First Advisor

Ramin Farahmandpur

Term of Graduation

Summer 2024

Date of Publication

7-3-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership: Postsecondary Education

Department

Educational Leadership and Policy

Language

English

Subjects

College Choice, First-generation, Latinx, Marketing

Physical Description

1 online resource (viii, 247 pages)

Abstract

The Latinx population in the United States has drastically increased over the last twenty years. During the same period, the number of first-generation Latinx students enrolling in higher education post-recession has also increased by as much as 1.5 million students. The expansion of the Latinx student population in Oregon has mirrored the national trend by exponentially increasing over the last 10 years. As the population of first-generation Latinx students grows, it becomes essential to explore the issues and barriers Latinx students face in making their college choices. Previous researchers have found that selecting the right institution is important to increase the chances of satisfaction, retention, and completion of a college degree. At a time when institutions of higher education are facing financial challenges stemming from low student enrollment rates coupled with decreases in federal and state funding, many colleges and universities are forced to find new strategies to stay financially afloat. These strategies include marketing to build their unique brands and the college experience.

Few studies exist on how marketing affects the college choice experience of first-generation Latinx students at state universities in the Pacific Northwest. Using social and culture capital frameworks as a guide, this basic qualitative research study employed qualitative interviews to explore the college choice experience of a group of 12 first-generation Latinx students at the University of Northwest Pacific (pseudonym) to gain an understanding of how marketing may have affected their experiences and the challenges they faced in navigating the college choice process. The study helped identify three themes: (1) Building a college-bound identity and self-resilience, (2) Accessing social and cultural capital, and (3) Marketing and its effects on students. The findings showed that family had a significant role in building the participants' college-bound identity. Additionally, the study illustrated how social and cultural capital positively impacted participants with individualized assistance and mentors (e.g., counselors, teachers, friends). Lastly, the findings highlighted the challenges and barriers first-generation Latinx students face as they progress through their college choice stages and how marketing affected their selection of the University of Northwest Pacific (UNP). This study also discussed the findings' implications and future research direction.

Rights

© 2024 David Cortez

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/42500

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