ERIC Number: ED665331
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 232
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3468-5672-6
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Understanding the Administrative Burdens Associated with the Texas State College Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Youth
Erika Y. Herrera
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Sam Houston State University
A college education affords a variety of personal, financial, health, and social benefits to one's life, such as higher earnings, increased job security, easier access to health insurance and other benefits, opportunities to pursue new passions, building of new social and professional networks, and higher life satisfaction (Kumok & Hahn, 2023; Pew Research Center, 2016). There is ample evidence that the price of obtaining a higher education in the United States has drastically increased in the last four decades (McGurran, 2022). Numerous federal and state financial aid programs are intended to increase college access, yet often they fall short of their goals by making it difficult for students to access the benefits because of the burdensome rules embedded in them. Through the lens of the administrative burden framework by Herd and Moynihan (2018), this intrinsic case study examined the experience of six foster care students who applied for the Texas State College Tuition Waiver at a large community college in Southeast Texas. Data collection also included an interview with two administrators and physical and digital field observations. MAXQDA software was used to analyze the data which revealed four themes: Information Accessibility and Awareness, Application Process and Documentation, Institutional Support Systems and Outreach, and Emotional and Administrative Impact. This study includes ten recommendations on increasing financial access and assistance for foster care youth, including modifying the use of the applytexas.org website, increasing cooperation between the state and the institution, promoting the creation of student organizations, housing a DFPS liaison at the institution, encouraging foster care students to participate in the decision making, providing adequate institutional training, and maximizing the use of the institution's website. A discussion of future research is also included. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: College Administration, State Colleges, Tuition, Accountability, Foster Care, Community Colleges, Educational Finance, Student Financial Aid, Web Sites, Access to Information, Government School Relationship, Student Organizations
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A