Reconceptualizing Success for Underserved Students in Higher Education

How can a member of an underserved group attain academic success in American higher education? In this analysis, the author (1) describes the characteristics of underserved student populations, (2) discusses the factors that have been identified in the literature as having an influence on the success of underserved students, (3) critiques five National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) commissioned papers on student success, (4) introduces a model to characterize success for underserved students, and (5) provides future directions for theory development and needed research.