"No One Ever Told Me": Understanding the College Aspiration to Attainment Gap

• In Event: 29.063 - College Knowledge to College Action: (Re)Shaping College Information, Access, and Opportunity in San Antonio

Abstract

As a college access professional working in a low-income school, I often have students tell me, “No one ever told me,” or “I didn’t know that,” when I know I have presented or given them the information. Students already possess the aspiration to go to college, thus completing the first stage of the college choice model (Hossler & Gallagher, 1987). A recent study found that while 88% of eighth graders anticipate attending postsecondary education, only 20% of entering high school students will earn any kind of post-secondary degree (Stillisano, Waxman, Brown, & Alford, 2014). This staggering gap between aspiration and attainment is the/a problem. This study adds to the college culture literature by interviewing students at a community-based college fair to understand how they are experiencing the college process, specifically in terms of the college search. The second stage of the college choice model: searching for colleges, needs additional research and attention (Hossler & Gallagher, 1987). The challenge becomes the disconnect between students and staff regarding college knowledge as well as access to information. This study will explore one strategy to increase access to college knowledge: a community-based college fair (Alvarado & Lopez Turley, 2012; Engberg& Gilbert, 2014). There is currently limited research on college fairs, with most studies lacking a student perspective (Holland & Farmer-Hinton, 2009; Alvarado & Lopez Turley, 20120; Engberg& Gilbert, 2014). The study will delineate strategies and policy recommendations for practitioners and scholars who are interested in increasing access to college information for students with whom they work.

Author

• Elizabeth Severance, Texas Education Agency