A dream deferred? Examining the degree aspirations of African-American and White college students.

Abstract

The study examined the individual and institutional factors affecting the degree aspirations of White and African American college students. The theoretical basis for the study comes from status attainment research and Turner's notion of contest vs. sponsored mobility. Two longitudinal databases of college student data were used--the Beginning Postsecondary Study (BPS:90/92) and the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP:88/90)--to examine the roles of institutional and individual characteristics on students' third year degree aspirations. Students attended non-profit, two- and four-year institutions. The sample included 355 African American and 357 White BPS students; 266 African American and 283 White CIRP students. T-tests, chi-square, factor analyses and regression analyses were employed to compare groups of students. Each dataset has a different population of students and measurement of degree aspirations. The use of both datasets informed conclusions regarding degree aspirations: The results from the BPS analyses (representing a broad range of students) paint a portrait of students being constrained by their SES backgrounds, and especially by the types of institutions they were able to attend. In contrast, the results of the CIRP analyses (representing more traditional students) depict students as able to make choices about their future education with less regard to social constraints. The regression models across both datasets and for African American and White students are quite distinct. This may be due to the measurement of aspirations and the differences in the BPS and CIRP samples. The across-race differences seem to be due to the fact that African American students tend to change their degree aspirations, attend different types of institutions, and come from lower SES backgrounds to a greater extent than White students. Institutional characteristics have strong effects on students' aspirations--students attending four-year institutions and large enrollment institutions have higher aspirations. Financial aid measures have mixed effects on degree aspirations. There are particular variables that affect African American students' aspirations: Higher percentages of African American enrollments and frequent academic interactions with faculty and students. The results of the study suggest that campus administrators need to create and maintain environments that are supportive of African American students' academic development and degree goals.