My Degree Does Not Say "College Access Program": Supporting the Success of Low-Income African American College Students at a Public Research University

• In Event: Interventions Influencing Student Sucess

Abstract

A cross-sectional sample of 21 African-American students participated in in-depth interviews about their experiences in a college access program at a predominantly White public research university. This study drew on several theoretical frameworks, namely color-blind racism (Bonilla-Silva, 2014), intersectionality theories (Crenshaw, 1991), and critical race theory (Delgado and Stefancic, 2001). Narrative analysis revealed that students perceived that the college access program supported their racial identities in ways that enabled them to cope with the racial microaggressions they experienced on campus. The counseling and academic support services also helped them to persist. The findings suggest that the resources provided by college access programs should be available to other underrepresented minorities who may not meet the criteria based solely on socio-economic status.

Author

• Alana C. Butler, Queen's University