Connecting the Dots: the Pathway to Timely Graduation: Access, Support, and Tools for Completion

Minority, underrepresented, and first-generation college students? (the fastest growing population in the United states) lack of success has negative impacts for both individuals and for society as a whole. Minority students need access and support to graduate in a timely manner from four-year institutions. Financial aid provides students with access to higher education; Orientation, academic advising, tutoring, and counseling and psychology provide students with social and academic capital to successfully navigate the systems of four-year institutions. The research in this book has three objectives: (1) correlate five support services as a tool of academic success (GPA), (2) correlate five support services as a tool of success to timely graduation, and (3) predict the likelihood of two- and three-year graduation of community college transfer students in relation to students? use of support services. Education administrators and policy makers should find this book useful in selecting services to help increase the percentage of minority students who graduate.