Topic Area: Student Success
Presented by: Brandon R.G. Smith, Kristen Renn, and Renata Opoczynski
Abstract:
What are the experiences of low-income students and how do they describe their time in college? To answer this, interviews were conducted with 23 low-income students during their last semester at MSU. Interviews focused on students’ time at MSU where the participants reflected on their living, learning, and out-of-class experiences. The general focus of the one-on-one discussions were how these students’ individual financial situations interacted with their successes and challenges in and out of the classroom at MSU. A thematic analysis presented key themes pertinent for low-income students, ranging from: (i) how students navigate resources and supports, (ii) how a student’s financial situation interacts with out-of-class experiences, and (iii) decisions and compromises made by these students when considering their needs to success and to complete their degree—all of which are decisions influenced by the last dollars owed to MSU. These students’ stories will be shared and accompanied with implications for practice from the lenses of institutional policy and practice.