“I Knew It Was Gonna Be Hard, but I Always Knew I Had Support From My Parents”: The Role of Family on Undocumented Students’ College Aspirations and Persistence

Literature shows that undocumented students in the United States experience significant challenges to and through higher education. Only a few studies have uncovered the mechanisms that undocumented students use to persist in college; in particular, the role that family plays on their postsecondary success is understudied. In this qualitative study, I examine the role that family plays on undocumented students’ college aspirations and persistence. Findings from a sample of 16 undocumented students attending a four-year public university show that their families are the stimulus motivating them to pursue higher education, as well as the support system they can rely on to manage college barriers. However, the data also revealed that for a few participants, their families are a source of stress, resulting in additional challenges they must manage as they navigate higher education. I present these findings using participants’ vignettes and conclude with implications for higher education research and practice.

Let's Give ‘em Something to Talk About

Rural students are more likely to complete their high school diploma but less likely than urban or suburban students to enroll in college. This is in part due to exposure to college and social capital, particularly differential access to social networks including individuals with college degrees. Schools can play a role in bridging the social capital gap as school teachers and counselors are individuals with college degrees who live in and near rural communities. In this vein, teachers and counselors can inspire the college aspirations of rural students, a prerequisite for student engagement in college choice processes.

The Role of High School Counselors in Increasing Latino Male College Enrollment: Moving From College Aspirations to Access

Even as the number of Latina/o students going to college has increased in recent years, Latino male students continue to face barriers in accessing America’s institutions of higher education, a topic that remains complex and understudied. Using national survey data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we sought to understand the role of high school counselors in increasing Latino male college enrollment. Results suggest that Latino male college enrollment increased when high school counselors provided a higher degree of financial aid preparation. We discuss implications for practice tailored to high school counselors.

It takes a village: How counselors and psychologists support the college aspirations of students of color

When debating how best to support the college aspirations of students of color, education reformers tend to zero in on efforts to improve teacher quality. However, recent research on the factors that promote college-going among Black and Latinx students point to the key roles played by many of the adults in their lives, including not only teachers but also family members, school counselors, and school psychologists.

Geographies of Campus Inequality

In efforts to improve equity, selective college campuses are increasingly focused on recruiting and retaining first-generation students—those whose parents have not graduated from college. In Geographies of Campus Inequality, sociologists Benson and Lee argue that these approaches may fall short if they fail to consider the complex ways first-generation status intersects with race, ethnicity, and gender. Drawing on interview and survey data from selective campuses, the authors show that first generation students do not share a universal experience. Rather, first generation students occupy one of four disparate geographies on campus within which they negotiate academic responsibilities, build relationships, engage in campus life, and develop post-college aspirations. Importantly, the authors demonstrate how geographies are shaped by organizational practices and campus constructions of class, race, and gender. Geographies of Campus Inequality expands the understanding of first-generation students’ campus lives and opportunities for mobility by showing there is more than one way to be first generation.

Nepantleras Building Bridges toward College Readiness: Latina/o/x Educators Fostering Equity in an Urban High School

This article builds on previous studies that establish urban high school contexts that Latina/o/x students likely navigate as under-resourced and deficit. Guided by the frameworks of community-oriented teachers of Color and nepantleras, this study takes an asset-based approach to examine how Latina/o/x educators fostered college aspirations and how they developed college-going structures to support college aspirations of Latina/o/x students. Findings clarify that through self-reflection and collaboration, teachers engaged in college information workshops, college exploration assignments, and supported students with applying to extracurricular internships. The study proposes the concept of community-oriented nepantlera educators who aim to develop a bridge between high school and college for Latina/o/x first-generation college students.