Access and (In)Equity? Administrative Burdens and Institutional Promise Programs

• In Event: Understanding Test-Optional Policies and Promise Programs for Educational Equity

Abstract

While institutional promise programs help to expand access to college for students from low-income households, they do not fully address the complexities students face before and after enrollment. In this paper, we use the concept of administrative burdens to explore the transition experiences of low-income students at a highly selective university. Our analysis of longitudinal focus group data offers a window into the benefits and burdens that students experience as part of an institutional promise program. Findings highlight the need for institutions to move away from strategies that simply aim to enroll more low-income students and toward approaches that support students from recruitment all the way to graduation. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Kelly Slay, Vanderbilt University

• Daniel Hay, Vanderbilt University

• Andrew Hunt, Vanderbilt University