Engaging rural students at the University of Montana through digital stories: supports and barriers to higher education

Access has been an ongoing issue for rural students (Eller, Martinez, Pace, Pavel, Garza & Barnett, 1998; Torres, 2013). In this study, I examined factors that have been proven barriers and supports for rural students. These factors include being first-generation, financial status, geographic isolation, parents’ expectations and support, and academic preparation. Rural college students who were part of the TRiO program at The University of Montana shared barriers and supports to access higher education. They talked about their college journeys by telling digital stories, using computer-based tools to create narratives. I examined these stories by listening and comparing their barriers and supports to common themes in access literature. Students’ perspectives provide a way to understand barriers to higher education and meet the needs of communities and rural college students (Eller et all, 1998; MDC, 2001). On-campus resources, family support, and self-motivation proved to be important persistence factors for students in this study.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Alabama Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Yarbrough, Anna-Margaret

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Major, Claire Howell

Contributors dc:contributor

• Caldwell, Mary Lee
• Garvey, Jason C.
• Holley, Karri A.
• Kuntz, Aaron M.
• Westbrook, Philip

• Higher education
• Higher education administration

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US, English

Dc Identifier Other

u0015_0000001_0002236
Yarbrough_alatus_0004D_12672

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ir.ua.edu:123456789/2591