PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO POSTSECONDARY ENROLLMENT FOR RURAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY FROM HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS’ PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

ABSTRACT King, Tiffany. Perceived Barriers to Postsecondary Enrollment for Rural High School Students: A Qualitative Study from High School Counselors’ Perspectives. Doctor of Education (Executive Educational Leadership), May 15, 2023, Houston Christian University, Houston, Texas. Obtaining a postsecondary certificate or degree has been correlated with improved job opportunities, increased earning capacity, and better overall quality of life. Despite these benefits, a considerable proportion of students from rural schools exhibit a lower likelihood of pursuing postsecondary education than their urban counterparts. The reason for this discrepancy can be attributed to unique postsecondary admissions and enrollment barriers experienced by rural high school students, who often face limited resources and support systems. Despite outperforming their urban peers in national test scores and graduation rates, rural students face various obstacles that impede the postsecondary application process or prevent them from pursuing higher education entirely. This study examines rural high school students' challenges in pursuing postsecondary education. The viewpoint of high school counselors will be considered to gain insights into these challenges. A survey was conducted with counselors from rural schools, who provided valuable insights into the obstacles faced by their students in the postsecondary admissions and enrollment process. The information gathered from the survey was scrutinized through interpretative phenomenological analysis to pinpoint principal themes, which were organized into conceptual models to illustrate interactions between barriers. By scrutinizing these models and their associated components, this study endeavors to expose the obstacles that hinder rural students’ journeys through admissions and enrollment in postsecondary education. This research aims to explore perceptions of the obstacles hindering postsecondary education participation and offer solutions to overcome these challenges, thereby increasing access to higher education for students in rural high schools. This study’s findings could assist in developing practices and policies that promote equitable access to higher education for all students, irrespective of their geographic locations. KEYWORDS: Rural, College Access, Barriers, Rural Youth, Rural Educational Aspirations, Rural Development, Underserved Students APPROVED: _________________________________ Chair, Dissertation Committee