A Holistic Case Study of First-Generation Community College Students Experience in a Performance-Based Scholarship Program: Building Social Capital

This research is a collection of essays that examine various aspects of a performance-based scholarship program designed to build social capital among first-generation community college students located in a large mid-Atlantic city in the United States. First-generation community college students, those whose parents did not attend college make up a significant portion of community college enrollment. First-generation community college students often struggle with the social and cultural norms of academia in large part due to the lack of preparatory resources and social capital afforded to continuing-generation students, those with at least one parent who completed a degree. The overarching theoretical framework shaping this study is social capital, broadly viewed as an accumulation of tangible resources available for personal interests. The three-essay dissertation format presented is a holistic case study using qualitative methodology. This approach allowed for the exploration of the implementation of a performance-based scholarship program designed to address the challenges first-generation community college students encounter while matriculating. The research questions guiding this holistic study are explored separately through embedded units, each with a nuanced literature focus to reflect an aspect of the phenomenon under study. Essay one, "Environmental Forces Influencing Program Implementation: A Case Study on the Initial Implementation of a Performance-Based Scholarship Program at an Urban Community College," sought to answer the research question on the environmental factors shaping the implementation of a performance-based scholarship program for first generation community college students. Essay two, "The Educational Trajectories of First- Generation Students and their Academic Stories of Resilience in the First Year of Community College" sought to answer the research question on how students experience a performance-based scholarship model by exploring facets of students' educational trajectories and strategies in academic resiliency. Essay three, "A Case Study of First-Generation Students Utilizing Social Capital to Navigate the First Year of Community College," was guided by the research questions exploring the personal, social, and environmental factors that shape the social capital landscape for first-generation community college students. The study sought to identify basic assumptions of the performance-based scholarship model using descriptive narrative from institutional agents and through exploration of students' use of social capital resources in navigating their academic journey. The findings from these essays offer a holistic view of an intervention designed to improve outcomes for first-generation community college students. The findings presented here have implications on multiple levels in the community college forum, specifically among practitioners, policy makers, and applied research. Keywords: community colleges, first-generation community college student, performance-based scholarship, social capital, student experience, qualitative methods, case study. [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/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]