No Pomp, All Circumstance: How Changing the College Experience Could Close the Higher Education Gap

In recent months, the Obama administration has committed to making community college as “free and universal in America as high school.” But simply eliminating the cost barriers to higher education may not close the gap that exists between low- and middle-income students in several dimensions, including enrollment, academic performance, and college completion. As Stephens, Brannon, Markus, and Nelson propose in their paper entitled “Feeling at Home in College: Fortifying School-Relevant Selves to Reduce Social Class Disparities in Higher Education,” ensuring the success of low-income and, in particular, first-generation college students may require nuanced interventions.

According to Stephens et al., only 13.3 percent of first-generation college students will graduate from a four-year university, even though having bachelor’s degrees could increase their salaries by as much as 84 percent. And there are even starker realities evident when the researchers look at the makeup of institutions of higher education around the country and corresponding graduation rates. At elite colleges and universities, first-generation students make up a mere nine percent of the student population, compared to 52 percent at community colleges. Those at community colleges are less likely to finish school; only 49 percent graduate, compared to 82 percent at the top 468 four-year colleges. These inequalities reveal a staggering problem with higher education in the United States that cannot be solved by lowering financial barriers alone.

In an effort to find interventions that can close the higher education achievement gap, the researchers first identify several individual and structural factors contributing to the enrollment and completion disparities between low- and middle-income college students. These factors include inadequate academic preparation, limited knowledge of the application process, limited access to mentors, reduced likelihood of visiting campuses, and an inability to fully participate in the social and extracurricular aspects of school due to financial limitations. Many of these problems stem from attending under-resourced public high schools, living in low-income homes, and growing up in communities where few attend or graduate from college. Ultimately, the researchers conclude that higher education is not set up to attract low-income, first-generation students. It fails to help them succeed or make them feel like they belong.

Stephens et al., identify fostering “school-relevant selves”—a term used to describe the development of thoughts such as “I belong at this school” and “I will succeed at this school”—as the necessary intervention for combating many of these issues. Universities can foster this mentality in a variety of ways. By providing working-class role models, diversifying the representations of the college experience communicated by the university, and creating peer networks, universities can create a more inclusive college culture. These initiatives would not only provide cultural capital but also help cultivate relationships between students and their peers, professors, and families.

It is important to note, however, that although the researchers examine existing strategies and propose some of their own, they fail to evaluate current programs using quantitative methods. Their findings are driven instead by a review of existing literature and their own hypotheses. Without further empirical analysis, it is difficult to know whether these suggested initiatives will have a significant impact on the student experience.

Based on their extensive review of the existing literature on barriers to college success for low-income, first-generation students, these researchers propose not just fixing structural factors such as cost but also focusing on developing school-relevant selves. This shift from broad swipes to more focused psychological considerations could help many disadvantaged teens hoping to get to and through four years of college, which is especially important given the recent announcement of President Obama’s community college agenda.

 

Article Source: Stephens, Nicole M., Tiffany N. Brannon, Hazel Rose Markus, and Jessica E. Nelson. “Feeling at Home in College: Fortifying School‐Relevant Selves to Reduce Social Class Disparities in Higher Education.” Social Issues and Policy Review 9, no. 1 (2015): 1-24.

Feature Photo: cc/(Stanford EdTech)