Predictors of Low-SES Student Persistence from the First to Second Year of College

• Published in: Paradoxes of the Democratization of Higher Education Vol. 22; pp. 97 - 125
• Main Authors: Rowan-Kenyon, Heather T, Blanchard, Rebecca D, Reed, Brian D, Swan, Amy K
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2016; Emerald Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Higher & further education, tertiary education; Political sociology, Policy & Social Change; Sociology
• ISBN: 9781786352347; 1786352346
• ISSN: 0196-1152
• DOI: 10.1108/S0196-115220160000022004

Abstract This study examines the characteristics that affect college persistence from the first to second year among low-socioeconomic status (SES) high school graduates who enrolled in a two- or four-year college degree program, using the ELS:2002 database. Specifically, this study compares the influences of student entry characteristics, social and cultural capital, institutional characteristics, and college experiences across SES quartiles. While academic preparation and college support measures were predictors of persistence for all groups, predictors of persistence for low-SES students included measures of academic preparation and talking with faculty or advisors. Implications extend to institutional responses needed to support the success of low-SES students.