| Abstrakt: |
Retention is an increasing area of concern for higher education institutions as enrollments continue to decrease. This is especially germane for small colleges and universities given their lower enrollments and limited resources. First-generation students and college athletes are populations with enhanced susceptibility to attrition due to additional challenges and burdens placed upon them as they navigate the college environment. Therefore, there is a need to understand the factors influencing retention among those at the intersection of these student demographics. The purpose of this study is to examine the association of individual (gender, race, and academic performance) and athletic (financial aid, sport type, and competition level) factors with first-generation college athlete retention (n = 11,047) at small colleges and universities. Binary logistic regression analysis suggests significant relationships between first-generation college athlete retention and gender, race, academic performance, financial aid, and competition level. These results provide new theoretical understandings of college student retention through the examination of first-generation college athletes as a unique population. Our findings also offer practical recommendations for higher education institutions, particularly small colleges and universities, seeking to enhance retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
