Graduation Semester and Year
Fall 2025
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Social Work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Jennifer Murphy
Second Advisor
Danielle Harrell
Third Advisor
Kelli Rodgers
Abstract
Students from lower-funded high schools often enter college with lower levels of academic preparedness and limited access to advanced coursework, individualized advising, and extracurricular opportunities, all of which contribute to disparities in retention and academic success. These inequities, rooted in longstanding school funding gaps and systemic barriers, disproportionately affect first-generation and racially minoritized students, who may also experience cultural mismatch or isolation within college environments. This scoping review synthesizes existing research conducted by other scholars to examine how academic preparedness and institutional support services such as tutoring, mentoring, bridge programs, and college transition initiatives influence college readiness for students from low-income backgrounds and under-resourced schools. Guided by Tinto’s Model of Student Retention and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the review maps current knowledge on structural inequity, preparedness indicators, and the effectiveness of institutional interventions. Findings highlight that while colleges offer a range of support services, their impact on students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds remains underexplored. This review identifies gaps in the literature and underscores the need for multi-level, equity-centered approaches to strengthen the transition into higher education. The central research question guiding this inquiry is: What is known from the existing literature about academic preparedness and institutional support services for college students who attend lower-funded schools?
Keywords
Low-income college students, Academic preparedness, Institutional support services, College retention, Student persistence, College success outcomes, Higher education equity, Access and affordability, Student support programs, Scoping review
Disciplines
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching | Educational Sociology | Education Policy | Higher Education | Higher Education and Teaching | Social Work
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Davina, "Academic Preparedness and Institutional Support for Low-Income Students: A Scoping Review of College Success and Retention" (2025). Social Work Theses. 221.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/socialwork_theses/221
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Commons, Educational Sociology Commons, Education Policy Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, Social Work Commons