Higher education institutions are utilizing comprehensive college transition programs (CCTPs) to streamline support, promote retention and success, and address the structural barriers that at-promise students face. Yet, research about the role of CCTPs rarely explores the importance of major and career self-efficacy (MCSE) for these populations,…

This research explored the role of a hub of innovation in spreading changes that support at-promise (low-income, first-generation, racially minoritized) students from smaller programs to the broader campus environment. The study has several important insights, including the ability of a hub to spread innovations, supportive mechanisms that can…

Kindergarten transition programs support successful school transitions for families and may reduce disparities in academic readiness upon school entry. Yet, access and participation in high-quality summer transition programs are lower among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study examined the impact of a summer kindergarten transition…

Drawing from a 5-year mixed methods study of the Thompson Scholar Learning Community (TSLC), we discuss how holistic, proactive, strengthens-oriented, identity conscious, collaborative and reflective norms create a culture of ecological validation wherein at-promise students can experience college success. These norms were then operationalized…

Background: Low-income students face cultural and social challenges navigating college environments that privilege middle- and upper-class norms, knowledge, and values; these challenges lead to difficulty transitioning to college and disparities in student success for low-income students relative to their higher-income counterparts. Peer…

This article draws on a five-year mixed methods study and focuses on the way staff tailor support within a comprehensive college transition program to meet the needs of low-income, first-generation, and racially minoritized students by adapting programmatic offerings and requirements to fit students' multifaceted needs. The study also identifies…

The purpose of this case study is to explore the strategies and approaches success coaches use towards validating first-generation, low-income college student success. This case study was conducted at Terrace University (pseudonym), a public, four-year institution within the Midwest. Since 2008, Terrace University has sponsored Terrace Promise…

California recently committed to making prekindergarten (PreK) universal through the expansion of transitional kindergarten (TK) and other state-funded programs. Between 2021-22 and 2023-24, TK enrollment doubled, from about 75,000 to over 151,000 children. Approximately 59% of eligible 4-year-olds enrolled in TK in 2023-24. Across publicly funded…

This phenomenological research study investigated how participation in the Educational Opportunity Fund summer bridge program shaped first generation low-income students' learner identity as they entered college. Learner identity is generally defined as a learner's personally and socially constructed roles that influence his or her capacity,…

This qualitative case study explores student and staff perceptions of whether and how participation in pre-enrollment summer transition programs influenced the sense of belonging and preparedness of first-generation and limited-income students in their first year of college. These summer transition programs are provided as part of the Kessler…

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which Black and Latinx undergraduate students of first-generation and low-socioeconomic backgrounds understand how the components of summer bridge programs influence their persistence at four-year colleges and universities. This generic interpretive study revealed that there are several…

The Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) program is a 100% federally funded grant program from the U.S. Department of Education designed to serve first-generation and low-income students by providing pre-college programming. The program has six objectives, the final objective being degree attainment for past participants. This action research study…

This study focused on the process of how the staff at the Thompson Scholars Learning Community, a comprehensive college transition program, tailored the programmatic offerings to meet the needs of low-income, first generation, and racialized minority students. Because college students are complex individuals, each of whom faces a unique set of…

This study examines the relationship between support from comprehensive college transition program (CCTP) staff and students' academic self-efficacy, academic behavioral change, and achievement. We surveyed 1,197 students across three campuses of the University of Nebraska system. Path analyses revealed CCTP staff support had direct and indirect…

This narrative inquiry research study explored the experiences of three migrant families living in California. This research contributes new knowledge that will support Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) administrators, early childhood practitioners, elementary school principals, and kindergarten teachers in understanding transition events…