Abstract:
Higher education institutions are experiencing an increase in enrollment of non-traditional students. Academic support programs such as TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) are funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support college students to persist and graduate from college. The goal of this mixed methods case study was to investigate the impact of the TRIO SSS program on the graduation rates, cumulative grade point averages, retention rates, and the perceived experiences of its recent graduates who were non-traditional students at a public state college in Georgia. The graduation rates, cumulative grade point averages, and retention rates of TRIO SSS participants were compared to students who were also qualified but not served by the TRIO SSS program. A total of 480 non-traditational TRIO SSS and non-TRIO SSS students were involved in the quantitative data analysis, and eight former TRIO SSS students were interviewed during focus groups. Quantitative data analysis resulted in a positive trend of non-traditional TRIO SSS participants’ academic performance and significant differences in graduation rates and retention rates between participants and non-participants. Although the results did not yield a significant difference in cumulative grade point averages between non-traditional TRIO SSS participants and non-TRIO SSS participants, the cumulative grade point averages of TRIO SSS participants were higher than non-participants. The TRIO SSS graduates from focus groups reported TRIO SSS enabled them to be successful in completing their degree programs by providing 1) academic advisement, 2) degree planning, 3) development of self-confidence through motivation and mentorship, 4) academic resources, and 5) a family-oriented environment. These findings were consistent with the framework of Tinto’s theory of student departure. Implications for practice included, but not limited to, additional support for non-traditional students, an inclusive campus culture, and campus personnel devoted to student success. Recommendations for future research included expanding this study by investigating the impact of TRIO SSS programs at other campuses and gathering perceptions of non-traditional students via multiple focus groups.