Tuition Iisn't their only bill: an exploration of holistic approaches to address college readiness in public and urban higher education institutions

Abstract

Many students enroll in college without proper preparation. Although they may demonstrate they are prepared academically, students who lack the knowledge and awareness of the higher education environment might not succeed in their first year. Although there are standardized exams to evaluate academic preparedness, there are few assessments that measure how well students have mastered key skills that are necessary for college success, including study skills or financial literacy. Lack of college readiness among new students leads to lower retention rates, high attrition rates, as well as loans and bills from colleges where students failed to earn a degree.However, because students are unprepared for college does not mean they do not belong in college. This study sought to investigate how public, urban, higher education institutions can help students who enroll with insufficient college readiness.Through two cycles of research, this study examined the problem of college readiness in a public urban institution and analyzed the success of an intervention implemented by student facing staff members. In Cycle 1, benchmark data was collected by interviewing senior college administrators who are in positions to enact strategies, policies, and resources to support new students. Action steps were designed, implemented , and evaluated in Cycle 2 to provide college personnel who support new students with an assessment tool, which is a basic needs survey to collect data on students' needs and skills. The basic needs survey was disseminated by the college advisors to the students with whom they work. The survey collected several data points on students, including income level, their experiences during COVID-19 pandemic, and expectations from college. The advisors then used the data to enhance their conversations with the students and refer them to the appropriate resources.The following data were analyzed: interviews with the advisors who used the survey and the data from the survey itself. The researcher concluded that the survey was an effective tool for colleges to assess the needs of the students when they first enter college and to identify appropriate resources that could buffer the impact of insufficient college readiness. Colleges must make an effort to get to know their new students in order to refer them to the resources, programs, and services that specifically meet their needs. Implications for the organization include creating an effective assessment strategy that measures a student's level of college readiness and scaling up resources so that all the students in need can be served.