Non-U.S. Citizen, Community College Students: Their Federal Student Aid Status, Gender, Achievement, and Persistence at an Emerging HSI

Abstract

This study presents a quantitative, exploratory analysis of 535 students attending Truckee Meadows Community College in Northern Nevada who were eligible or ineligible for federal student aid and were non-U.S. citizens. Within a snapshot of the Fall 2015 through Fall 2016 semesters, we examined the variables of gender, grade point average (GPA), credits earned, type of financial aid, amount of financial aid, persistence, and graduation status of these two groups via a collaboration between two institutions. Results revealed no statistically significant differences by gender. Non-U.S. citizens attained similar GPAs regardless of eligibility for aid, but there were differences in credit enrollment, attainment, and persistence between those eligible and ineligible for aid. Those with eligible federal student aid status were 6.4 times more likely to persist than those ineligible for this aid; students with increases in GPA were almost three times more likely to persist; and students with higher levels of increases in total financial aid were twice as likely to persist. We provide conclusions and implications based on these findings.