Chapter 4 Addition (Expansion of the Summary Section)

Summary of the Findings

The research identified three themes that affect the experiences and outcomes of Hispanic minority students at GCC: competence, autonomy, and psychological relatedness.

Competence

Competence emerged as an important theme, characterized by skills such as financial aid awareness, pre-college preparation, or access to academic support programs. Financial aid stood out as a major source of support for Hispanic students academic success, with several participants describing the benefits of grants and scholarships. However, there was also a lack of awareness among a significant proportion of students regarding these same financial resources. For example, one participant stated that he only learned about available grants and scholarships through his coaches, which indicates a gap in the spreading of information by the institution. This survey data supports this finding with only 40% of respondents stating that they had the financial support needed...

Academic support programs were available but not readily accessible due to students...…point out and consider the themes of competence, autonomy, and psychological relatedness when it comes time to think about how to improve support structures, promotion of and access to extracurricular, mentorship, and financial aid awareness. GCC should consider how it can improve financial aid awareness, pre-college preparation, cultural inclusivity, and social integrationas should all institutions. This study shows that through this approach, colleges can create a more equitable and supportive higher education environment for minority students. Moreover, these findings align with existing scholarly literature, and draw attention to the need for a systemic, holistic approach to supporting minority students in higher…