Dive Brief:
- A new study from the Vibeffect casts new light on the motivations of low-income students as a primary factor in their college success. The results, officials say, challenge traditional notions about the importance of secondary preparation or familiarity with course content as predictors for completion.
- High achieving students from more than 5,000 households making $35,000 or less, or $150,000 or more, similarly suggested positive attitudes around personal finance, seeking out help when needed, and self-confidence are primary factors in students' ability to thrive in college.
- The sharp difference between the two groups was previous exposure to college. A majority of low-income students (57%) are first-generation students who typically do not engage in campus visits for the schools they attend, compared with 81% of high-income students whose parents are college-educated and have taken a campus visit.
Dive Insight:
A self-starting personality is indeed a critical element of what makes a student successful in their college career. But what role do institutions play in helping students to develop this trait, and what tools are helpful in mining the inner desire for success against difficulties like unfamiliarity with coursework, or external factors, like hunger?
Many schools are more quickly identifying such obstacles with predictive analytics, but even these are prone to biases which disproportionately target and redirect minority students in their academic goals. Campus leaders must be cognizant of all of these factors, and look to build programs which encourage monitoring and intervention, but with diverse perspectives and approaches in mind.