Listening to Our Low-Income Students: Seniors Reflect on Their College Experience

Abstract

While there is a growing effort to better understand how to best support low-income students in higher education, too often listening to the students themselves has not been part of the inquiry. A pilot effort in 2017 involved focus groups conducted at eight Yes We Must Coalition (YWMC) institutions with 55 graduating Pell-eligible students. The results made it clear that students had important insights to offer. Based on these results, the 2018 project was undertaken to develop a larger sample of students drawn from more institutions in order to increase the understanding of commonly experienced challenges and what might be done to make the journeys of low-income students quicker, less costly, and/or less at-risk for interruption and non-completion. This report presents the results which could be useful in informing institutional assumptions and policies, including the nature, accessibility and timing of interventions and resources.