The unpaved road: examining the rural student experience and overcoming college access barriers

Rural students graduate high school at rates on par with their urban and suburban counterparts, yet they are the least likely group to enroll in college (Gibbs, 2000; Lavalley, 2018; NCES, 2011; NCES, 2015; Smith et al., 1995). Moreover, rural students face distinctive challenges in accessing and completing a college education (Goldman, 2019; Guiffrida, 2008; Maltzan, 2006; Paterson, 2020). In many cases, these outcomes can be attributed to the overlap between rurality and students’ college generational or socioeconomic status (Byun et al., 2012; Donovan, 2018; Marré, 2014; Tieken, 2020). This dissertation explored the effects of rurality, along with first-generation and low- income status, on college-going tendencies. The study sought to understand the barriers facing rural college applicants as well as the ways high-achieving students have overcome them. A descriptive qualitative approach was utilized to investigate the experiences of first-generation and low-income rural students attending one highly selective university. This study revealed the implications of social capital on the college search, application, and matriculation processes. Further, it identified key knowledge gaps, which impacted participants’ transition to college. The findings suggest immense personal initiative and self-determination helped high-achieving rural students overcome college access barriers. Implications for theory and research include adding a unique perspective on Social Capital Theory’s concepts of sense of belonging and place attachment (Schaefer-McDaniel, 2004) as well as demonstrating how “community” is based on common knowledge and values rather than physical location (Plagens, 2011). Within policy and practice, applying a contextual review process when evaluating rural student applications and providing formal campus support systems are identified as critical to supporting the admission and transition of rural students.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Smith, Corinne A

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lee, Sharon S
• Lee, Sharon
• Baber, Lorenzo
• Pak, Yoon
• Rockey, Marci

• Rural students
• Rurality
• College access barriers
• Overcoming barriers
• Highly selective institutions
• Highly selective university
• Ivy League
• Intersectional identities
• first-generation college students
• low-income students
• Socioeconomic status
• College generational status
• FGLI students
• Social Capital Theory
• Social capital
• Place-based lens
• Place attachment
• Sense of belonging
• Rural community
• College Admissions
• Application review, Holistic admissions
• Contextual admissions
• College transition
• Academic transition
• Social transition
• College choice
• College search
• Matriculation
• Knowledge gaps
• Experiential gap, Content gap, Contextual gap
• College-going tendencies
• College access
• High-achieving students
• Personal initiative

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Corinne Smith

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129440

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129440