Date of Conferral

8-25-2026

Date of Award

August 2026

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Cathryn Walker

Abstract

The problem that was addressed in this study was the low retention rates and consequent low completion rates of students who are low-income, first-generation, and/or disabled who did not participate in a TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program at Urban University. Grounded in Tinto’s student integration theory, Dweck’s mindset theory, and Duckworth’s grit theory, the purpose of this study was to determine staff members and students’ perceptions on the helpfulness of the TRIO SSS program in improving retention from Year 1 to Year 2 at Urban University. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews with nine students and four staff members were conducted. Through qualitative content analysis with open descriptive coding, the following four themes emerged: (a) TRIO academic support and nurturing environment foster student resilience and growth mindset; (b) targeted skill-building and supportive staff drive belonging, cultural navigation, and retention; (c) responsive, individualized TRIO services strengthen student connections, skills, and community; and (d) TRIO engagement builds community and academic skills that support student retention. Findings offer practitioner-grounded insights for implementing and designing TRIO SSS programs that are tailored to the needs of this student population. These findings have the potential for positive social change by providing recommendations for improving and sustaining TRIO SSS programs which, in turn, might benefit students who might be retained and graduate, thus potentially enabling graduates’ lifelong social mobility.

Download

Share

 
COinS