Challenges and Opportunity: An Examination of Barriers to Postsecondary Academic Success

Community colleges are a critical component of the U.S. higher education system, providing access to students from traditionally underserved communities. However, enduring challenges to completion stemming from educational, economic, and social inequities persist. Building on prior work that examines barriers to student success and their relationship to student outcomes, this paper examines the relationship between community college students’ academic persistence and their time utilization, engagement with campus resources, and financial and mental well-being. It also examines the relative importance of these factors for community college students’ educational attainment. The paper is based on a descriptive study that uses self-reported, web-based survey data on nearly 600 community college students attending two Hispanic-serving institutions complemented with rich administrative data records to provide a comprehensive portrait of elements linked to student outcomes.

Sponsored By
Community College Research Center
Year Resource Released
2024

American Institutes for Research

U.S. Department of Education

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