Diversion or Democratization? Community College Choice Among Rural Hispanic Students

• In Event: 52.077 - How Far to Go? Rural Postsecondary Choices

Abstract

Few educational theories have captured the attention of researchers and policymakers as rapidly as college undermatch. Undermatching focuses on low-income students with solid GPA’s who perform well on the SAT, ACT, or other college admission test but end-up attending local colleges and public universities with lower graduation rates and fewer resources than more selective institutions. Undermatching was used to examine the motivations that led academically-qualified, first-generation, low-income Hispanic high-school graduates in rural Kansas to attend the local community college instead of a four-year institution located in another town. My purpose was to explore from the student perspective the factors that created a good fit and what college choice meant for first-generation rural Hispanic students.

Author

• Eric Freeman, Wichita State University