University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2019 Community College Student Experiences in a Tuition-Free Scholarship Program Rebecca Murph Milam University of Tennessee, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Recommended Citation Milam, Rebecca Murph, "Community College Student Experiences in a Tuition-Free Scholarship Program. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2019. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/5773 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Rebecca Murph Milam entitled "Community College Student Experiences in a Tuition-Free Scholarship Program." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Educational Psychology and Research. Ralph G. Brockett, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Patrick Biddix, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, Mary Catherine Hammon Accepted for the Council: Dixie L. Thompson Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Community College Student Experiences in a Tuition-Free Scholarship Program A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Rebecca Murph Milam August 2019 Copywrite © 2019 by Rebecca Murph Milam All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION To my husband Bill, I often hear you say— I would rather learn than eat. I would rather think than sleep. Imagine what I can learn tomorrow…. This dissertation really belongs to you. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply appreciative to Dr. Brockett, my advisor, and my committee members: Dr. Biddix, Dr. Hammon, and Dr. Yamagata-Lynch. All contributed to my study in unique ways. Thank you, Dr. Brockett, for your countless hours of listening to a novice and gently redirecting when I went off on tangents. I appreciate your skill in encouraging my strengths while guiding me to overcome weaknesses in a way that kept me from losing hope. You are an exceptional teacher! Looking back, I see how you were teaching me even when I did not know I was learning! What a rare skill! Thank you, Dr. Biddix, for your willingness to join my committee when you were already busy. Your assistance with the study refinements provided direction and strengthened the study. Thank you, Dr. Hammon, for sharing your understanding of the Tennessee Promise program, its background, and your experience with the mentoring program. Your words gave me confidence that I was on the right track with a worthwhile endeavor. Thank you, Dr. Yamagata-Lynch, for your insightful guidance and your advice to keep asking myself deep questions. Taking your class gave me a research topic that I am still passionate about, a theoretical framework to understand my study, and a way to communicate the results to readers. Thank you to my study participants: Bill, Chris, Dustin, Heavyn, James, Levi, Luke, Marie, and McKenzie. I appreciate all of you for taking the time to share your time and thoughts with me. Without you, there would be no study at all! You inspired me to tell your stories. I am grateful for the help from my family—from the encouraging words and emergency prayers to the moving of books and notebooks from one home to another during this journey. iv Thank you to my husband (Bill), my son (Brennen), my daughter (Amy), my son-in-law (Chase), and my brother (John). With a smile, I must also include Mel, our wonder dog. Reading, reflecting, and writing is easier with an Australian Shepherd nearby watching with confident blue eyes. v ABSTRACT Tuition-free college scholarship programs are rapidly sweeping the country in higher education. Tennessee Promise, the first statewide program, was implemented in 2015. Currently, there are at least 16 statewide programs with more in the planning stages. This study addressed the need to understand how students experienced college when tuition was not an issue. The purpose of the study was to understand the experience of Tennessee Promise students at a community college as they navigated entry and continuance as scholarship recipients. Utilizing a basic qualitative approach, nine Tennessee Promise scholarship recipients who had successfully completed their second semester or beyond were interviewed. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) served as the study’s theoretical framework with activity systems analysis guiding data interpretation. Seven themes were revealed through the voices of the students: (1) decision to participate; (2) application process; (3) program continuance requirements; (4) program challenges; (5) community service experiences; (6) mentorship experiences; and (7) program outcomes. The findings included the study participants’ appreciation for the opportunity to attend college tuition-free, their dependence on positive family support, and their agreement about the smooth application process and the benefits of community service. Findings also surfaced challenges with the mentorship program, understating last-dollar scholarships, the Promise payment process, and communication. Even though this study provided only a glimpse into what students experience at one college in one statewide program, the documented accomplishments and strategies to increase college completion through Tennessee Promise provides insights for the design and implementation of tuition-free programs in other locations and with different program designs. Implications for practice applicable to other free college programs and recommendations for future research are provided. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY .............................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................................. 3 Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................................................... 4 Research Question ......................................................................................................................... 5 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................. 5 Historical Origins ................................................................................................................ 6 Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Today ........................................................................ 8 Rationale for CHAT’s Use in This Study ........................................................................... 9 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................................ 11 Delimitations ............................................................................................................................... 14 Limitations ................................................................................................................................... 14 Definitions ................................................................................................................................... 15 Organization of the Study ............................................................................................................ 17 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .............................................................. 18 Literature Review Strategy .......................................................................................................... 18 Historical Context of Free Public Education ............................................................................... 19 Overview of Higher Education in the United States ......................................................... 20 Who Should Pay for College?........................................................................................... 21 Arguments against tuition-free college. ....................................................................... 21 Arguments for tuition-free college. .............................................................................. 23 Arguments for other ways to pay for college. .............................................................. 24 Recent Tuition-Free Scholarship Programs ................................................................................ 24 vii The Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship ............................................................................... 24 Other Tuition-Free Scholarship Programs ........................................................................ 27 Program Models for Tennessee Promise .......................................................................... 28 Related Literature ........................................................................................................................ 30 Literature about Characteristics of Tennessee Promise Students ..................................... 30 First-generation