The voices of student-parents and their hurdles to success in higher education

This research pays close attention to how student-parents are identified and served in higher education settings. I specifically looked at the academic and personal experiences of student-parents and the resources they used in order to complete their undergraduate degrees. Student-parents between the ages of 18-40 require and utilize academic and financial resources differently in comparison to non-parent single status students of the same age. The theoretical framework for this study is Pierre Bourdieu's culture capital theory. Bourdieu's forms of capital have played as guiding frameworks of addressing cultural capital wealth and values within white dominated institutions between those from upper middle-class and working lower-class backgrounds. Findings will show participants' parental status and their children being the main motivators in them completing their undergraduate degrees. If we are to understand and serve underrepresented students in higher education, we need to change how we define, support and serve this population. Identifying students as traditional and nontraditional is no enough. Policy makers and higher education administrators and faculty need to acknowledge the diversity within postsecondary institutions. The vast majority of students within these institutions are no longer 18-23 year olds from traditional pathways. One population that is underrepresented and undeserved is students with families.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2016

Author dc:creator

• Perez, Marielisbet

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dixson, Adrienne
• Trent, William
• Baber, Lorenzo

• student-parents
• first-generation
• higher education expereinces

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2016 Marielisbet Perez

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/92684

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/92684