational equality is a social justice issue of the 21st century. This is especially true when considering the social and economic mobility of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, for whom education can be a great equalizer. Studies that report the positive relationship between degree attainment, lifetime earnings, and social mobility highlight the importance of higher education for those from lower-income backgrounds, and on understanding factors affecting their degree attainment [1,2,3]. The most privileged students finish college at rates much higher than their less advantaged counterparts.
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