Author Archives: aabdulalim1

Major project 4 ; Low-Income Students in Community Colleges and Graduation Rates

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Adil Abdulalim

Dr. Rebecca weaver

ENGL 1102

Aabdulalim1@student.gsu.edu

By research conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics in 2010, an average three-year graduation rate of approximately 20 percent goes towards community colleges. On the other side, four-year institutions have a lower six-year graduation rate than two-year institutions. When President Obama requested an update to the Higher Education Act of 1965 from Congress in 2013, colleges and universities began to feel increased pressure to cut costs. Specifically, the request included affordability and value to be included in the determination of which colleges received specific future federal aid. Research from a nationwide education data set demonstrates that financial aid awareness and information play a role in the college decision process for low-income, 4-year university-qualified students and their parents. Using National Education Longitudinal Study survey data, Berkner and Chavez (1997) found that all low-income and middle-income Black and Hispanic students who read information about financial aid from one or more sources were more likely to take steps toward attending a 4-year institution than those who did not read any information. For example, 48% of college-qualified low-income students who did not read any information on financial aid took steps, compared to 70% who obtained information from one or two sources. In addition, college-qualified low-income students were more likely than their middle-income counterparts to read information and speak to teachers, guidance counselors, or college representatives about financial aid. Low-income parents, however, apparently did not have any more information about financial aid than middle-income parents. (Mari Luna De La Rosa, Aug 2006)

           As of 2014, the typical community college student’s tuition remained over a third of the average four-year public institution student’s tuition. However, without financial help, financing tuition and non-tuition expenses were practically impossible for most community college students. Many full-time community college students were eligible for Pell Grants, but they needed to find other ways to pay for their education. Although community college students were less likely to use loans than four-year students, community college students faced more severe financial difficulties. Tuition payment affects a student’s capacity to graduate. Graduation rates, which represent how well students complete degree programs, are one way to gauge a community college’s success. Past studies have shown mixed results with a positive relationship between tuition and graduation rate at 4-year institutions (Raikes, Berling, & Davis, 2012) and a not significant relationship between tuition and graduation rate at 2-year institutions (Bailey, Calcagno, Jenkins, Leinbach, & Kienzl, 2006). What is unknown is whether community college tuitions can forecast graduation rates based on recent data and whether enrollment size moderates the relationship between tuition and graduation rate.

           The current study includes several delimitations. The first distinction is made in terms of the level of analysis. As opposed to the student level of understanding, the institutional level of study is engaged with a few criteria, such as baseline tuition being established by the state or for each institution, rather than varying tuition costs per individual. Another distinction is that a demographic rather than a sample size is used. The current study looked at all of the nation’s community colleges rather than just a few.

On the other hand, using a population frequently leads to overly broad conclusions. To strengthen external validity and be better generalizable for community college policymakers and future researchers, the enrollment numbers of community colleges were used to regulate the relationships between tuition and graduation rate in the current study. Finally, the graduation rate was used as the unit of analysis. The graduation rate is not always the best indicator of community-academic achievement. On the other hand, the graduation rate is the most commonly used unit of study in the research for assessing community-academic achievement and the most readily available analysis method at the organizational level.

No professional is more critical to improving college enrollments within schools than counselors (McDonough, 2004, 2005a, 2005b). Research clearly shows that counselors, when consistently and frequently available and allowed to provide direct services to students and parents, can be a highly influential group of professionals who positively affect students’ aspirations, achievements, and financial aid knowledge (Adelman, 1999; McDonough, 1997, 2004; Plank & Jordan, 2001). Meeting frequently with a counselor increases a student’s chance of enrolling in a 4-year college, and if students, parents, and counselors work together and communicate clearly, students’ chances of enrolling in college significantly increase. Moreover, the effect of socioeconomic status on the college enrollment of low-income students is explained mainly by the lack of counseling (King, 1996; Plank & Jordan, 2001). (McDonough, Aug 2006). The tuition fee was found to have a negative, substantial link with the percentage of students from quasigroups and the size of enrolment, as well as a significant and positive correlation with the percentage of students getting loans. The percentage of students who received loans was inversely proportional to those who received Pell Subsidies or other federal grants. Furthermore, the percentage of students receiving loans was adversely and significantly associated with the proportion of students from non-dominant groups and the size of the student body.

The problem starts long before a student comes to college. An analysis released this week by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce found that children who are black or Latinx or from low-socioeconomic-status families perform worse academically, from pre-K through career, than white Asian Americans or are from higher socioeconomic levels. Furthermore, what is worse, high-achieving children from low-income families have lower odds of success than lower-achieving children from wealthier backgrounds. (Esta Pratt-Kielly, 2018)

The tuition fee was found to have a negative, substantial link with the percentage of students from quasigroups and the size of enrolment, as well as a significant and positive correlation with the percentage of students getting loans. The percentage of students who received loans was inversely proportional to those who received Pell Subsidies or other federal grants. Furthermore, the percentage of students receiving loans was adversely and significantly associated with the proportion of students from non-dominant groups and the size of the student body. Free college tuition can provide university education to individuals who would not otherwise be able to pay for it. Public sources and inexpensive tuition have been the objective of community colleges to enhance degree and certificate completion and therefore provide a path to a middle-class existence for everybody. The goal of this study was to see if tuition, particularly low tuition, impacted student performance. Despite the small sample size, tuition does not impact student achievement.

Work cited

Bailey, T., Calcagno, J., Jenkins, D., Leinbach, T., & Kienzl, G. (2006). Is student-right-toknow all you should know? An analysis of community college graduation rates. Research

in Higher Education, 47(5), 491-519.

Esta Pratt-Kielley. The real cost of school for first-generation college students (2018): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/real-cost-school-first-generation-college-students-n1007796. Website.

J Engle. U.S. Dept. of Education. Moving Beyond Success. (2008) https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED504448.pdf. Publish.

Mari Luna De La Rosa. The American Behavioral Scientist; Thousand Oaks Vol. 49, Iss. 12, (Aug 2006): 1670-1686. Journal

McDonough, Patricia M; Calderone, Shannon. The American Behavioral Scientist; Thousand Oaks Vol. 49, Iss. 12, (Aug 2006): 1703-1718.

Kantrowitz, Mark. College and University; Washington Vol. 78, Iss. 2, (Fall 2002): 3-10. Journal.

Raikes, M. H., Berling, V. L., & Davis, J. M. (2012). To dream the impossible dream: College graduation in four years. Christian Higher Education, 11(5), 310-319.

Augustana University

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Adil Abdulalim

English 1102

Dr. Weaver

SAR Paper

March 10, 2022

Aabdulalim1@student.gsu.edu

Summary

Augustana University is a well-known private Lutheran institution in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The school serves over 2100 students from 42 states and 35 countries, and it offers over 100 majors, minors, and pre-professional specialties, as well as intense internships, study abroad, and undergraduate research within a 4-1-4 academic cycle. “Augustana University aspired to be one of America’s most outstanding church-related universities” (Augustana University “Vision”) by providing an education of permanent value that challenges the intellect, develops integrity, and integrates faith with study and service in a varied society.

Analysis

The website of Augustana University is appealing. An efficient layout technique makes critical information easily accessible to the audience. At the beginning of the website, the homepage indicates that Augustana is where students construct their future, which gives the audience a bright and sensible vision to attract their attention and choose them. The webpage uses the APATSARC rhetorical style of logos to give the audience a logical sense of reason by providing encouraging data and figures to persuade the reader that Augustana is the correct choice for their future. It also uses the large rhetorical strategy of Kairos to captivate the audience by addressing the opportunities accessible to students in need, particularly those with financial challenges, and addressing the question of why the student is doubtful about Augustana being the best choice for them. “Augustana is an actual educational value, representing an investment with significant lifetime returns” (Augustana university “Financial Assistance”).

Augustana University is a prestigious, comprehensive university linked with the Lutheran faith. However, people of all faiths are welcome to attend, demonstrating that they are welcoming and give students the freedom to have other beliefs or have a different path of religion. This illustrates that Augustana is a place where all kinds of students are accepted and are trying to make a bright future in a diverse world. Furthermore, Augustana University teaches students about various jobs and professional callings while encouraging them to choose career paths compatible with their religious and philosophical beliefs. Augustana’s fundamental goal is to provide long-term value education that challenges perceptions, promotes trust, and integrates devotion, learning, and service in a varied society( Augustana University “Home”).

Augustana University is committed to creating a learning atmosphere that welcomes people from all walks of life, encourages diversity, and honors individual needs. They want to help all students by treating them equally and ensuring that they can engage fully in all elements of the educational environment and extracurricular activities. “We use technological advance and provide accommodation to individuals with documented disabilities to fulfill our commitment of equal accessibility” (Augustana university “Accessibility Service”), which leads the audience to believe that Augustana is the right place for them and that they deserve the opportunity.

The university’s website demonstrates to the audience that they are committed to assisting students before and after admission, encouraging them to inquire about Augustana and learn more about it. Furthermore, on the homepage, there is a section for international students entitled “international program office”; it is a venue where Augustana University’s international students engage and form relationships with students from all over the globe.

For the last 160 years, Augustana has provided students with lifelong education and developed leaders and visionaries who affect every aspect of society (Augustana University “Home”). On the website, Augustana University used an excellent approach by employing the rhetorical method of Kairos to persuade students, mainly undergraduate students. There is a section titled “strategic plan; Viking bold,” which is a plan designed to lead Augustana through 2030 with a bold future for their students, demonstrating to the audience that Augustana guarantees them a lifetime education and witness to the transformative power of education over the following decades, indicating a promising commitment that elevates the students’ experience at their university.

The university evaluates applicants holistically, and the admission decision is informed by the applicant’s grade point average and academic history; additionally, the admission process is dependent on the student’s ability to positively impact the Augustana community, so a person’s performance outside of school, such as behavioral and criminal issues, affects the admission process.

Augustana skillfully mixes Logos and Kairos to elicit logical decisions from the audience and address common questions and problems of students. The website is designed to grab students’ attention by providing a solid reason for considering Augustana University. On the other hand, the website shows a lot about the university community and how they treat students to help them get where they need to be.

Response

If I was asked whether or not I would attend Augustana University, my answer would be yes. I say this because I believe it would be an excellent fit for me and a fantastic experience. Augustana provides many options for students like me. I am an international student, and they have a strong community for students like us. This will allow me to have a good experience with people from all around the world. Another reason why I would consider Augustana is because it is located in a good area, especially for students. It will reduce distractions, allowing me to focus more on my academics.

Likewise, Augustana has a fantastic business department in which I am studying; therefore, it will have a limited number of students compared to other colleges, giving me an excellent opportunity to use all the resources available. Overall, the university is ranked in the top 100 national liberal arts colleges by US News and World Reports, as well as nationally recognized for academic excellence, graduate outcomes, and affordability, so I believe Augustana will fulfill my desire academically, socially, and financially, and therefore I would strongly consider it.

Work cited 

“Augustana University.” Augustana University, 2021, www.augie.edu/.

Academic Profile of SaNajah Blackman

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This paper summarizes an interview with MS. SaNajah Blackman about her background and academic self during her school years. We held face-to-face and online interviews to get to know each other and discuss our papers. SaNajah was born in Muskegon, Michigan, on January 15, 2005, and is currently 17 years old. She is the oldest of three siblings. Her family was frequently moving from Michigan to Georgia during her youth until her grandmother opted to stay in Georgia, at which point her mother decided to stay with their grandmother for a year until they could find a place to live. She went from place to place after moving out, and when I asked why they moved from Michigan to Georgia, she stated her mother wanted to offer them a better opportunity.

SaNajah attended Panola Way Elementary School alongside some of her younger aunties, uncles, and cousins while living with her grandmother, and she stated in our interview that she attended perhaps 8 or 9 different primary schools. She attended Snellville Middle School in 6th grade and about three months into 7th grade when her family relocated to Stone Mountain; thus, she spent the balance of 7th grade and the complete 8th grade at Stone Mountain Middle School. After middle school, her mother encouraged her to select between a performing arts school and DeKalb Early College Academy, so she chose DeKalb Early College Academy, took her exam and was accepted. She enrolled in dual enrollment in August of 2018, the same year she started high school, and she began college studies in August of 2021, but she has still yet to decide on a major. She was an honor roll student and excelled in her studies throughout elementary school. She told me that she understands things quickly and does well on examinations, which she believes helped her succeed. This is similar to Dr. Steven Chew’s study tactics, which highlight the necessity of having a solid level of knowledge as a direct outcome of how hard one studies.

SaNajah’s academic self is described by three words: determined, passionate, and independent. She told me she was enthusiastic about her life and doing. SaNajah was also very resolute in her decision, which is why she said she was independent since she was a small child, which helped her focus on her future.

I was astounded by her life narrative and how far she had come. This led me to ask her who her biggest inspiration was and what she thought about life in general. She had a very profound response. She said that her mother was her biggest influencer because she gave her the life SaNajah has today with all of her complete efforts. SaNajah also mentioned that life is a history of someone accomplishing remarkable things during their time on earth, and she is trying her hardest to be the most remarkable person she could have imagined.

In conclusion, I saw a very bright mind in SaNajah and learned a lot from her experiences, so I finally asked her goals, and she said her goal is to continue her studies for the time being and has no specific desire on what she wants to do after that, and I believe she will achieve her goals and be successful. Overall, I found SaNajah’s story interesting and very inspiring, especially considering that I am a student just like her.

 

A picture of SaNajah in 2011 was Captured by a school photographer in Michigan.