The unpaved road: examining the rural student experience and overcoming college access barriers

Smith, Corinne A

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129440 Copy

Description

Title

The unpaved road: examining the rural student experience and overcoming college access barriers

Author(s)

Smith, Corinne A

Issue Date

2025-04-24

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Lee, Sharon

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Lee, Sharon

Committee Member(s)

• Baber, Lorenzo
• Pak, Yoon
• Rockey, Marci

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Rural students
• Rurality
• College access barriers
• Overcoming barriers
• Highly selective institutions
• Highly selective university
• Ivy League
• Intersectional identities
• first-generation college students
• low-income students
• Socioeconomic status
• College generational status
• FGLI students
• Social Capital Theory
• Social capital
• Place-based lens
• Place attachment
• Sense of belonging
• Rural community
• College Admissions
• Application review, Holistic admissions
• Contextual admissions
• College transition
• Academic transition
• Social transition
• College choice
• College search
• Matriculation
• Knowledge gaps
• Experiential gap, Content gap, Contextual gap
• College-going tendencies
• College access
• High-achieving students
• Personal initiative

Abstract

Rural students graduate high school at rates on par with their urban and suburban counterparts, yet they are the least likely group to enroll in college (Gibbs, 2000; Lavalley, 2018; NCES, 2011; NCES, 2015; Smith et al., 1995). Moreover, rural students face distinctive challenges in accessing and completing a college education (Goldman, 2019; Guiffrida, 2008; Maltzan, 2006; Paterson, 2020). In many cases, these outcomes can be attributed to the overlap between rurality and students’ college generational or socioeconomic status (Byun et al., 2012; Donovan, 2018; Marré, 2014; Tieken, 2020). This dissertation explored the effects of rurality, along with first-generation and low- income status, on college-going tendencies. The study sought to understand the barriers facing rural college applicants as well as the ways high-achieving students have overcome them. A descriptive qualitative approach was utilized to investigate the experiences of first-generation and low-income rural students attending one highly selective university. This study revealed the implications of social capital on the college search, application, and matriculation processes. Further, it identified key knowledge gaps, which impacted participants’ transition to college. The findings suggest immense personal initiative and self-determination helped high-achieving rural students overcome college access barriers. Implications for theory and research include adding a unique perspective on Social Capital Theory’s concepts of sense of belonging and place attachment (Schaefer-McDaniel, 2004) as well as demonstrating how “community” is based on common knowledge and values rather than physical location (Plagens, 2011). Within policy and practice, applying a contextual review process when evaluating rural student applications and providing formal campus support systems are identified as critical to supporting the admission and transition of rural students.

Graduation Semester

2025-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129440

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2025 Corinne Smith

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