New York Journal of Student Affairs
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Students from low-income backgrounds comprise almost a third of undergraduate enrollment, but most colleges are designed poorly to support these students. This misalignment between the characteristics and needs of students from low-income backgrounds and the typical college environment leads to disproportionately low matriculation, persistence, and graduation rates for this population. This literature review provides an overview of common challenges faced by students from low-income backgrounds and characteristics of these students (including strengths). This literature review concludes by providing an overview of some student-focused initiatives from orientation, first-year seminars, peer mentoring, and others that can help mitigate these challenges and improve persistence and graduation rates for students from low-income backgrounds.
Recommended Citation
Sparrow, M. (2025). Students from Low-Income Backgrounds: Characteristics, Common Barriers, and Initiatives to Better Support Student Success. New York Journal of Student Affairs, 25(1). Retrieved from https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/nyjsa/vol25/iss1/5
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