| The knowledge that graduating from a selective college yields greater benefits than a degree from a less selective campus, as well as strategies to be admitted to such institutions, have been suggested as new forms of cultural capital in the college choice research (Astin & Oseguera, 2004). The possession and acquisition of cultural capital from students without college-educated parents has been largely unacknowledged. This qualitative study sought to uncover the sources of cultural capital development for students who do not have college-educated parents. A sample of 35 Latina/o community college students found that while participants did not acquire academic cultural capital from home, their parents did foster an educational habitus that inspired them to use education to move beyond their social class origins. Participants' home lives served as catalysts toward social mobility, as they did not want to replicate their families' class struggles. Students sought a selective college to increase their cultural capital to influence the social class mobility for themselves, their siblings, and their extended family. Cultural capital was acquired through social capital primarily from: counselors (74%), the Internet (63%), instructors (49%), and peers (46%). Participants also became the cultural capital source for parents, informing them of the higher education system in the United States. Participants believed that attending a selective college would have benefits on future income (63%) and graduate school admissions (54%). Most participants (54%) did not believe attending a selective college would improve the likelihood of graduation. Participants were knowledgeable about the financial aid process and were loan averse, but many did not apply for scholarships. In contrast to previous research with this type of population, these students in this study were open to leaving home to attend college. The data also suggests that many participants were uncertain of the benefits of selective colleges and subject to the influence of diverse sources. Intervention strategies were suggested to increase the number of low-income and working-class students in selective colleges. |
