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University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

The retention of college students with disabilities: what encourages them to stay in college?

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This study explored the retention rate of college students with disabilities and the factors that encourage this population of students to successfully persist to graduation. The study explored the current lack of information in regard to the comparison of the retention rates of college students with disabilities to that of the general college population and the population of other minority college students. Through this qualitative study, disability-service offices at medium-sized, and four-year public universities in the southeast region of the United States were explored. Directors of these offices and students with invisible and apparent disabilities were interviewed. This study has determined that there are several factors that influence the retention of college students with disabilities. These factors range from the individual resiliency of students to the philosophy of service delivery adopted by directors in disability-service offices. The information gathered through this study is limited due to the size of the sample, but the gained information can be used as a starting point for further research.

Degree

thesis:*
Grantor dc:publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Rigler, Michelle
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Tucker, James A.
  • Delaney, John; Miller, Ted; Bernard, Hinsdale
  • College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Rights

dc:rights
Language dc:language
English, eng

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/375
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1515

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
Base URL
scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Rigler, Michelle. The retention of college students with disabilities: what encourages them to stay in college?. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/375