Experiencing Financial Aid at a Historically White Institution: A Critical Race Analysis

While scholars have looked at the intersection of financial aid and various identities, little work has examined how, if at all, race and racism are imbued into financial aid in higher education using qualitative inquiry. This paper begins that work by using a Critical Race Theory lens to analyze how, in the seemingly colorblind structure and process of financial aid, race matters. Using interview data collected from 35 Black juniors and seniors at a selective, historically White institution (HWI), the authors examine how race has informed students’ perceptions of themselves, their families, and their futures through their experiences with financial aid. The authors found that financial aid took the form of 1) a racial stereotype and microaggression, 2) added labor in searching for scholarships, and 3) a factor in reinforcing the racial wealth divide. More than a resource to facilitate college access and persistence, these scholars argue that financial aid is racialized, uniquely shaping the campus experience of Black collegians

Racial Reckoning and the Role of Schooling: Exploring the Potential of Integrated Classrooms and Liberatory Pedagogies

Schools have long existed as a means of maintaining democracy in the United States and, given the centrality of race relations to the success of democracy, this paper suggests that schools can be called upon to address racism as well. As such, this paper looks to our rapidly diversifying nation and asks: “What would it take to move closer to meaningfully addressing the legacy of racism in the United States, and what role might schools play in this process?

The Tensions of Teaching Low-Income Students to Perform Professionalism

As institutions of higher education prepare students for their careers, there is often a focus on teaching students how to demonstrate professional behavior to secure employment. Yet, definitions of professionalism may vary across contexts, and many reflect hegemonic norms, which are not reflective of the realities of low-income students. As such, teaching these students about professionalism may highlight the tensions between framing higher education as a lever for social advancement while it concurrently serves as a tool of social reproduction. Acknowledging these tensions, this constructivist qualitative case study examined how a comprehensive college transition program designed to serve low-income students socialized these students to notions of professionalism. Drawing from observational data collected over 4 years, we found that the program largely framed professionalism as essential for students’ social mobility and used programming to provide information about professional dress, communication, and interactions through a lens that reflected middle-class, gender normative values. Complicatedly, the program also at times described professionalism as a tool that could be used to advance one’s abilities as a leader and to serve one’s communities. Our findings have implications for educators working to support low-income students’ career preparation and to promote their success