| dc.description.abstract | Virginia State University (VSU) is a public and historically Black-land grant University. VSU was founded on March 6, 1882, in Chesterfield County at Ettrick and remains one of the foremost four-year institutions of higher education for Black Americans in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The first batch graduated from VSU in 1886.VSU remains one of the leaders in affordability and access, with majority (on average approximately 70%) of its students being Pell-eligible.
There is a lot of research on undergraduate student retention. However, there is little to no substantive research on the retention of undergraduate Black students, specifically who are Pell-eligible. Black Pell-eligible students have a more challenging time staying in their undergraduate programs even if they attend HBCUs. These students face financial challenges that have often been overlooked in evaluations of institutional performance in retaining students.
Many students attending VSU face fragile financial situations. To support its students, the Commonwealth of Virginia provided funding to VSU to address the regional needs relating to retention by creating the Virginia College Affordability Network (VCAN). The VCAN program is designed to provide access for Pell-eligible high school students in the areas surrounding VSU. We met with the students and administrators to understand the impact of the VCAN program and its effect on retaining black students who are Pell-eligible.
PROJECT QUESTIONS
1. To what extent does the VCAN program at VSU influence the retention of Black students?
2. What is the impact of the VCAN program on retaining Black Students?
3. How effectively is the VCAN program helping economically disadvantaged students graduate within the stipulated time?
FINDINGS
1. Virginia State University pioneered the Virginia College Affordability Network (VCAN) initiative.
2. As part of the VCAN Scholars Program, qualified students are placed in a signature experience program for first-year students who want to transition from high school to VSU.
3. Most of the students surveyed (n=19, 82%) applauded their support of the VCAN program as it provided them with much-needed "exposure" to on-campus resources.
4. Students unanimously echoed that they are very "connected" with the resource staff and felt very "encouraged" to participate in various activities as part of the VCAN initiatives.
5. For most student participants, internship programs are more attractive, and the VCAN program helps them as a community to learn and grow.
6. VCAN initiatives, such as internship opportunities created, are very impactful, especially for Black students, in improving their confidence in completing the degree within the stipulated time.
7. In fact, several first-year students noted that they learned about the VCAN program from their seniors attending VSU and were inspired to decide to join VSU.
8. As evidenced by the interviews, students reflected on how VSU created communities to help them secure internships and shadowing opportunities. | |
