| This study examined the college experiences of bachelor's degree students who receive public assistance benefits, commonly known as welfare, at a four-year college in New York City. Using a narrative inquiry approach, the study sought to illuminate the stories of these students, about whom little previous scholarship is based. The study found that students are caught in a "double bureaucracy" between the welfare system and the college system with positive experiences when the systems coordinated and negative experiences when they did not. The study also showed that students' academic experiences revolved around the quality of instruction they received, that their social experiences were mainly limited to transactional friendships with peers, and that their functional experiences were characterized by a desire for the services traditionally provided at a community college as well as the stress of eating on campus and scheduling their courses. The study correlates to existing research on this population, including the role of students' mothers and children and work-study jobs being their sole engagement outside of the classroom. Implications from this research will assist both higher education and welfare system administrators in creating resources and pathways to success for bachelor's degree students on welfare. |
