ERIC Number: EJ1193896
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Nov
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-0251
EISSN: N/A
Performance and Persistence Outcomes of GEAR UP Students: Leveling the Playing Field in Higher Education
Sanchez, Jafeth E.; Lowman, Jennifer L.; Hill, Kathleen A.
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, v20 n3 p328-349 Nov 2018
Given the major investment in the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant, rising postsecondary access, trends in poor persistence and retention rates, and the ongoing accountability measures in higher education, it is critical to examine factors related to postsecondary performance and persistence of GEAR UP students in comparison to their peers. College performance and persistence of 298 State GEAR UP students were compared with other first-time, first-year students (1,841) who entered a moderately selective, medium-sized public research university in Fall 2012. The GEAR UP students were more likely to be from disadvantaged, underrepresented backgrounds; despite less advantageous beginnings, they entered college with similar high school grade point average and Scholastic Assessment Test scores, though lower American College Test scores. Also, students' first-term grade point average and credit loads served as predictors of persistence. Most importantly, GEAR UP students were just as likely to perform and persist as their peers.
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Academic Persistence, School Holding Power, Undergraduate Study, Undergraduate Students, Federal Aid, Grants, Comparative Analysis, College Freshmen, Grade Point Average, College Entrance Examinations, Predictor Variables, College Readiness, Access to Education, College Preparation, Outcomes of Education, White Students, African American Students, Hispanic American Students, Asian American Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Postsecondary Education (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Pell Grant Program
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: SAT (College Admission Test); ACT Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: P334S120028