Examining the Associations Between Financial Conditions and Study Abroad in Diverse, Low-income College Students

The study examines ascribed, financial, and college factors to predict study abroad participation among a national sample of students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. Based on a longitudinal sample of 398 fourth-year participants of a national scholarship program (consisting of more than 50% students of color and 50% first-generation college goers), results show that despite higher study abroad participation among this group compared to national averages, finances remain a predominant impediment. The results provide a counter-narrative that study abroad participation is for the privileged. Findings also indicate that grant aid and prior exposure to financial adversity in the form of severe poverty are associated with an increased likelihood of study abroad participation, and that these relationships tend not to be moderated by gender or ethnoracial identity. Exploratory information on student motivations for study abroad is also reported. Given the importance of study abroad to learning outcomes, this study points to the importance of attracting to study abroad those for whom the college experience marks a significant break from the adverse conditions of their youth and may inform how study abroad, academic, and financial aid advisors can work with students to find funding sources to make an international experience a reality

College Enhancement Strategies and Socioeconomic Inequality

The study provides new information on the relationships between students’ socioeconomic backgrounds, utilization of college enhancement strategies, and subsequent 4-year college enrollment. Enhancement strategies represent student behaviors used to bolster the competitiveness of a college application, such as Advanced Placement exams and a variety of extracurricular activities. By drawing on two national datasets that span the 1990s (NELS) and the 2000s (ELS), the study uncovers how these relationships have changed during a period marked by escalating demand for college and growing class inequality. The findings provide partial evidence of class adaptation (Alon in Am Soc Rev 74:731–755, 2009) based on the combination of increased use of multiple enhancement strategies (“high overall use”) among higher SES students and increased influence of high overall enhancement strategy use in predicting college enrollment, particularly selective college enrollment. Implications are discussed in terms of the higher education system and pervasive social inequality

College Student Pathways to the STEM Disciplines

Background/Context: As concerns mount about the shortage of students entering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, policy makers throughout the United States are contemplating strategies to maintain and enhance our nation\u27s economic vitality and international competitiveness. Within this policy and program environment, researchers have focused considerable attention on improving STEM education at different stages of the educational pipeline, yet we lack evidence on how resources from one educational setting may influence outcomes in a successive educational setting. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus: The purpose of the study is to examine individual- and school-level factors that influence students\u27 pathways to the STEM fields during college. Focusing on the importance of high school-to-college linkages, our research questions address the individual and institutional factors that affect students\u27 likelihoods of majoring in a STEM field in college. Research Design: The study is based on data collected through the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, a nationally representative survey of high school sophomores who were followed through high school and into college. Students who were enrolled in a four-year institution at the end of 2006 and had declared a major were included in the analytic sample. Analysis: In addition to performing descriptive and factor analyses, we used cross-classified hierarchical general linear modelling to examine students\u27 backgrounds, aptitudes, attitudes, dispositions, and experiences in relation to majoring in a STEM field, as well as institutional factors that constitute students\u27 secondary and postsecondary environments. Findings/Conclusions: Findings from the study revealed significant effects in relation to race, academic preparation, attitudes and dispositions toward math and science, college choice considerations, and postsecondary experiences. Although no institutional effects were uncovered at the high school level, both postsecondary sector and selectivity significantly influenced propensities toward majoring in a STEM discipline. The study concludes with several policy recommendations related to K-16 collaborations, dual-enrollment programs, and developmental considerations for teachers and counselors working with high school students

Undermatching and Noncognitive Development during the First Year of College: A Longitudinal Study of College Students in the Netherlands

The study focuses on the phenomenon of “undermatching” in relation to the development of noncognitive attributes during the first year of college. Particular attention is paid to examining the role of first-generation college student status in moderating these relationships. The analyses utilize longitudinal data from the Netherlands (N = 14,540), to test whether undermatching is associated with noncognitive development, based on measures of academic motivation, college satisfaction, and academic self-efficacy. Results indicate among first-generation students, undermatching predicts positive development of satisfaction with college and academic self-efficacy, net of other social status, demographic, and educational measures. Alternatively, among continuing-generation students, undermatching does not affect noncognitive development. The results were found to be robust to model selection. The discussion and conclusion suggest that undermatching may, in fact, promote positive development of noncognitive attributes for socially mobile students (i.e., students from families with less educational attainment)

Undermatching and Noncognitive Development during the First Year of College: A Longitudinal Study of College Students in the Netherlands

The study focuses on the phenomenon of “undermatching” in relation to the development of noncognitive attributes during the first year of college. Particular attention is paid to examining the role of first-generation college student status in moderating these relationships. The analyses utilize longitudinal data from the Netherlands (N = 14,540), to test whether undermatching is associated with noncognitive development, based on measures of academic motivation, college satisfaction, and academic self-efficacy. Results indicate among first-generation students, undermatching predicts positive development of satisfaction with college and academic self-efficacy, net of other social status, demographic, and educational measures. Alternatively, among continuing-generation students, undermatching does not affect noncognitive development. The results were found to be robust to model selection. The discussion and conclusion suggest that undermatching may, in fact, promote positive development of noncognitive attributes for socially mobile students (i.e., students from families with less educational attainment)